pytest-parallel

What it is and what it does

pytest-parallel is a pytest plugin that adds two execution modes: multiprocessing (via --workers) and multithreading (via --tests-per-worker), allowing you to run tests faster when they are thread-safe and use non-blocking I/O. It differs from pytest-xdist, which is better suited for tests that need process isolation or are not thread-safe; pytest-parallel targets scenarios like Selenium tests that manage little state and can benefit from concurrent execution within or across worker processes.

The plugin is configured via command-line flags: --workers sets the number of processes (defaulting to 1, or auto for one per core), and --tests-per-worker sets concurrent tests per worker (defaulting to 1, or auto for up to 50). However, the package has been abandoned since 2024-05-29, with the repository archived and no active maintenance, so compatibility with recent Python and pytest versions is uncertain.

Use it for:

• Speed up Selenium test suites that are thread-safe and can run concurrently without state conflicts.
• Run I/O-bound tests (e.g., HTTP requests) concurrently within worker processes to reduce wall-clock time.
• Distribute test execution across multiple CPU cores on Unix/Mac systems using the --workers auto flag.
• Execute a fixed number of concurrent tests per worker on Windows systems using --tests-per-worker.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

A pytest plugin that runs tests in parallel using multiprocessing and concurrently using multithreading, designed for test suites that are thread-safe and benefit from non-blocking I/O.

No. The package is abandoned (last release 2021-10-10, repository archived as of 2024-05-29) and offers no active maintenance or compatibility updates. For parallel testing, prefer pytest-xdist (actively maintained) or native pytest parallelization features. If you have an existing codebase using pytest-parallel, consider migrating to a maintained alternative.

Install

pytest-parallel on PyPI

pip install pytest-parallel

uv add pytest-parallel

poetry add pytest-parallel

Installing pytest-parallel

Before you install

Installation is straightforward with low friction, but the package is abandoned as of 2024-05-29 with no recent maintenance. The repository is archived, meaning no bug fixes or compatibility updates are forthcoming.

License in practice

MIT is a permissive license with minimal restrictions—you can use, modify, and distribute the package freely in commercial or private projects as long as you include the license notice.

Quickstart

pip install pytest-parallel

# In your test suite, run:
pytest --workers 2 --tests-per-worker 4

Unix or Mac required for the --workers flag; --tests-per-worker works on Unix, Mac, or Windows. Python 3.6+ required.

Verify before relying

• Whether the plugin remains compatible with modern pytest versions (last release was 2021-10-10).
• Real-world performance gains for your specific test suite compared to pytest-xdist or native pytest parallelization.
• Stability and edge cases with current Python 3.x versions, especially regarding multiprocessing behavior changes.

Package facts

Evidence: pytest_parallel-0.1.1-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

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