Side by side
PMD vs pycodestyle
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 LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
PMD combines broad language coverage, custom rules, and bundled duplicate detection without a listed price. Check language-specific rule coverage and version support before adopting it.
Visit PMD Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Choose pycodestyle for free, configurable checks of selected PEP 8 conventions, especially when editor navigation or plugin extensions matter. Look elsewhere or use plugins or related tools if you need exhaustive rule coverage, naming or docstring checks, or automatic fixing.
Visit pycodestyleThe facts
| PMD | pycodestyle | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, 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 | pmd.github.io | pycodestyle.pycqa.org |
| On linters | #17 of 33 | #21 of 33 |
PMD: what it does well
- Free, with more than 400 built-in rules.
- Custom rules can be written in Java or XPath.
- Bundled CPD detects duplicated code.
- Runs through several build tools and CI integrations.
What to know first
- Requires Java 8 or above.
- Scala support has no Scala rules.
- Only the latest major version is actively developed.
- Some listed IDE plugins are not actively maintained.
pycodestyle: what it does well
- Free under the listed free plan.
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Editor-parseable output can jump to error locations.
- Supports user- and project-level configuration.
- Plugins can add checks.
What to know first
- Does not enforce every PEP 8 rule.
- Naming and docstring conventions are outside its scope.
- Automatic fixing is outside its scope.
- Requires Python >=3.10.
Alternatives to PMD Alternatives to pycodestyle The whole list