Side by side
Checkstyle vs detekt
Both stand on linters. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Choose Checkstyle if you need free, configurable checks to help Java code follow a coding standard across command line, build, IDE, or CI workflows. Look elsewhere if your analysis requires expression type resolution or a full inheritance hierarchy.
Visit Checkstyle
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
detekt offers configurable Kotlin analysis and several report formats, with options for extending its rules. Check the Gradle requirement if you plan to use its plugin.
Visit detektThe facts
| Checkstyle | detekt | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | checkstyle.org | detekt.dev |
| On linters | #7 of 33 | #11 of 33 |
Checkstyle: what it does well
- Free to use under the LGPL-2.1-or-later license.
- Includes Google Java Style, Sun Conventions, OpenJDK Style, and Doc Style configurations.
- Supports custom rules.
- Documents command line, Ant, Maven, and Gradle usage.
- Lists IDE and CI integrations, including Eclipse and GitHub Actions.
What to know first
- Analysis is limited to single-file source checks.
- Does not determine expression types or build a full inheritance hierarchy.
- The project supports only its latest version.
- Versions 13.x and 14.x require Java runtime 21 or above.
detekt: what it does well
- Supports Android, JVM, JS, Native, and Multiplatform
- Configurable rules, baselines, and suppressions
- Offers HTML, Markdown, SARIF, and other reports
- Supports custom rules, autofix, IDEs, and CI
What to know first
- Gradle plugin requires Gradle 6.8.3 or higher
- Security patching focuses on the current minor version
Alternatives to Checkstyle Alternatives to detekt The whole list