Side by side

StyLua vs swift-format

Both stand on code formatters. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Choose swift-format for a free, Apache-2.0 tool that formats and lints Swift with command-line, plugin, API, and editor integration options. It is especially useful when you want configurable behavior or SourceKit-LSP support. Consider another approach if your code relies on syntax unsupported by the version you use or if you need an established default style standard.

Visit swift-format

The facts

	StyLua	swift-format
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Not published	iPhone, Linux, Mac
Lowest paid plan	Not published	Free or on request
Plans published	None	1
Maker	JohnnyMorganz	Not published
Website	github.com	github.com
On code formatters	#19 of 22	#15 of 22

StyLua: what it does well

swift-format: what it does well

Formats files or standard-input Swift code
Lint command reports style violations
JSON configuration supports customization
SwiftFormatter and SwiftLinter APIs
Swift Package Manager command plugins

What to know first

Earlier versions may not recognize newer Swift syntax
Current style is presented as experimental
Installation is documented through the Swift toolchain, Homebrew, or a source build

Alternatives to StyLua Alternatives to swift-format The whole list