Version 7.0.0
0
84
ExcellentNode.js test runner that lets you develop with confidence.
- Weekly Downloads
- 592.2K
Stable
- Bundle (gzip)
- 84.8 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
80
Popularity
90
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70
Ava vs Mocha
Side-by-side NPM package comparison
Quick Verdict
Smallest Bundle
Mocha
32.1 KB gzipped
Most Popular
Mocha
12.9M weekly downloads
Best Maintained
Mocha
100/100 maintenance score
Highest Quality
Ava
80/100 quality score
Overall Pick
Mocha
Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality
Version 11.7.5
0
85
Excellentsimple, flexible, fun test framework
- Weekly Downloads
- 12.9M
2%Stable
- Bundle (gzip)
- 32.1 KB
- Updated
- Vulns
- 0
Health Score Breakdown
Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
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.
Downloads & Popularity
Mocha leads with 12.9M weekly downloads — roughly 21.7x more. Ava has 592.2K weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.
Bundle Size
Mocha has the smallest gzipped bundle at 32.1 KB. Ava comes in at 84.8 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.
Health Score Comparison
Mocha has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Ava has an overall health score of 84/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, quality, 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 strong security track record. Choose Mocha if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.
Our Verdict
Both Ava and Mocha are solid choices for JavaScript development. Mocha has the edge in overall health score (85/100), 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 mocha?
- It depends on your needs. Ava has a health score of 84/100 while Mocha scores 85/100. Mocha has more weekly downloads (12.9M), 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 mocha?
- Mocha has the smaller gzipped bundle at 32.1 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
- How many developers use ava vs mocha?
- Based on npm download statistics, Ava has approximately 592.2K weekly downloads and Mocha has approximately 12.9M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
- Which is better maintained, ava or mocha?
- Mocha currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Ava has a maintenance score of 80/100 and Mocha scores 100/100 on maintenance.
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The 2026 JavaScript Stack Cheatsheet
One PDF: the best package for every category (ORMs, bundlers, auth, testing, state management). Used by 500+ devs. Free, updated monthly.