Comparison

PMD vs Prettier

On the evidence we track, Prettier leads this comparison with a composite score of 82/100. Scores are only directly comparable because these tools share a category; the full breakdown and every source is below.

Machine formatsJSONMarkdownGraphQLor send Accept: application/json
PMD60
Prettier82
Score
Vioscale score
PMD60 / 100medium · 53%
Prettier82 / 100high · 79%
Pricing
Free tier
PMD
Prettier
Model
Price level
PMDfree
Prettierfree
Transparent
PMD
Prettier
Integrations
Count
PMD1
Prettier19
Adoption
Dependent repos
PMD356
Prettier1,703,312
Github stars
Prettier52,212
Package downloads weekly
PMD
Prettier133,260,364
Activity
Commits last 30d
PMD62
Prettier100
Release
Cadence days
PMD28
Prettier3
History
Prettier20 items
License
Spdx
PMD
PrettierMIT
Language
Primary
PMDJava
PrettierJavaScript
Market

Capabilities

Feature-by-feature on the axes that matter for code quality tools. “-” means undocumented, not absent.

Core
Function
PMDStatic analyzer
PrettierFormatter
Language scope
PMDMulti-language
PrettierMulti-language
Implementation language
PMDJava
PrettierJavaScript
Capability
Autofix
PMD-
Prettier
Config
Config model
PMDRule packs
PrettierConfig file
Extensibility
Custom rules
PMD
Prettier
Deployment
Deployment
PMDCLI-local
Prettier-
Delivery
Editor integration
PMD
Prettier
CI / VCS gating
PMD
Prettier
Insight
Code metrics
PMD-
Prettier
Performance
Incremental / monorepo aware
PMD-
Prettier
Licensing
Open-source
PMDOSS
PrettierOSS
Commercial
Pricing model
PMDFree
PrettierFree

What each one is

The product in its own terms, so the numbers below have context.

PMD

PMD is a multilingual static code analyzer that detects common programming issues like unused variables and inefficient patterns. It includes over 400 built-in rules, supports 16+ languages with primary focus on Java, and supports custom rules via Java or XPath.

Independently observed

Prettier

Leader

Prettier is a code formatting tool that parses source code and reprints it with its own consistent style rules. It integrates with editors and CI systems to format code automatically on save or in version control workflows, reducing style-related code review discussions.

Independently observed

Pricing

List pricing as published by each vendor, with the date we read it. Always verify at the source before you buy.

PMD

FreeFree tier

Free, open source

as of verify ↗

Prettier

Leader
Open sourceFree tier

Free and open source

as of verify ↗

Platform & deployment

Where each product runs and how it can be hosted. A dash means undocumented, not unsupported.

Platforms
Web
PMD
Prettier
macOS
PMD
Prettier
Windows
PMD
Prettier
Linux
PMD
Prettier
CLI
PMD
Prettier
Deployment
Self-hosted
PMD
Prettier

Integrations

What each product connects to. Counts come from the vendor's own integration directory where one exists.

PMD

1 total
  • Eclipse
Independently observed

Prettier

Leader
8 total
  • VS Code
  • WebStorm
  • Vim
  • Sublime Text
  • Emacs
  • Visual Studio
  • Nova
  • Neovim
Independently observed

Comparison generated from independently-sourced facts. Every value links to its source and retrieval date. See the method.