Pest
A PHP testing framework with a simple, readable syntax, also aimed at AI agents.
- Stars
- 11.8k
- Forks
- 556
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- PHP
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
Pest is a testing framework for PHP, a language used to build many websites and web apps. It lets developers write automated tests that check whether code behaves as expected, using a concise, readable style. The README describes it as built for PHP developers and AI agents, but the README excerpt provided does not explain the features in detail.
- Write automated tests for a PHP application
- Check that PHP code behaves as expected before release
- Run a test suite as part of a development workflow
Great for
- PHP developers who want to add automated tests to a project
- Teams already using PHP testing tools who want a more readable syntax
- Developers interested in a testing framework that works with AI agents
Not ideal for
- Non-PHP developers, since it only works with the PHP language
- People who need install steps or setup details, since the provided README excerpt does not include them
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: PHP
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/pestphp/pest - 2
Run it
- Read the documentation at pestphp.com
- Install Pest into a PHP project using the method described in the docs
- Write a first test file and run the test suite
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read the documentation at pestphp.com for setup and usage details
- Follow the creator's video content for tutorials, as listed in the README
Downloads
Strengths
- Free and open source under the MIT license
- Has a large community with over 11,000 GitHub stars
- Has official documentation at pestphp.com and an active release (v5.3.4)
Trade-offs
- The README excerpt provided does not show code examples or detailed features, so the exact workflow is unclear from this source
- Limited to the PHP ecosystem
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pest (this) | 11.8k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | PHP developers who want to add automated tests to a project |
| symfony | 31.2k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | PHP developers building web applications that need a structured framework |
| framework | 35k | Framework | intermediate | 4 days ago | PHP developers building web applications or APIs |
| phpstan | 14.1k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | PHP developers who want to catch bugs earlier than tests alone allow |
| Slim | 12.3k | Framework | intermediate | 5 days ago | PHP developers who want a lightweight alternative to a full-stack framework |
| jest | 45.5k | Library | beginner | 4 days ago | JavaScript or TypeScript developers who want a testing setup that works with little configuration |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.