Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Version 7.0.0
Node.js test runner that lets you develop with confidence.
Version 11.7.5
simple, flexible, fun test framework
Choosing between Ava and Mocha? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.
Mocha leads with 13.2M weekly downloads — roughly 24.5x more. Ava has 537.0K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Ava has the smallest gzipped bundle at 651.0 B. Mocha comes in at 675.3 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Ava has an overall health score of 90/100 (excellent), with strong maintenance, quality, security, popularity scores. Mocha has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.
Choose Ava if you value minimal bundle footprint, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Mocha if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.
Both Ava and Mocha are solid choices for JavaScript development. Ava has the edge in overall health score (90/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.