Hardhat vs Foundry vs Dead Frameworks - Stop Wasting Time on Dead Tools

I've been using smart contract frameworks since 2020, and let me tell you

• the landscape has been brutal.

Two frameworks are still alive, and everything else is a graveyard. If you're still using Truffle or Brownie, you're living in the past and setting yourself up for pain.

What's Actually Still Alive

Hardhat

• Still the go-to for Java

Script developers. It just works, has a massive plugin ecosystem, and won't randomly break your builds. The Nomic Foundation backs it so it's not going anywhere.

Foundry

• The new hotness.

Way faster because it's written in Rust, but comes with a steep learning curve. De

Fi protocols love it because fuzzing actually catches bugs that would cost millions in production.

Truffle

• ConsenSys killed it in September 2023. If you're still using it, you're not getting security updates. Time to migrate.

Brownie

• The Python community basically gave up on it. Everyone moved to Ape Framework, but honestly, just use Foundry or Hardhat instead.

Performance: Why Foundry Makes Developers Happy

Look, I've spent way too much time waiting for Hardhat tests to finish.

When I first tried Foundry, the tests ran so much faster I thought something broke. You know when you're used to tests taking forever and suddenly they finish in seconds?

Here's what you'll actually notice:

• Small projects:

Foundry finishes before Hardhat even starts

• Medium projects: Foundry is way faster, Hardhat takes painfully long
• Large codebases:

Foundry is still fast, Hardhat makes you question your life choices

War story: Our CI pipeline was taking forever because of slow Hardhat tests.

Switched to Foundry and the speedup was insane

• developers actually started running tests locally again instead of just pushing and hoping.

The speed comes from Rust being faster than Java

Script and native Solidity testing instead of running through a JS wrapper. When you're iterating on tests all day, this isn't just a nice-to-have

• it's a sanity saver.

What Developers Are Actually Using

Hardhat still dominates with ~362k weekly downloads as of August 2025. Almost every Ethereum tutorial uses it, enterprise teams love the stability, and the plugin ecosystem is insane. The Nomic Foundation backs it, so it's not going anywhere.

Foundry is the hot new thing. Every DeFi protocol I know has at least considered switching. The early adopters are mostly performance-obsessed teams who got tired of slow test suites. It's growing fast but still feels like a power user tool.

Truffle is a zombie

• still getting downloads from people following old tutorials, but anyone using it for new projects is making a mistake.

Brownie usage has basically flatlined. The Python community mostly moved on.

Just Use Foundry if You Want Speed, Hardhat if You Want Plugins

Here's my honest take after using both extensively:

**

Choose Hardhat if:**

• Your team already knows JavaScript/TypeScript well
• You need specific plugins (there's probably one for whatever weird thing you're doing)
• You're building full-stack apps and want everything in the same language
• You want stability over bleeding-edge performance

**

Choose Foundry if:**

• Test speed matters to you (it should)
• You like writing tests in Solidity instead of JavaScript
• You're building performance-critical DeFi protocols
• You don't mind learning Rust tooling

Migration Reality Check: If you're on Truffle or Brownie, you HAVE to migrate.

Consen

Sys has guides, but they're basically "figure it out yourself" at this point.

Actual migration horror story: Spent weeks migrating a De

Fi project from Truffle to Hardhat. Everything seemed fine until we deployed to testnet and discovered our gas estimates were completely fucked because Hardhat's simulation was subtly different. Had to rewrite deployment scripts and re-audit the gas optimization. Always test everything on testnet first

• the simulators aren't identical.

The framework choice will impact your development speed more than you realize. Choose wisely, because switching later is a pain in the ass.

The Bottom Line

Both frameworks are actively maintained and you can't really go wrong with either. The real losers are developers still stuck on dead frameworks burning time on tools that will never get better.

Stop Overthinking This

• Here's What to Use

Use Hardhat If You're a JavaScript Developer

You should pick Hardhat if:

• You and your team already know Java

Script/TypeScript well

• You're building a full-stack dApp and want everything in the same language
• You need weird plugins (there's probably one for whatever you're doing)
• Your boss demands vendor support contracts
• You hate learning new toolchains

Hardhat just works.

The plugin ecosystem is massive, the docs are good, and you won't run into weird edge cases that kill your productivity. It's still slower than Foundry but gets the job done.

Use Foundry If You Want Speed and Don't Mind Learning Rust Tooling

You should pick Foundry if:

• Test speed actually matters to you (it should)
• You like writing tests in Solidity instead of dealing with Java

Script async bullshit

• You're building DeFi protocols where fuzzing might catch million-dollar bugs
• You don't mind learning command-line tools and Rust-style development
• You prioritize performance over ecosystem convenience

Foundry is genuinely fast and the fuzzing catches bugs that manual tests miss.

The learning curve is steeper but once you get it, you won't want to go back to slow test suites.

Install: curl -L https://foundry.paradigm.xyz | bash

If You're Still Using Dead Frameworks

Get Off Truffle Already

ConsenSys killed Truffle and you're not getting security updates.

Here's how to migrate without completely losing your mind:

1. Pick your poison
   • Hardhat if you want familiar Java

Script, Foundry if you want performance 2. Start with tests

• They're the hardest part and you'll find all the edge cases

3. Migrate deployment scripts
   • Usually the easiest part
4. Update CI/CD
   • This always takes longer than you think

Reality check: Small projects take 1-2 weeks, medium projects take a month, large projects take 2-3 months.

Add 50% buffer time because you'll find weird config files from 2021 that somehow still matter.

Version-specific nightmare: Migrating from Truffle 5.4 to Hardhat 2.12, everything worked fine in development.

Deployed to mainnet and gas estimates were completely fucked because Truffle's old London fork simulation was different from Hardhat's. Cost us a shitload in extra gas fees. Always test on mainnet forks first.

Brownie Is Also Dead

The maintainers gave up and most Python developers moved to Ape Framework or just learned JavaScript/Solidity.

Honest advice: Unless your entire team only knows Python, just switch to Hardhat or Foundry.

The ecosystem is bigger, the tools are better, and you won't be fighting against the grain anymore.

Can I Use Both? (You Can But Why?)

Some teams use the @nomicfoundation/hardhat-foundry plugin to get Foundry's fast testing with Hardhat's deployment stuff. It works but adds complexity.

My take: Unless you have a specific reason to mix them, just pick one.

The overhead of maintaining both toolchains usually isn't worth it.

The Simple Decision Tree

![Simple Deployment Process](https://hardhat.org/_next/image?url=%2F_next%2Fstatic%2Fmedia%2FSimple

DeploymentsImageSm.529bb768.svg&w=750&q=100)

JS developer? Use Hardhat. Want fast tests? Use Foundry. Still on Truffle? You're fucked, migrate now.

That's it. Stop overthinking this and start building.