# PMD vs Psalm

| Attribute | PMD | Psalm |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 59.9 (53% (medium)) | 72.8 (33% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 62 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 356 | 15,920 |
| adoption.github_stars | 5,473 | 5,884 |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | 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. | Psalm is a free, open-source static analyzer for PHP that identifies type-related errors and bugs in codebases at their strictest settings. It can automatically fix many common issues and supports safe coding patterns used in other languages. |
| features.capabilities | `{"function":"static_analyzer","ci_gating":true,"deployment":"cli_local","open_source":"oss","config_model":"rule_packs","custom_rules":true,"impl_language":"Java","pricing_model":"free","language_scope":"multi_language","editor_integration":true}` | `{"autofix":true,"metrics":true,"function":"static_analyzer","deployment":"cli_local","open_source":"oss","config_model":"config_file","custom_rules":true,"impl_language":"PHP","pricing_model":"free","language_scope":"single_language"}` |
| integrations.count | 1 | - |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Eclipse"}]` | - |
| language.primary | Java | PHP |
| license.spdx | - | MIT |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | - |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"free","summary":"Free, open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://pmd.github.io/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T08:38:36.255Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Open Source","description":"Free and open-source static analysis tool for PHP","contactSales":false}],"summary":"Free and open-source. Optional paid support contracts available.","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://psalm.dev/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-03T22:32:46.041Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 28 | 1 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.27.0-SNAPSHOT","date":"2026-06-29T09:47:25Z","type":"prerelease","version":"pmd_releases/7.27.0-SNAPSHOT"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.26.0","date":"2026-06-29T09:27:48Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.26.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.25.0","date":"2026-05-29T07:31:55Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.25.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.24.0","date":"2026-04-24T10:32:31Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.24.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.23.0","date":"2026-03-27T11:16:41Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.23.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.22.0","date":"2026-02-27T12:03:19Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.22.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.21.0","date":"2026-01-30T09:52:21Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.21.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.20.0","date":"2025-12-30T15:44:30Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.20.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.19.0","date":"2025-11-28T11:36:32Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.19.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.18.0","date":"2025-10-31T08:59:05Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.18.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.17.0","date":"2025-09-12T08:10:30Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.17.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.16.0","date":"2025-07-25T07:00:32Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.16.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.15.0","date":"2025-06-27T12:45:08Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.15.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.14.0","date":"2025-05-30T18:45:09Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.14.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.13.0","date":"2025-04-25T08:32:19Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.13.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.12.0","date":"2025-03-28T08:27:08Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.12.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.11.0","date":"2025-02-28T11:24:10Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.11.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.10.0","date":"2025-01-31T10:26:11Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.10.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.9.0","date":"2024-12-27T13:22:05Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/pmd/pmd/releases/tag/pmd_releases/7.8.0","date":"2024-11-29T10:55:15Z","type":"stable","version":"pmd_releases/7.8.0"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta19","date":"2026-04-15T20:51:53Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta19"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta18","date":"2026-04-15T18:57:09Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta18"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.16.1","date":"2026-03-19T11:07:58Z","type":"stable","version":"6.16.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta17","date":"2026-03-17T11:28:08Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta17"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.16.0","date":"2026-03-17T11:22:35Z","type":"stable","version":"6.16.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta16","date":"2026-02-20T19:46:21Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta16"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta15","date":"2026-02-19T21:57:27Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta15"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.15.1","date":"2026-02-08T08:26:17Z","type":"stable","version":"6.15.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.15.0","date":"2026-01-30T14:13:20Z","type":"stable","version":"6.15.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta14","date":"2025-12-23T17:07:55Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta14"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.14.3","date":"2025-12-23T15:49:03Z","type":"stable","version":"6.14.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.14.2","date":"2025-12-11T08:59:09Z","type":"stable","version":"6.14.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta13","date":"2025-12-10T09:35:46Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta13"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.14.1","date":"2025-12-10T09:35:44Z","type":"stable","version":"6.14.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta12","date":"2025-12-10T09:11:02Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta12"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.14.0","date":"2025-12-10T08:48:11Z","type":"stable","version":"6.14.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.13.1","date":"2025-08-07T12:33:39Z","type":"stable","version":"6.13.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta11","date":"2025-07-14T10:01:40Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta11"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/6.13.0","date":"2025-07-14T10:00:47Z","type":"stable","version":"6.13.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/vimeo/psalm/releases/tag/7.0.0-beta10","date":"2025-07-04T10:10:02Z","type":"prerelease","version":"7.0.0-beta10"}]` |
| security.scorecard | 6.1 | 4.5 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=maven&package_name=net.sourceforge.pmd%3Apmd-java&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=packagist&package_name=vimeo%2Fpsalm&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Code Quality Tools)

| Capability | PMD | Psalm |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Function | Static analyzer | Static analyzer |
| Language scope | Multi-language | Single-language |
| Implementation language | Java | PHP |
| **Capability** |  |  |
| Autofix | - | ✓ |
| **Config** |  |  |
| Config model | Rule packs | 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: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T15:02:59.016Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*