# Checkstyle vs StyleLint

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** StyleLint

| Attribute | Checkstyle | StyleLint |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 60.1 (49% (low)) | 77.2 (71% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 36 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 1,425 | 200,392 |
| adoption.github_stars | 9,599 | 11,531 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | - | 10,966,597 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A development tool that automatically scans Java code to verify adherence to coding standards, detecting style violations, design problems, and formatting issues. Supports customizable rule sets and integrates with build tools and IDEs. It is indexed under Code Quality Tools.","source":"https://checkstyle.org/","question":"What is Checkstyle?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Checkstyle supports a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://checkstyle.org/","question":"What platforms does Checkstyle support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Checkstyle can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://checkstyle.org/","question":"Can Checkstyle be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Checkstyle is published under the LGPL-2.1 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle","question":"Is Checkstyle open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"Stylelint is an open-source CSS linter with over 100 built-in rules that helps developers catch errors, enforce conventions, and automatically fix issues. It supports plugins for custom rules and can parse CSS-like languages such as SCSS and Sass. It is indexed under Code Quality Tools.","source":"https://stylelint.io/","question":"What is StyleLint?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"StyleLint is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://stylelint.io/","question":"Is StyleLint free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"StyleLint supports a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://stylelint.io/","question":"What platforms does StyleLint support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. StyleLint can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://stylelint.io/","question":"Can StyleLint be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. StyleLint is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint","question":"Is StyleLint open source?","confidence":0.99}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Checkstyle analyzes Java source code against configurable rules covering naming, imports, formatting, Javadoc, and class design. It enables teams to maintain consistent coding standards through CLI, IDE plugins, and CI/CD integrations. | A CSS linter that validates stylesheets against built-in and custom rules to ensure error-free and consistent code, with automatic fixing capabilities and support for CSS-like languages. |
| features.capabilities | `{"autofix":false,"metrics":true,"function":"static_analyzer","ci_gating":true,"deployment":"cli_local","open_source":"oss","config_model":"config_file","custom_rules":true,"impl_language":"Java","pricing_model":"free","language_scope":"single_language","editor_integration":true}` | `{"autofix":true,"metrics":true,"function":"linter_formatter","ci_gating":true,"deployment":"cli_local","incremental":true,"open_source":"oss","config_model":"config_file","custom_rules":true,"impl_language":"JavaScript","pricing_model":"free","language_scope":"single_language","editor_integration":true}` |
| integrations.count | 7 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Maven"},{"name":"Ant"},{"name":"Eclipse","native":true,"category":"ide"},{"name":"IntelliJ IDEA","native":true,"category":"ide"},{"name":"Neovim","native":true,"category":"editor"},{"name":"Code Climate","native":true,"category":"code_quality"},{"name":"GitHub Actions","native":true,"category":"ci"},{"name":"Apache Ant","native":true,"category":"build_tool"}]` | - |
| language.primary | Java | JavaScript |
| license.spdx | LGPL-2.1 | MIT |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true}` | `{"cli":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://checkstyle.org/","retrievedAt":"2026-10-14T22:30:54.455Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://stylelint.io/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-10T16:00:24.713Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 13 | 7 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-14.3.0","date":"2026-09-27T15:22:48Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-14.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-14.2.0","date":"2026-09-27T14:43:29Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-14.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-14.1.0","date":"2026-08-30T14:47:48Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-14.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-14.0.0","date":"2026-08-18T13:09:20Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-14.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.11.0","date":"2026-08-16T21:52:20Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.11.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.10.0","date":"2026-08-09T17:48:41Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.10.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.9.0","date":"2026-07-27T01:04:59Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.8.0","date":"2026-07-12T02:55:15Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.7.0","date":"2026-06-28T15:13:54Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.6.0","date":"2026-06-15T03:24:52Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.5.0","date":"2026-05-30T20:22:13Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.4.2","date":"2026-05-02T04:07:51Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.4.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.4.1","date":"2026-04-27T12:43:10Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.4.0","date":"2026-03-29T17:41:44Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.3.0","date":"2026-02-28T17:36:40Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.2.0","date":"2026-02-05T20:28:40Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.1.0","date":"2026-01-31T17:26:20Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-13.0.0","date":"2026-01-04T23:48:39Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-13.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-12.3.1","date":"2025-12-31T15:42:54Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-12.3.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/checkstyle/checkstyle/releases/tag/checkstyle-12.3.0","date":"2025-12-13T15:50:49Z","type":"stable","version":"checkstyle-12.3.0"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.16.0","date":"2026-10-01T10:26:01Z","type":"stable","version":"17.16.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.15.0","date":"2026-09-04T14:01:44Z","type":"stable","version":"17.15.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.14.1","date":"2026-07-20T01:16:07Z","type":"stable","version":"17.14.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.14.0","date":"2026-06-25T15:22:34Z","type":"stable","version":"17.14.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.13.0","date":"2026-06-06T15:44:09Z","type":"stable","version":"17.13.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.12.0","date":"2026-05-20T10:49:28Z","type":"stable","version":"17.12.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.11.1","date":"2026-05-14T09:23:25Z","type":"stable","version":"17.11.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.11.0","date":"2026-05-05T11:38:30Z","type":"stable","version":"17.11.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.10.0","date":"2026-05-03T10:17:10Z","type":"stable","version":"17.10.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.9.1","date":"2026-04-27T13:06:58Z","type":"stable","version":"17.9.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.9.0","date":"2026-04-23T06:54:22Z","type":"stable","version":"17.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.8.0","date":"2026-04-15T11:50:13Z","type":"stable","version":"17.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.7.0","date":"2026-04-12T13:07:47Z","type":"stable","version":"17.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.6.0","date":"2026-03-26T09:39:45Z","type":"stable","version":"17.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.5.0","date":"2026-03-19T16:32:30Z","type":"stable","version":"17.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.4.0","date":"2026-02-25T13:22:00Z","type":"stable","version":"17.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.3.0","date":"2026-02-13T11:03:54Z","type":"stable","version":"17.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.2.0","date":"2026-02-10T09:47:26Z","type":"stable","version":"17.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.1.1","date":"2026-02-03T15:54:46Z","type":"stable","version":"17.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/stylelint/stylelint/releases/tag/17.1.0","date":"2026-01-30T12:37:43Z","type":"stable","version":"17.1.0"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | 7 | 7.4 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":2,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=maven&package_name=com.puppycrawl.tools%3Acheckstyle&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"MODERATE"}` | `{"count":1,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=stylelint&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"LOW"}` |

## Capabilities (Code Quality Tools)

| Capability | Checkstyle | StyleLint |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Function | Static analyzer | Linter + formatter |
| Language scope | Single-language | Single-language |
| Implementation language | Java | JavaScript |
| **Capability** |  |  |
| Autofix | ✗ | ✓ |
| **Config** |  |  |
| Config model | Config file | Config file |
| **Extensibility** |  |  |
| Custom rules | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Deployment | CLI-local | CLI-local |
| **Delivery** |  |  |
| Editor integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| CI / VCS gating | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Insight** |  |  |
| Code metrics | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Performance** |  |  |
| Incremental / monorepo aware | - | ✓ |
| **Licensing** |  |  |
| Open-source | OSS | OSS |
| **Commercial** |  |  |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:28:38.166Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*