Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

Mocha

10.4K
2.8K
+ 1
430
SinonJS

3.4K
38
+ 1
1
Add tool

Mocha vs SinonJS: What are the differences?

Mocha is a JavaScript testing framework that runs on Node.js, while SinonJS is a standalone JavaScript test spy, stub, and mocking library. The key differences between Mocha and SinonJS are as follows:

  1. Testing Framework vs. Test Spy Library: Mocha is a testing framework that provides a set of utilities and APIs for writing and running tests, whereas SinonJS is a library specifically focused on providing test spies, stubs, and mocks.

  2. Test Runner vs. Test Double Support: Mocha acts as a test runner and provides various features like test structure, test execution, reporting, and assertion libraries integration, while SinonJS focuses on providing support for test doubles such as spies, stubs, and mocks.

  3. Test Lifecycle vs. Function Spying: Mocha has built-in support for test lifecycle hooks like before, after, beforeEach, and afterEach, which allow pre and post-test actions, while SinonJS offers powerful function spying capabilities, allowing you to verify how functions are being used.

  4. Assertion Libraries Integration vs. Stubbing and Mocking: Mocha allows integration with multiple assertion libraries like Chai or Node.js's built-in assert module, providing a wide range of assertion styles and functionalities, whereas SinonJS focuses more on providing robust stubbing and mocking capabilities for controlling the behavior of functions in tests.

  5. Test Runner Configuration vs. Isolation Testing: Mocha allows configuration of the test runner, including settings like timeouts, reporter selection, filter patterns, and more, while SinonJS focuses on enabling isolated testing by providing test doubles that help isolate the code under test from its external dependencies.

  6. Flexible Test Suites vs. Standalone Library: Mocha provides flexibility in organizing test suites and tests by using various options like nested describe blocks, hooks, and test skipping, whereas SinonJS is a standalone library that can be used with any testing framework, allowing you to incorporate stubs, spies, and mocks in your tests regardless of the testing framework being used.

In Summary, Mocha is a testing framework with assertions and test runner capabilities, while SinonJS is a standalone library focused on providing test spies, stubs, and mocks for isolation testing.

Decisions about Mocha and SinonJS

We use Mocha for our FDA verification testing. It's integrated into Meteor, our upstream web application framework. We like how battle tested it is, its' syntax, its' options of reporters, and countless other features. Most everybody can agree on mocha, and that gets us half-way through our FDA verification and validation (V&V) testing strategy.

See more
Get Advice from developers at your company using StackShare Enterprise. Sign up for StackShare Enterprise.
Learn More
Pros of Mocha
Pros of SinonJS
  • 137
    Open source
  • 102
    Simple
  • 81
    Promise support
  • 48
    Flexible
  • 29
    Easy to add support for Generators
  • 12
    For browser and server testing
  • 7
    Curstom assertion libraries
  • 5
    Works with Karma
  • 3
    No other better tools
  • 1
    Simple setup
  • 1
    Works with saucelabs
  • 1
    Lots of tutorials and help online
  • 1
    Default reporter is nice, clean, and itemized
  • 1
    Works with BrowserStack
  • 1
    Simple integration testing
  • 1
    Open source

Sign up to add or upvote prosMake informed product decisions

Cons of Mocha
Cons of SinonJS
  • 3
    Cannot test a promisified functions without assertion
  • 2
    No assertion count in results
  • 1
    Not as many reporter options as Jest
  • 1
    More concepts than Jest
  • 1
    Less questions and answers on StackOverflow than Jest

Sign up to add or upvote consMake informed product decisions

- No public GitHub repository available -

What is Mocha?

Mocha is a feature-rich JavaScript test framework running on node.js and the browser, making asynchronous testing simple and fun. Mocha tests run serially, allowing for flexible and accurate reporting, while mapping uncaught exceptions to the correct test cases.

What is SinonJS?

It is a really helpful library when you want to unit test your code. It supports spies, stubs, and mocks. The library has cross browser support and also can run on the server using Node.js.

Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

What companies use Mocha?
What companies use SinonJS?
See which teams inside your own company are using Mocha or SinonJS.
Sign up for StackShare EnterpriseLearn More

Sign up to get full access to all the companiesMake informed product decisions

What tools integrate with Mocha?
What tools integrate with SinonJS?

Sign up to get full access to all the tool integrationsMake informed product decisions

Blog Posts

JavaScriptGitHubNode.js+29
14
13393
JavaScriptGitHubGit+33
20
2080
What are some alternatives to Mocha and SinonJS?
Jasmine
Jasmine is a Behavior Driven Development testing framework for JavaScript. It does not rely on browsers, DOM, or any JavaScript framework. Thus it's suited for websites, Node.js projects, or anywhere that JavaScript can run.
Jest
Jest provides you with multiple layers on top of Jasmine.
Chai
It is a BDD / TDD assertion library for node and the browser that can be delightfully paired with any javascript testing framework. It has several interfaces that allow the developer to choose the most comfortable. The chain-capable BDD styles provide an expressive language & readable style, while the TDD assert style provides a more classical feel.
Cypress
Cypress is a front end automated testing application created for the modern web. Cypress is built on a new architecture and runs in the same run-loop as the application being tested. As a result Cypress provides better, faster, and more reliable testing for anything that runs in a browser. Cypress works on any front-end framework or website.
Protractor
Protractor is an end-to-end test framework for Angular and AngularJS applications. Protractor runs tests against your application running in a real browser, interacting with it as a user would.
See all alternatives