Crates / Compare / similar vs pretty_assertions
Rust crates side by side · data Oct 24, 2026
similar vs pretty_assertions
Short answerBy steady daily use, similar is bigger: 713,001 real downloads a day against 522,294 for pretty_assertions (1.4x). 1,249 crates depend on similar and 5,760 on pretty_assertions. similar last shipped 2 months ago, pretty_assertions 2.1 years ago.
similar
Widely usedWidely used and steady.
1,249 crates depend on it; downloads don't spike on releases.
A diff library for Rust
pretty_assertions
Widely usedWidely used and losing ground.
5,760 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
Overwrite `assert_eq!` and `assert_ne!` with drop-in replacements, adding colorful diffs.
similarpretty_assertions · 100% = that crate's normal quiet day, so a spike to 300% is triple its usual traffic
Every number, side by side
| Same window, same method | similar | pretty_assertions |
|---|---|---|
| Real downloads a day | 713,001 | 522,294 |
| Crates that depend on it | 1,249 | 5,760 |
| Last release | 3.2.0, 2 months ago | 1.4.1, 2.1 years ago |
| Trend vs the field | +0% | -12% |
| Release-window share | 4.2% | 0.0% |
| Downloads in the window | 63,205,321 | 43,586,596 |
| All-time downloads | 228,552,633 | 226,411,503 |
| Versions published | 25 | 26 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT OR Apache-2.0 |
| MSRV | 1.85 | not set |
| First published | Jan 24, 2021 | Mar 26, 2017 |
Which to pick
- Downloads tell you what is common, not what fits. Each crate's own description above says what it is for; when the jobs differ, pick by the job.
- When both fit, prefer the one more crates depend on (pretty_assertions, 5,760 dependents): more eyes, more answered questions, and you may already have it in your tree.
- Check the release dates against your own pace: similar 2 months ago, pretty_assertions 2.1 years ago.
Also in this space
Method
Real downloads = the median day with no release that day or the day before, from the crates.io API (Jul 27, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026). Raw crates.io counts include CI and bots and run high (why); the method is from our 90-day study.
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