Pest vs PHPUnit: How Pest modernizes PHP testing

• PHPUnit vs Pest: PHP Testing Framework Comparison
• Expectations API with fluent chaining and custom extensions
• Functional test style with describe, it, higher order tests
• Datasets that read naturally inline
• File and suite configuration via Pest helpers
• Lifecycle hooks expressed as closures across files or globally
• Grouping with fluent API and directory level grouping
• Browser testing built on Playwright
• Architecture testing
• Snapshot testing
• Type coverage reporting
• Profanity checker and more
• Filtering and running tests with fluent chains in code
• Side by side summary
• Practical starter templates
  • Convert a PHPUnit assertion to a Pest expectation
  • Add a reusable expectation
  • Attach a base TestCase and a trait across a folder
  • Define architecture rules
  • Add a snapshot check
  • Minimal browser test
• Conclusion

PHPUnit vs Pest: PHP Testing Framework Comparison

Testing is a non-negotiable part of modern PHP development. Among the most widely used frameworks, PHPUnit and Pest stand out as the dominant choices. Both are powerful, reliable, and actively maintained but they differ significantly in philosophy, syntax, and developer experience.

PHPUnit is the long-established standard in PHP testing, powering most enterprise and open-source test suites. It follows a traditional, class-based structure familiar to Java or .NET developers.

Pest, on the other hand, is a newer testing framework built on top of PHPUnit. It redefines PHP testing with a simpler, expressive, and elegant syntax while maintaining full PHPUnit compatibility.

Expectations API with fluent chaining and custom extensions

Pest introduces expect() with readable matchers and a first class way to create your own expectations. PHPUnit relies on assertion methods and custom constraints but has no built in fluent expectation layer.

Example

// Pest
expect($user->name)->toBe('John')->not->toBeEmpty();
 
// Custom expectation in tests/Pest.php
expect()->extend('toBeAdult', function () {
    return $this->toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(18);
});
 
// Usage
expect($user->age)->toBeAdult();

Functional test style with describe, it, higher order tests

Pest adds describe() and it() helpers and a higher order testing mode that removes boilerplate closures for common flows. PHPUnit stays class based and does not offer these helpers.

Example

// Pest
describe('sum', function () {
    it('adds integers', function () {
        expect(sum(2, 3))->toBe(5);
    });
});
 
// Higher order style example
test('home page')->get('/')->assertOk()->assertSee('Welcome');

Datasets that read naturally inline

Pest provides inline datasets and named datasets via ->with(...). PHPUnit has data providers, but the inline, fluent dataset style is a Pest convenience feature.

Example

it('accepts valid emails', function (string $email) {
    expect($email)->toMatch('/@/');
})->with([
    '[email protected]',
    '[email protected]',
]);

File and suite configuration via Pest helpers

Pest lets you bind a base test case, traits, and groups to files or directories using pest()->extend(), pest()->use(), and ->in(). PHPUnit config is XML oriented and class based. The fluent per directory binding is Pest specific.

Example

// tests/Pest.php
use Tests\TestCase;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
 
pest()->extend(TestCase::class)
    ->use(RefreshDatabase::class)
    ->in('Feature');

Lifecycle hooks expressed as closures across files or globally

Pest has beforeEach, afterEach, beforeAll, afterAll hooks with a functional style and global registration in tests/Pest.php. PHPUnit offers setup and teardown methods but not the closure based, global hook ergonomics.

Example

beforeEach(function () {
    $this->user = User::factory()->create();
});
 
afterAll(function () {
    // clean up external resources
});

Grouping with fluent API and directory level grouping

Pest adds ->group('name') and directory wide grouping through pest()->group()->in(). PHPUnit uses annotations or attributes but not the same fluent helpers.

Example

test('slow path', fn () => /* ... */)->group('slow');
 
// Directory level
pest()->group('feature')->in('Feature');

Browser testing built on Playwright

Pest v4 adds browser testing through an official plugin with simple visit() flows, screenshots, and visual regression helpers. PHPUnit does not include browser automation out of the box.

Example

it('welcomes the user', function () {
    $page = visit('/');
    $page->assertSee('Welcome');
});

Architecture testing

Write rules that enforce boundaries and naming by namespace or function patterns. This is a built in capability in Pest docs through the Architecture Testing section. PHPUnit has no native architecture rule DSL.

Example

arch()
    ->expect('App\\Http\\Controllers')
    ->toUse('App\\Http\\Requests');

Snapshot testing

Simple snapshot matching with a dedicated storage folder managed by Pest. PHPUnit does not ship a snapshot feature.

Example

it('renders contact page', function () {
    $response = $this->get('/contact');
    expect($response)->toMatchSnapshot();
});

Type coverage reporting

A plugin that reports type coverage without executing tests. PHPUnit does not provide this metric natively.

Command

composer require --dev pestphp/pest-plugin-type-coverage
./vendor/bin/pest --type-coverage

Profanity checker and more

Additional official plugins like Profanity and Stress testing are documented and integrate via the same fluent CLI options. PHPUnit does not have official equivalents.

Filtering and running tests with fluent chains in code

Beyond CLI flags, Pest lets you chain helpers like ->group() at call sites and use expressive describe based scoping. PHPUnit filtering is attribute or CLI driven and remains class centric.

Side by side summary

Practical starter templates

Convert a PHPUnit assertion to a Pest expectation

// PHPUnit
$this->assertSame(5, sum(2, 3));
 
// Pest
expect(sum(2, 3))->toBe(5);

Add a reusable expectation

// tests/Pest.php
expect()->extend('toBeUuid', function () {
    return $this->toMatch('/^[0-9a-f]{8}-[0-9a-f]{4}-[1-5][0-9a-f]{3}-[89ab][0-9a-f]{3}-[0-9a-f]{12}$/i');
});
 
// usage
expect($id)->toBeUuid();

Attach a base TestCase and a trait across a folder

// tests/Pest.php
use Tests\TestCase;
use Illuminate\Foundation\Testing\RefreshDatabase;
 
pest()->extend(TestCase::class)->use(RefreshDatabase::class)->in('Feature');

Define architecture rules

arch()->preset()->php();      // start with sensible defaults
arch()->expect('App\\Models')->toOnlyBeUsedIn('App\\Services');

Add a snapshot check

it('has a contact page', function () {
    $response = $this->get('/contact');
 
    expect($response)->toMatchSnapshot();
});

Minimal browser test

it('may welcome the user', function () {
    $page = visit('/');
 
    $page->assertSee('Welcome');
});

Conclusion

Pest offers more features in addition to the ones I covered in this blog post. Choose PHPUnit when you want the classic class based xUnit core. Choose Pest if you want the same engine with an expressive API, functional test style, and an official plugin ecosystem that covers browser automation, architecture rules, snapshots, and type coverage out of the box.