Head-to-Head: Cucumber.js vs Mocha Analysis

@cucumber/cucumber

v10.8.0(2 months ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are bundled with the npm packageNumber of direct dependencies: 41Monthly npm downloads

@cucumber/cucumber is a powerful tool for behavior-driven development (BDD) that allows teams to write executable specifications in a human-readable format. It enables collaboration between stakeholders, testers, and developers by providing a common language to describe application behavior. With @cucumber/cucumber, you can automate tests based on these specifications, ensuring that the software meets the desired behavior.

Alternatives:
jest-cucumber+
chai+
mocha+
jasmine+
ava+
tape+
qunit+
jest+
cypress-cucumber-preprocessor+
testcafe+

Tags: javascripttestingBDDcollaborationautomation

mocha

v10.7.0(6 days ago)

This package is actively maintained.Types definitions are provided via a separate npm package: @types/mochaNumber of direct dependencies: 20Monthly npm downloads

Mocha is a feature-rich JavaScript test framework for Node.js and browsers, offering a flexible and developer-friendly testing experience. It supports various testing styles, including BDD (Behavior Driven Development) and TDD (Test Driven Development), and provides a wide range of assertion libraries for making test assertions. Mocha's asynchronous testing capabilities, along with its support for running tests in parallel, make it a popular choice for testing JavaScript applications.

Alternatives:
jest+
jasmine+
ava+
tape+
chai+
jest-circus+
qunit+
karma+
cypress+
vitest+

Tags: javascripttestingframeworkBDDTDD

Fight!

Popularity

Mocha has been a popular choice for JavaScript testing for a long time and has a large community following. It is widely used and has a mature ecosystem. On the other hand, @cucumber/cucumber is gaining popularity, especially in the context of behavior-driven development (BDD) and acceptance testing.

Testing Style

Mocha is a flexible testing framework that allows you to write tests in various styles such as BDD, TDD, and more. It provides a simple and intuitive API for writing tests. @cucumber/cucumber, on the other hand, is specifically designed for behavior-driven development (BDD) and follows the Gherkin syntax for writing tests in a more human-readable format.

Feature Set

Mocha provides a wide range of features out of the box, including support for asynchronous testing, test reporters, and hooks for setup and teardown. It also has a rich plugin ecosystem. @cucumber/cucumber focuses on providing a framework for executing Gherkin-style feature files and supports features like step definitions, scenario outlines, and data tables.

Integration

Mocha integrates well with other libraries and frameworks and can be used with various assertion libraries, mocking libraries, and test runners. It is widely adopted and has good compatibility with different environments. @cucumber/cucumber is also designed to integrate with other testing frameworks and tools, and it provides plugins and adapters for different ecosystems.

Developer Experience

Mocha has a simple and straightforward API, making it easy to get started with testing. It provides clear and concise error messages, which helps in debugging. @cucumber/cucumber follows a more declarative style of testing, which can be beneficial for non-technical stakeholders to understand the behavior of the system. However, it may have a steeper learning curve for developers who are not familiar with BDD and Gherkin syntax.

Community and Support

Mocha has a large and active community with extensive documentation, tutorials, and resources available. It has been around for a long time and has a mature ecosystem. @cucumber/cucumber also has a growing community and provides good documentation and support resources, although it may not be as extensive as Mocha's.