diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 7ce9ece..27370ff 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@ hashbrown = "0.12"
 ahash = "0.8.2"
 ndarray = { version = "0.15.6", features = ["serde"] }
 num-traits = "0.2.15"
+
+[dev-dependencies]
 # testing
 snapbox = "0.4.3"
 predicates = "2.1.5"
 assert_fs = "1.0.10"
+pretty_assertions = "1.3.0"
diff --git a/tests/align.rs b/tests/align.rs
index 8f3a099..9276767 100644
--- a/tests/align.rs
+++ b/tests/align.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ use crate::common::*;
 
 use hashbrown::HashSet;
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+use pretty_assertions::{assert_eq};
+
 // NB: to view output, uncomment the current_dir lines
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/tests/common/mod.rs b/tests/common/mod.rs
index 7b1852b..281be3a 100644
--- a/tests/common/mod.rs
+++ b/tests/common/mod.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ use predicates::prelude::*;
 
 use hashbrown::HashSet;
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+use pretty_assertions::{assert_eq};
+
 // Creates correct path for input/output files
 static FILE_IN: &'static str = "tests/test_files_in";
 static FILE_TEST: &'static str = "tests/test_results_correct";
diff --git a/tests/fasta_input.rs b/tests/fasta_input.rs
index 2e691a2..a98034e 100644
--- a/tests/fasta_input.rs
+++ b/tests/fasta_input.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ use hashbrown::HashSet;
 pub mod common;
 use crate::common::{var_hash, TestDir, TestSetup};
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+use pretty_assertions::{assert_eq};
+
 #[test]
 fn align_n() {
     let sandbox = TestSetup::setup();
diff --git a/tests/fastq_input.rs b/tests/fastq_input.rs
index ddcb038..05f95ce 100644
--- a/tests/fastq_input.rs
+++ b/tests/fastq_input.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ use snapbox::cmd::{cargo_bin, Command};
 
 use hashbrown::HashSet;
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+use pretty_assertions::{assert_eq};
+
 pub mod common;
 use crate::common::*;
 
diff --git a/tests/skf_ops.rs b/tests/skf_ops.rs
index 1c931e3..2dd0796 100644
--- a/tests/skf_ops.rs
+++ b/tests/skf_ops.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 use snapbox::cmd::{cargo_bin, Command};
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+use pretty_assertions::{assert_eq};
+
 pub mod common;
 use crate::common::{TestDir, TestSetup};