Ava vs Vitest

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

ava

Popular

Version 7.0.0

90
Excellent

Node.js test runner that lets you develop with confidence.

Weekly Downloads
537.0K
17%
Bundle (gzip)
651.0 B
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
90
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70

vitest

Extremely Popular

Version 4.0.18

85
Excellent

Next generation testing framework powered by Vite

Weekly Downloads
35.4M
70%
Bundle (gzip)
72.7 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Ava and Vitest? 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.

Downloads & Popularity

Vitest leads with 35.4M weekly downloads — roughly 65.8x more. Ava has 537.0K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Ava has the smallest gzipped bundle at 651.0 B. Vitest comes in at 72.7 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Ava has an overall health score of 90/100 (excellent), with strong maintenance, quality, security, popularity scores. Vitest 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.

When to Choose Each

Choose Ava if you value minimal bundle footprint, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Vitest if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Ava and Vitest 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ava better than vitest?
It depends on your needs. Ava has a health score of 90/100 while Vitest scores 85/100. Vitest has more weekly downloads (35.4M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, ava or vitest?
Ava has the smaller gzipped bundle at 651.0 B. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use ava vs vitest?
Based on npm download statistics, Ava has approximately 537.0K weekly downloads and Vitest has approximately 35.4M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, ava or vitest?
Ava currently has the higher overall health score at 90/100. Ava has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Vitest scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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