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reviewdog

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What reviewdog is

reviewdog connects code analysis tools with code hosting services, posting findings from changed lines as review comments. It can also run locally to filter linter output against a diff. Supported inputs include errorformat, Reviewdog Diagnostic Format, unified diff, Checkstyle XML, and SARIF 2.1.0 JSON. Reporters can send results to GitHub Checks and pull request reviews, GitLab merge request discussions and commits, Gerrit change review, or Bitbucket Code Insights. Code suggestions work with RDFormat or diff input, depending on the reporter. The project documents CI use with GitHub Actions, Travis CI, CircleCI, GitLab CI, Bitbucket Pipelines, and Jenkins, and says it can integrate with linting tools regardless of programming language. Installation options include Homebrew, Scoop on Windows, a shell installer, and `go install`. The software is MIT-licensed and free; optional contributions include $1 a month, $5.00 USD once, or $50 a month. Some reporters need platform credentials, and the GitHub PR Checks reporter may use a server whose continuous availability is not guaranteed.

Who it suits

reviewdog suits developers and teams who want analysis findings attached to code reviews or filtered locally against a diff. It supports several code hosts, CI systems, and linter tools across programming languages.

What it does well

  • Runs locally and filters linter output against diffs
  • Supports GitHub, GitLab, Gerrit, and Bitbucket reporters
  • Documents six CI integrations
  • MIT-licensed and free to use
  • Code suggestions supported by some reporters

What to know first

  • Code suggestion support varies by reporter
  • Some reporters require platform credentials
  • GitHub PR Checks server availability is not guaranteed
  • Forked pull requests may fall back to limited annotations

Limits

The software is free under the MIT license. For forked pull requests where GITHUB_TOKEN lacks write access to Check or Review APIs, reviewdog falls back to GitHub Actions annotations, which have a per-run limit.

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
reviewdogMIT-licensed software · CLI and GitHub Actions installationFree
Backer$1.00 per month · Recurring contribution to support the project$1 a month
Onetime backer$5.00 · One-time contribution to support the project$5, paid once
Sponsor$50.00 per month · Recurring contribution to support the project$50 a month

As github.com lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

  1. Visit the reviewdog GitHub repository.
  2. Install through Homebrew, Scoop on Windows, the shell installer, or go install.
  3. Choose a code analysis tool and provide its output in a supported input format.
  4. Configure a reporter for your code hosting service and provide its required platform credentials.
  5. Run reviewdog locally against a diff or configure it in a supported CI service.

Verdict

reviewdog offers a free way to route code-analysis findings into supported review destinations and CI workflows. Check reporter requirements and fallback behavior when choosing how to handle pull requests.

Questions

Is reviewdog free?

Yes. The reviewdog plan costs nothing. Optional plans accept recurring or one-time contributions.

Is reviewdog open source?

Yes. The repository lists the MIT license.

Which code hosting services does it support?

Reporters include GitHub Checks and pull request reviews, GitLab merge request discussions and commits, Gerrit change review, and Bitbucket Code Insights.

Can reviewdog run locally or be self-hosted?

Yes. It can run locally to filter linter output against a diff, and self-hosted use is supported.

Which platforms can I install it on?

The listed platforms are Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted. Installation options include Homebrew, Scoop on Windows, a shell installer, and go install.

Who maintains reviewdog?

The repository names haya14busa as author. The project invites contributors to create reviewdog actions and offers to co-maintain them under the reviewdog organization.

Facts from reviewdog's own pages

Alternative setup
The README says users can avoid depending on the reviewdog server by running under GitHub Actions or using the GitHub PR review reporter. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
App setup
The reviewdog app page directs users to install the GitHub app and obtain a REVIEWDOG_TOKEN for a repository. · reviewdog.app, 10 Oct 2026
CI integrations
The README documents integrations with GitHub Actions, Travis CI, CircleCI, GitLab CI, Bitbucket Pipelines, Jenkins, and local workflows. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Code hosting integrations
Reporters include GitHub Checks and pull request reviews, GitLab merge request discussions, and Bitbucket Code Insights reports. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Code suggestions
Code suggestions are supported for RDFormat or diff input, with reporter support varying by destination. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Contribution model
The Open Collective page describes reviewdog as an open-source collective and identifies Open Source Collective as its fiscal host. · opencollective.com, 11 Oct 2026
Forked pull requests
For forked pull requests where GITHUB_TOKEN lacks write access to Check or Review APIs, reviewdog falls back to GitHub Actions annotations, which have a per-run limit. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Hosted server dependency
The GitHub PR Checks reporter can use the reviewdog GitHub App server, and the README says its availability is not guaranteed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Hosted service dependency
The GitHub PR Checks reporter can use a reviewdog app server, and the README cautions that it cannot guarantee that server runs continuously. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Input formats
It accepts compiler or linter output via stdin and supports errorformat, RDFormat, unified diff, checkstyle XML, and SARIF 2.1.0 JSON. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Installation
Installation options include a shell installer, Homebrew, Scoop on Windows, Go install, and a GitHub Action setup step. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Language support
The README describes integrating with any linter tools regardless of programming language and lists public actions for many language and file checks. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
License
The project is provided under the MIT License, which includes an as-is warranty disclaimer. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Local use
It can run locally to filter linter output by diff. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Maintainer and support
The repository names haya14busa as author and invites users to support the project through GitHub Sponsors or Open Collective. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Maintainer support
The README invites contributors to create reviewdog actions and offers to put their repositories under the reviewdog organization and co-maintain them. · github.com, 10 Oct 2026
Purpose
reviewdog integrates code analysis tools with code hosting services to post review comments when findings are in the patch diff. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Report destinations
Reporters include GitHub Checks and pull request reviews, GitLab merge request discussions and commits, Gerrit change review, and Bitbucket Code Insights. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Security credentials
Reporters use platform API tokens or credentials where required, and the README documents environment variables for GitHub, GitLab, Gerrit, and Bitbucket authentication. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026

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