Foundry vs Hardhat 2026 - Smart Contract Framework

Foundry vs Hardhat (2026)

Which framework for smart contract development?

Foundry

• Rust-based, 10x faster than Hardhat
• Write tests in Solidity
• Built-in fuzzing and invariant testing
• Used by Paradigm, OpenZeppelin, Aave

Hardhat

• JS/TS test integration
• Larger plugin ecosystem
• Used by Uniswap, Compound

Verdict: Learn Foundry first

Templates with Foundry scripts and Solidity tests: https://rentry.co/w9gngnqt