compare
AVA vs Jest
The same facts for both, read from GitHub every night, and the relation a person reviewed.
| Fact | AVA | Jest |
|---|---|---|
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| Stars | 21k | 45k |
| Latest | v8.4.0 | v30.5.2 |
| Last push | 2026-11-07 | 2026-11-11 |
| Release cadence | about 4 days between releases | about 11 days between releases |
| Active contributors | 14 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days | 11 commit authors on the default branch in the last 90 days |
| Flags | none | none |
How they relate
Both replace Mocha. Alternatives to Mocha →
Full replacementAVARuns each test file in its own process, concurrently, with assertions built in.
Full replacementJestJavaScript test runner with assertions, mocking and coverage built in.
AVA
- v8.4.02026-11-07Report how many snapshots were updated or removed
- v8.3.02026-10-31Avoid re-entry of test finish logic, ensuring teardowns run only once
- v8.2.02026-10-27Improve t.throws message when function doesn't throw
- v8.1.22026-10-23This is a patch release to fix some npm metadata.
- v8.1.12026-10-22This is a patch release to fix some npm metadata. I've included a wider dependency update, but there's no changed funct…
Jest
- v30.5.22026-09-18[@jest/transform] Strip TypeScript types with Node when no transformer claims a .ts, .mts or .cts file (#16421)
- v30.5.12026-09-01[jest-config] Don't warn about global-only options in the config that supplies the global config - the root config a pr…
- v30.5.02026-08-28On a personal note: King Harald V of Norway passed away this morning. He ascended the throne 35 years ago, two months b…
- v30.4.22026-05-09[jest-runtime] Fix named imports from CJS modules whose module.exports is a function with own-property exports (#16150)
- v30.4.12026-05-08[jest-config, jest-core, jest-runner, jest-schemas, jest-types] Allow custom runner configuration options via tuple for…
AVA
✓ signed The latest release, v8.4.0, carries a signature GitHub verified.
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Jest
unsigned The latest release, v30.5.2, carries no signature GitHub could verify.
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