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AVA vs Karma

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AVA
110
204
+ 1
32
Karma
2.5K
601
+ 1
181
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AVA vs Karma: What are the differences?

What is AVA? A refined, futuristic test runner. Even though JavaScript is single-threaded, IO in Node.js can happen in parallel due to its async nature. AVA takes advantage of this and runs your tests concurrently, which is especially beneficial for IO heavy tests. In addition, test files are run in parallel as separate processes, giving you even better performance and an isolated environment for each test file.

What is Karma? Spectacular Test Runner for JavaScript. Karma is not a testing framework, nor an assertion library. Karma just launches a HTTP server, and generates the test runner HTML file you probably already know from your favourite testing framework. So for testing purposes you can use pretty much anything you like.

AVA and Karma are primarily classified as "Javascript Testing Framework" and "Browser Testing" tools respectively.

"Simple and fast" is the top reason why over 11 developers like AVA, while over 56 developers mention "Test Runner" as the leading cause for choosing Karma.

AVA and Karma are both open source tools. AVA with 16.4K GitHub stars and 1.07K forks on GitHub appears to be more popular than Karma with 10.7K GitHub stars and 1.61K GitHub forks.

Sellsuki, Coderus, and Repro are some of the popular companies that use Karma, whereas AVA is used by Taboola, Becual.com, and Navendis. Karma has a broader approval, being mentioned in 119 company stacks & 57 developers stacks; compared to AVA, which is listed in 12 company stacks and 10 developer stacks.

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Pros of AVA
Pros of Karma
  • 12
    Simple and fast
  • 6
    Parallel test running
  • 5
    Open source
  • 3
    Promise support
  • 3
    Test code Instrumenting
  • 2
    Babel integration
  • 1
    ESM Ready
  • 61
    Test Runner
  • 35
    Open source
  • 27
    Continuous Integration
  • 22
    Great for running tests
  • 18
    Test on Real Devices
  • 11
    Backed by google
  • 5
    Easy Debugging
  • 2
    Remote Control

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Cons of AVA
Cons of Karma
  • 1
    No built-in support for DOM
  • 1
    No source files compilation
  • 1
    Slow, because tests are run in a real browser
  • 1
    Requires the use of hacks to find tests dynamically

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- No public GitHub repository available -

What is AVA?

Even though JavaScript is single-threaded, IO in Node.js can happen in parallel due to its async nature. AVA takes advantage of this and runs your tests concurrently, which is especially beneficial for IO heavy tests. In addition, test files are run in parallel as separate processes, giving you even better performance and an isolated environment for each test file.

What is Karma?

Karma is not a testing framework, nor an assertion library. Karma just launches a HTTP server, and generates the test runner HTML file you probably already know from your favourite testing framework. So for testing purposes you can use pretty much anything you like.

Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

Jobs that mention AVA and Karma as a desired skillset
Software Quality Engineer in Test
Pinterest
Mexico City, MX; , MX
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DreamCypressJavaScript+5
Software Engineer, Web
Pinterest
Mexico City, MX; , MX
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DreamViteRelay+12
Senior Platform Engineer, (Distribution)
Postman
Bangalore, India
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ContinuePatternsSchedule+8
What companies use AVA?
What companies use Karma?
See which teams inside your own company are using AVA or Karma.
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What tools integrate with AVA?
What tools integrate with Karma?
    No integrations found

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    What are some alternatives to AVA and Karma?
    Jest
    Jest provides you with multiple layers on top of Jasmine.
    EVA
    Equipping you with hundreds of symbols and dozens or styles configurations, it makes sure the design stays consistent across all of your applications and platforms.
    Mocha
    Mocha is a feature-rich JavaScript test framework running on node.js and the browser, making asynchronous testing simple and fun. Mocha tests run serially, allowing for flexible and accurate reporting, while mapping uncaught exceptions to the correct test cases.
    Chai
    It is a BDD / TDD assertion library for node and the browser that can be delightfully paired with any javascript testing framework. It has several interfaces that allow the developer to choose the most comfortable. The chain-capable BDD styles provide an expressive language & readable style, while the TDD assert style provides a more classical feel.
    Jasmine
    Jasmine is a Behavior Driven Development testing framework for JavaScript. It does not rely on browsers, DOM, or any JavaScript framework. Thus it's suited for websites, Node.js projects, or anywhere that JavaScript can run.
    See all alternatives

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