In recent years, JavaScript has expanded intensively. And because testing is an integral part of development, it keeps changing right alongside the language.
Many testing frameworks are written in JavaScript, and they solve a wide range of business problems.
Did you know that JavaScript has been named the most commonly used programming language for 8 years in a row? 67.7% of developers use JavaScript 👍
Check out the Open Base link, where 201 of the best JavaScript testing frameworks and libraries for debugging are listed. All of these libraries and javascript testing tools ship with pre-written code and extra features.
Why do QA Automation Engineers Tend to Use Ready Code?
JavaScript libraries hold ready-made code, functions, methods, and objects for practical tasks, so QA Automation Engineers can reuse and repurpose them instead of writing everything from zero. Most js testing frameworks come with out-of-the-box functionality for spinning up the test environment, CI/CD included. For UI testing, some frameworks connect straight to the browser, like the well-known Selenium WebDriver. They also integrate with third-party tools, provide fake data and mocking support, and much more.
So JavaScript testing frameworks bring simplicity to the whole testing process. Every javascript testing framework makes automation testing easier and faster, which saves stakeholders a lot of time, effort, and money. That is exactly the motive behind creating these frameworks and libraries, and why you can find dozens of them for different use cases. Of course, even the best javascript testing framework has its own set of pros and cons.
The right tool depends on the unique requirements of your project. It comes down to the tech stack, how far along your test automation is, and the percentage of Automation Test Coverage you need to reach with automated testing compared to manual testing. What problems does it need to solve? What is your QA team’s testing experience, and what are your developers’ skills and background?
To start with a particular JavaScript framework, read its documentation and follow the steps in the framework’s Docs. You will find plenty of ready-to-use test examples there for daily routines.
We also want to draw your attention to Chai. Make sure you try it too. Chai is an assertion library used together with almost all of the JavaScript testing frameworks noted below. As we know, assertions are the base component of test cases. Chai provides functions and methods that compare the output of a given test with its expected value.
Chai is a popular JavaScript testing library thanks to its simple BDD syntax. That syntax reads a lot like plain English, which makes tests easier to follow for everyone involved in the testing process.
A List of JavaScript Testing Frameworks You Should Know by Default
Here is a shortlist to help you choose the best JavaScript testing framework for your stack. Each of these js testing frameworks has proven itself on real projects, so any one of them could be your best js testing framework depending on your needs.
Mocha
MochaJS is easily the most used JavaScript testing framework. It handles both frontend and backend testing.
Main advantages:
- Mocha is incredibly extensible. It is powered by plenty of plugins for every taste, including real-time reporting, screenshots, and video capturing of test results.
- It integrates with other JS testing frameworks, for example WebdriverIO and CodeceptJS.
- Great for getting started, thanks to the many code samples, articles, and video tutorials online.
- Sequential execution of test cases with flexible reporting.
- Mocha makes it easy to map exceptions to the relevant test cases.
- Mocha supports all browsers.
- It supports generators with ease.
If you are looking for a very flexible and extensible testing tool, MochaJS is an excellent choice.
CodeceptJS
What is CodeceptJS? CodeceptJS is less a testing tool and more a wrapper around multiple testing tools, able to test any web application. With CodeceptJS you can pick between frameworks like WebDriverIO, Protractor, Nightmare, Appium, Selenium, Playwright, and Puppeteer, and use the same script to test across all of them. You can even test your API and fold it into your end-to-end tests.
Main advantages:
- Multiple testing tools in one.
- CodeceptJS offers scenario-driven tests. These scenarios are linear, just like a user’s behavior and actions on a site.
- A special BDD-style syntax keeps test code concise and readable.
- It is extensible, so you can run tests without substantial changes in any of the popular test runners.
- The Codecept testing environment is easy to set up and maintain.
A pretty good choice for small and mid-sized projects 👍
Cucumber
Cucumber is a cross-platform Behavior Driven Development (BDD) tool. Remember, like CodeceptJS, Cucumber is not a testing tool on its own. It is a tool for describing user behavior and how an app should work, expressed through steps written in Gherkin syntax. It does not force you to automate the verification of that behavior if you would rather not.
Main advantages:
- Cucumber tests are fully understandable to business stakeholders who are not familiar with testing, because they can read the code. Test reports are written in business-readable English too.
- Cucumber is quick and easy to set up, and it lets you reuse code across tests.
- One nice feature: both the specification and the test documentation live in a single, up-to-date document.
- The code works alongside other testing frameworks written not only in JavaScript but also in Java, Python, and others.
Selenium WebDriver
Selenium WebDriver includes a JavaScript testing framework and is widely used for automated cross-browser testing of web applications. It also supports other programming languages, including Java, Python, and PHP.
Main advantages:
- Simple syntax, so testers who want a quick introduction to automated web testing can pick it up fast.
- Flexibility and extensibility.
- Scalability, with support for parallel testing.
- A large community is always there to help, since Selenium WebDriver is the oldest automation testing tool.
TestCafe
TestCafe is a great alternative to Selenium-based tools. The library uses its own test structure and a different way to control the browser, through injected JavaScript. You get complete control over the JavaScript execution cycle. UI tests usually run separately from the rest.
Main advantages:
- Easy to start testing.
- Clearer, more readable syntax than Selenium WebDriver.
- Works in any browser and on any device.
- Parallel testing across several browsers at once.
- Convenient error reports.
Webdriver.io
WebdriverIO is a browser and mobile javascript automation framework based on Node.js and built on top of Selenium. It lets you automate any application built with modern web frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js, as well as native mobile apps for Android and iOS.
Main advantages:
- WebdriverIO gives you a full-fledged framework out of the box. You don’t have to build anything from scratch the way you would with straight Selenium.
- It comes with everything you need for scalable, sustainable test suites, plus extra features the plain Selenium version lacks.
- Out-of-the-box integration with other JS testing frameworks such as Mocha, Chai, CI/CD tools, and reporters.
Cypress
Cypress is a JavaScript end-to-end testing framework that runs in the browser. It clearly belongs among the top JavaScript testing frameworks thanks to its huge popularity. Because of architectural differences from other frameworks, it gives you faster and more accurate test execution. It ships with a Test Runner and logs for interactive runs, which makes debugging easy. Cypress is also smart enough to know that once you save a test file, you will rerun it, so there is no need to define implicit and explicit waits.
Main advantages:
- Complete and clear documentation.
- Parallel and cross-browser testing.
- Convenient startup and debugging tools.
- Faster, more accurate test runs.
Jest
Jest is a great JS testing framework from Facebook. It is built for unit testing, a way to test the individual functions and components of your application so future commits don’t break them unexpectedly.
Main advantages:
- Fast and highly productive, which makes it perfect for React-based applications, especially large projects.
- Compatible with Babel-based projects, TypeScript, Angular, Vue.js, other frontend frameworks, and many Node.js test libraries.
- Everything you need for unit testing comes out of the box.
- Excellent documentation, an active worldwide community, and support for all modern IDEs.
- An intelligent parallel testing mechanism.
- In watch mode, Jest reruns only the tests that could have changed. That makes it a popular JavaScript automation testing framework for unit tests.
Puppeteer
Puppeteer automates Chrome and Firefox. It is mostly an automation tool rather than a testing framework, which makes it incredibly popular for use cases like scraping and generating PDFs. Maintained by Google, Puppeteer uses the same debugger protocol as Selenium (well, ChromeDriver) to perform clicks.
Main advantages:
- Generally easier to set up than Selenium for the development flow.
- Easy to set up and maintain.
- Excellent documentation.
Playwright
Playwright is a Node.js library that lets QA Automation Engineers control browsers through a high-level API. It uses the same architecture as Puppeteer and works as a thin WebSocket client, with very similar syntax. When you run a Playwright test script, the UI is readied on the backend before the test interacts with web elements, while other frameworks make you write explicit waits. That auto-wait makes it easier to write concise scripts, and Playwright’s capabilities cover a wide range of complex scenarios for thorough testing. Playwright is maintained by Microsoft.
Main advantages:
- Highly fast and stable, with optimal use of resources.
- Parallel testing through Browser Context.
- Safari browser support.
- It runs isolated sessions in browsers for grids.
- High test creation speed.
- Like Cucumber, Playwright supports multiple programming languages such as Python, Java, and .NET C#.
- Simple to install and set up.
- Community support, great documentation, detailed instructions, and good example projects.
Bottom Line
Find the right JavaScript testing framework for your needs 🙂 Whichever of these js testing frameworks you land on, the real win is keeping every test in one place. Testomat.io syncs your automated and manual tests, tracks them, and makes them visible to the whole team, with quick imports from Mocha, CodeceptJS, Cypress, Playwright, WebdriverIO, Jest, and more. Make your JavaScript tests visible with Testomat.io, the all-in-one test management solution for automated tests, and start free with no credit card needed.
