cargo-nextest Hits 3x Speed Boost Over cargo test as RustRover Gets Native IDE Support

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September 2025 — Rust developers can now run tests up to three times faster with cargo-nextest, the next-generation test runner, now fully integrated into JetBrains’ RustRover 2026.1 IDE. The tool, created by Rain, promises faster, more observable testing for large codebases and CI pipelines. “cargo-nextest can be up to three times faster than <code>cargo test</code>, depending on the project and workload,” Rain said in a recent livestream. “There is a lot of CI focus, but also a lot of attention paid to the local interactive developer experience.” <h2 id="background">Background</h2> The test runner, now widely adopted across the Rust ecosystem, addresses chronic bottlenecks in test execution for large projects. Rain, a software engineer with over a decade of experience at Meta, Mozilla, and Oxide Computer Company, built cargo-nextest to improve speed and observability.<figure style="margin:20px 0"><img src="https://blog.jetbrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-design-1.png" alt="cargo-nextest Hits 3x Speed Boost Over cargo test as RustRover Gets Native IDE Support" style="width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:8px" loading="lazy"><figcaption style="font-size:12px;color:#666;margin-top:5px">Source: blog.jetbrains.com</figcaption></figure> “I learned Rust to work on a Mercurial server at Meta,” Rain recalled. “As I was developing it, I fell in love with Rust and decided to go deeper.”<figure style="margin:20px 0"><img src="https://blog.jetbrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-10-23-at-06.34.51.png" alt="cargo-nextest Hits 3x Speed Boost Over cargo test as RustRover Gets Native IDE Support" style="width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:8px" loading="lazy"><figcaption style="font-size:12px;color:#666;margin-top:5px">Source: blog.jetbrains.com</figcaption></figure> <h2 id="what-this-means">What This Means</h2> For developers managing large codebases or complex integration tests, cargo-nextest slashes feedback loops. The RustRover integration lets users run and monitor test sessions directly from the IDE, with progress reports and structured results in the Test tool window. Rain emphasized that the tool is designed for both CI and local development. “That combination makes cargo-nextest useful across open source and large industry codebases.” Developers can watch the full livestream on <a href="https://tv.jetbrains.com">JetBrains TV</a> for deeper insights into cargo-nextest’s architecture and future plans.