node:test Runner in Node.js
From the Node.js Core Modules cheat sheet · Modern Node.js (Built-in) · verified Jul 2026
node:test Runner
Built-in test runner with describe / it / assert — no Jest needed
javascript
import { test, describe, it, before, after, mock } from 'node:test'
import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
test('adds two numbers', () => {
assert.equal(1 + 1, 2)
})
describe('User', () => {
it('starts inactive', () => {
const u = new User()
assert.equal(u.active, false)
})
})
// Run with: node --test
// Run a single file: node --test test/user.test.js
// Watch mode: node --test --watch💡 No Jest, no vitest — `node --test` is enough for most projects
⚡ Built-in mock + mock.timers + watch mode + parallel files
📌 `node:assert/strict` is the assertion lib — same API as Jest expect-ish
🎯 TS works via `--experimental-strip-types --test` on Node 22.6+
testingmodern