Crates / Compare / static_assertions vs serial_test
Rust crates side by side · data Oct 24, 2026
static_assertions vs serial_test
Short answerBy steady daily use, static_assertions is bigger: 1,442,265 real downloads a day against 429,325 for serial_test (3.4x). 1,688 crates depend on static_assertions and 2,974 on serial_test. static_assertions last shipped 7.0 years ago, serial_test 3 months ago.
static_assertions
Widely usedWidely used and quiet for years.
1,688 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
Compile-time assertions to ensure that invariants are met.
serial_test
Widely usedWidely used and losing ground.
2,974 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
Allows for the creation of serialised Rust tests
static_assertionsserial_test · 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 | static_assertions | serial_test |
|---|---|---|
| Real downloads a day | 1,442,265 | 429,325 |
| Crates that depend on it | 1,688 | 2,974 |
| Last release | 1.1.0, 7.0 years ago | 4.0.1, 3 months ago |
| Trend vs the field | +1% | -11% |
| Release-window share | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Downloads in the window | 130,951,945 | 36,319,430 |
| All-time downloads | 561,828,019 | 167,916,707 |
| Versions published | 15 | 25 |
| License | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| MSRV | not set | 1.93.1 |
| First published | Aug 13, 2017 | Dec 30, 2018 |
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 (serial_test, 2,974 dependents): more eyes, more answered questions, and you may already have it in your tree.
- Check the release dates against your own pace: static_assertions 7.0 years ago, serial_test 3 months 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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