Black
An opinionated Python code formatter that automatically enforces consistent code style
- Also known as
- black
What is Black?
A Python code formatter that automatically reformats entire files to enforce consistent styling. It produces minimal diffs to accelerate code review and ensures uniform appearance across projects.
Black pricing
We don't have Black's full plan breakdown yet (its pricing page resisted automated reading). Here's what we could confirm. Always check live pricing for exact numbers.
What Black does
The capabilities that matter for code quality tools, normalised so it lines up with every alternative. “-” means we haven't confirmed it, not that it's missing.
- Function
- Formatter
- Language scope
- Single-language
- Implementation language
- Python
- Autofix
- ✓
- Config model
- Zero-config
- Custom rules
- ✗
- Deployment
- Both
- Editor integration
- ✓
- CI / VCS gating
- ✓
- Code metrics
- ✗
- Incremental / monorepo aware
- ✗
- Open-source
- OSS
- Pricing model
- Free
Platform & deployment
Independently observed- CLI
- Linux
- Windows
- Self-hosted
Integrations (11)
Independently observed- Visual Studio Code⇄•
- GitHub Actions←•
- Neovim
- conform.nvim
- ALE
- SublimeText
- Pre-commit
- Jupyter Notebooks
- blacken-docs
- blackdoc
- Vim•
Security & compliance
Known vulnerabilities: 2 (1 in the last 12 months), max severity HIGH sourcea count reflects scale & disclosure, not quality
Black FAQ
Common questions about Black, answered from independent, dated evidence.
What is Black?
An opinionated Python code formatter that automatically reformats code according to a standardized style. It produces minimal diffs for cleaner code review and reduces developer cognitive load by removing formatting decisions, allowing focus on code logic. It is indexed under Code Quality Tools.
Is Black free to use?
Black 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.
What platforms does Black support?
Black supports a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.
Can Black be self-hosted?
Yes. Black can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.
What does Black integrate with?
We have confirmed 8 integrations for Black, including Neovim, conform.nvim, ALE, SublimeText, Pre-commit, Jupyter Notebooks, blacken-docs and blackdoc. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.
Is Black open source?
Yes. Black 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/psf/black
Black alternatives
Other code quality tools we track, ranked by the same independent score.
- PrettierAutomatically formats code using consistent styling ruleshigh · 78%
- StyleLintmedium · 71%
- ESLintStatic JavaScript code analyzer that identifies and automatically fixes problemshigh · 78%
- RuffPython linter and formatter built for speedmedium · 68%
- mypyStatic type checker for Python with optional, gradual type annotationsmedium · 66%
- BiomeA unified code toolchain for web developmentmedium · 68%
Compare Black
Side by side against other code quality tools, attribute by attribute, with a source on every value.
The vioscaleAI score: one lens on the evidence
Not user reviews and not a paid placement: a confidence-weighted blend of the independent signals below (adoption, activity, security posture, and more), which you can sort and re-weight yourself. Vendors can correct their listing but can never move their rank, and stars are weighted low as a vanity metric. It is one way to read the evidence for Black, not the verdict.
| Signal | Score | Weight | Contribution | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Package downloads | 97 | 0.17 | 16.7 | ✓ |
| Development activity | 59 | 0.12 | 7.1 | ✓ |
| Dependent projects | 84 | 0.08 | 6.7 | ✓ |
| Release cadence | 83 | 0.07 | 5.5 | ✓ |
| Capabilities | 58 | 0.08 | 4.8 | ✓ |
| Security score | 75 | 0.05 | 4.0 | ✓ |
| Stars | 87 | 0.03 | 2.9 | ✓ |
| Integrations | 22 | 0.05 | 1.2 | ✓ |
| Security posture | 5 | 0.09 | 0.0 | - |
| Developer Q&A activity | 0 | 0.08 | 0.0 | - |
Computed . Re-weight it by intent, or see the full method.
All data & sourcesshow ↓
Every value we hold, with its source, retrieval date, and confidence. This is the evidence behind the score: don't trust it, verify it.
Activity
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Commits last 30d | 75 | mediumsource · 2026-10-14 · 65% |
Adoption
Content
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Faq | 6 items | mediumsource · 2026-09-10 · 66% |
Features
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Capabilities | Autofix: Yes · Metrics: No · Function: formatter · Ci gating: Yes · Deployment: both · Incremental: No | mediumsource · 2026-10-14 · 60% |
Integrations
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 5 | mediumsource · 2026-10-14 · 60% |
Language
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Python | highsource · 2026-10-14 · 98% |
License
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Spdx | MIT | highsource · 2026-10-14 · 95% |
Pricing
Release
Security
| Attribute | Value | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Disclosure policy | Yes | mediumsource · 2026-08-14 · 60% |
| Scorecard | 7.5 | highsource · 2026-10-14 · 90% |
| Vulnerabilities | Count: 2 · Source: https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=pypi&package_name=black&per_page=100 · Last 12m: 1 · Max severity: HIGH | highsource · 2026-10-14 · 90% |
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