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Peridot vs Spinach comparison of testing frameworks
What are the differences between Peridot and Spinach?

Peridot

http://peridot-php.github.io/

Spinach

https://github.com/codegram/spinach
Programming language

PHP

Ruby

Category

Unit Testing

Acceptance Testing

General info

Peridot is a lightweight, extensible testing framework for PHP

It features an event-driven architecture that allows testers to easily customize the framework via plugins and reporters, and uses the 'describe-it', syntax making the testing language clear and readable

Spinach is a BDD framework on top of Gherkin

Spinach is a high-level BDD framework that leverages the Gherkin language to help define executable specifications of your application or library's acceptance criteria.
xUnit
Set of frameworks originating from SUnit (Smalltalk's testing framework). They share similar structure and functionality.

No

No

Client-side
Allows testing code execution on the client, such as a web browser

Yes

Front-end components can be tested with Peridot

N/A

Server-side
Allows testing the bahovior of a server-side code

Yes

Back-end componets and behaviours can be tested as small units

Yes

You can test any server-side behaviour with Spinach
Fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data (fixtures) that are test-local. This ensures specific environment for a single test

Yes

Peridot has several methods that allow one to create and define fixtures

No

Group fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data for a group of tests (group-fixtures). This ensures specific environment for a given group of tests.

Yes

There are methods to create group fixtures in Peridot

No

Generators
Supports data generators for tests. Data generators generate input data for test. The test is then run for each input data produced in this way.

N/A

Yes

Spinach has inbuilt generator methods
Licence
Licence type governing the use and redistribution of the software

MIT License

MIT License

Mocks
Mocks are objects that simulate the behavior of real objects. Using mocks allows testing some part of the code in isolation (with other parts mocked when needed)

Peridot does not include mocking out of the box but there are some great tools like 'Mockery' and 'Prophecy' which Peridot intergrates very well with

Yes

Spinach can access the rspec-mocks methods
Grouping
Allows organizing tests in groups

Yes

By use of describe and context blocks and it has a Runner which is responsible for running a given Suite.

Yes

Spinach Integrates with your RSpec test suite which allows declaring example groups and contexts.
Other
Other useful information about the testing framework