Prettier

Prettier is a free, open-source formatter for developers who want code to follow a shared style across editors and project workflows. Its appeal is consistency across a broad set of web-focused languages; its firm limits on customization make it a less natural fit for teams with detailed style preferences.

Overview

Prettier parses code and prints it in a consistent style, taking line length into account. That makes it useful when teams want routine formatting handled consistently rather than debated or adjusted by hand. Its opinionated approach is the trade-off: there are configuration options, but relatively few.

Developers can use Prettier from the command line, an editor, or a browser or JavaScript API. The open-source formatter costs nothing plan; commercial support and maintenance are available through the Tidelift Subscription.

Key features

Editor and project workflows

Prettier can run from an editor shortcut or automatically when saving. Documented integrations cover VS Code, Emacs, Vim, Helix, Sublime Text, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, and Espresso. This makes it practical for teams with varied editor preferences, though each developer needs an appropriate integration.

Its CLI can format files with --write or check formatting in CI with --check. Teams can also use Husky and lint-staged to run it before each commit. These options let teams choose when formatting is applied or enforced, but they require project workflow setup.

Language support and extensibility

Built-in support covers JavaScript, JSX, Angular, Vue, Flow, TypeScript, CSS, Less, SCSS, HTML, JSON, GraphQL, Markdown, YAML, LWC, and MJML. Plugins can add languages or formatting rules, but languages outside the built-in web-focused set require a plugin. That makes Prettier a strong fit for many web projects, but less turnkey for teams whose languages are not built in.

Configuration and consistency

Prettier offers configuration, but deliberately keeps the number of options low. For ESLint, its installation guide recommends eslint-config-prettier to disable rules that are unnecessary or may conflict with formatting. The guide also recommends installing an exact local version in each project, since even patch releases can format code differently. Teams benefit from predictable shared conventions, but need to manage versions deliberately to keep output consistent.

Pricing

Prettier — free. The plan provides the open-source code formatter and is suitable for individuals and teams that can adopt it without paid support. There are no paid formatter tiers to compare; commercial support and maintenance are offered through the Tidelift Subscription. That subscription includes security updates, license verification, and intellectual property indemnification, making it relevant to organizations seeking those services rather than a different formatting feature set.

Platforms

Prettier supports Linux, macOS, and Windows, with browser and JavaScript API access. Editor integrations and the CLI provide additional ways to fit it into development workflows.

Who it's for

Prettier is best for developers and teams working in its supported languages who want consistent output in editors, commits, or CI without maintaining a large set of style rules. It is less suitable for teams that need extensive formatting customization or work in languages that require a plugin.

Pros and cons

• Pro: CLI, editor, and API workflows let teams apply or check formatting at different stages of development.
• Pro: Broad built-in support for web-focused languages avoids a plugin requirement for many common projects.
• Pro: Free and open source, with optional enterprise support and maintenance through Tidelift.
• Con: Few configuration options limit teams that want extensive control over style.
• Con: Additional languages require plugins, adding setup for projects outside the built-in set.
• Con: Exact local versions are recommended because patch releases can change formatting output.

Alternatives

Browse code formatting tools to compare other options. Choose Black for a free MIT-licensed Python code formatter, Ruff for another free option in the Python tooling ecosystem, or rustfmt for a free formatter. Biome is an open-source toolchain for web projects; CSharpier focuses on C# and XML; dprint is a self-managed, MIT-licensed CLI; and elm-format formats Elm source through a command-line tool. Consider Accessibility Test Framework for Android as another free option, though its listing identifies it as an Android accessibility test framework rather than a formatter.

Verdict

Choose Prettier if you want a free, shared formatter with editor, CLI, and API workflows across its built-in languages. Its main advantage is consistent output across a project; look elsewhere if your team needs fine-grained style control or works in a language that requires plugin setup.