PropCheck vs PropEr
PropCheck
github.comPropEr
proper-testing.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | PropCheck | PropEr |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Property-Based Testing Tools | 8.0 (#7) | 7.5 (#14) |
| Installation | The README says to add `gem 'prop_check'` to a Gemfile or install it with `gem install prop_check`. | The user guide describes obtaining source from GitHub, compiling it with make, or installing it with Homebrew. |
| License | The project is released under the MIT License. | PropEr is open-source software distributed under the GPL, version 3 or later. |
| Purpose | PropCheck is a Ruby library for property-based testing that checks assertions against generated inputs. | PropEr is a tool for automated, semi-random, property-based testing of Erlang programs. |
| Stateful testing | The README lists stateful property testing as a possible future separate add-on library. | It can also be used for model-based random testing of stateful systems. |
Plans
In their own words
PropCheck
PropCheck is a Ruby library for property-based testing: it generates inputs and checks whether assertions hold across them. When a generated example fails, it tries to simplify that case into a smaller counterexample. Built-in generators cover integers, floats, strings, symbols, arrays, hashes, sets, dates, times and datetimes. A generator DSL lets developers define their own, while the API also supports mapping and binding values, alternatives and weighted frequency choices.
Before, after and around hooks provide setup and cleanup around generated examples. The README gives usage examples for RSpec, MiniTest, test-unit and vanilla Ruby, and says the library has no external dependencies. PropCheck requires Ruby 2.5.1 or later and is released under the MIT License. It is available as a free Community library. Installation can be done through a Gemfile or with `gem install prop_check`. For generated examples involving a database, the README recommends cleaning database state around each example and mentions DatabaseCleaner. Stateful property testing is described as a possible future separate add-on.
PropEr
PropEr is a free, open-source testing tool for Erlang programs. It performs automated, semi-random property-based testing and can generate input data from Erlang type declarations. Functions can be tested automatically from information in their Erlang specifications, while properties are written as Erlang expressions with predefined macros. PropEr also supports model-based random testing for stateful systems and targeted property-based testing using search-based techniques. Failing cases can be shrunk, and the project supports EUnit and Common Test. Constraints that Erlang’s type language cannot express can be handled with custom generators; filtering may keep trying random values until one passes. The generator language differs from Erlang’s type language for list expressions, including support for particular list lengths and element types. PropEr is self-hosted, supports Erlang, and is distributed under GPL version 3 or later. The guide describes installation from GitHub source, with make, or through Homebrew.