Hardhat vs Foundry

Dominant plugin ecosystem: Over 1,000 verified plugins for tasks like deployment (Hardhat-Deploy), verification (Etherscan), and testing (Waffle). This matters for teams building complex dApps that require deep integration with services like The Graph, Chainlink, or Tenderly.

TypeScript-first & familiar workflow: Built-in TypeScript support and a Node.js runtime offer a gentler learning curve for web2 developers. The interactive console and stack traces simplify debugging. This matters for large teams where onboarding speed and developer comfort are critical.

Blazing-fast Solidity-native testing: Written in Rust, Forge executes tests directly in Solidity, achieving speeds 10-100x faster than JavaScript-based runners. This matters for protocols with large, complex test suites (e.g., DeFi protocols like Uniswap V4) where iteration speed is paramount.

Batteries-included for power users: Comes with Cast (CLI for chain interactions), Anvil (local devnet), and Chisel (REPL) out-of-the-box. Native fuzzing and differential testing (via ffi) enable security-focused development. This matters for security engineers and solo developers who value a minimal, powerful toolkit.

Rich, TypeScript-native ecosystem: Over 1,000+ community plugins for tasks like deployment (hardhat-deploy), verification (hardhat-etherscan), and gas reporting. This matters for teams building complex dApps like Aave or Uniswap V3 that require integrated testing, forking, and multi-step deployment scripts.

Slower execution in JavaScript/TypeScript: Tests run in a Node.js environment, which is inherently slower than native Rust. For a large test suite with 500+ cases, Hardhat can be 10x-100x slower than Foundry. This matters for protocols with extensive on-chain logic (e.g., perpetual DEXs) where rapid test iteration is critical.

Blazing-fast Rust-based testing: Forge executes tests directly in Solidity, bypassing JavaScript. Benchmarks show sub-second test runs for standard contracts versus minutes in Hardhat. This matters for high-frequency development cycles and security-focused teams performing fuzzing on complex protocols like MakerDAO.

Younger, more fragmented tooling: While growing rapidly, Foundry lacks the depth of battle-tested plugins for deployment orchestration and mainnet interactions. Tasks like automated Etherscan verification or integration with Tenderly require more manual setup. This matters for enterprises with established CI/CD pipelines relying on tools like OpenZeppelin Defender.

Native Rust performance: Tests and scripts execute 10-100x faster than JavaScript-based tools. Built-in gas snapshots (forge snapshot) and fuzzing provide exhaustive security checks. This matters for teams building complex DeFi protocols (e.g., AMMs, lending) where gas optimization and edge-case discovery are critical.

Limited plugin ecosystem compared to Hardhat's 100+ integrations. Direct interaction with tools like Ethers.js, The Graph, or WalletConnect requires custom bridging. This matters for full-stack dApp teams who rely on a unified JS/TS stack for frontends, bots, and indexers.

Dominant market share with extensive plugins for verification (Etherscan), testing (Waffle), and deployment. The Hardhat Network offers superior mainnet forking and debugging. This matters for enterprise teams and auditors (e.g., OpenZeppelin, ConsenSys Diligence) who prioritize stability, tooling integration, and verbose error traces.

JavaScript VM overhead slows down test suites, especially for complex simulations. Gas tracking and fuzzing require external plugins. This matters for protocols with large, iterative test suites (e.g., NFT collections with thousands of permutations) where CI/CD pipeline speed directly impacts development velocity.