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Head-to-head · Code Refactoring Tools

ast-grep vs OpenRewrite

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score ast-grep #2 in Code Refactoring Tools 8.7/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit ast-grep
OpenRewrite #8 in Code Refactoring Tools 7.9/10 Open source ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit OpenRewrite

ast-grep leads on 0 checks, OpenRewrite on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreast-grep · 8.7/10
  • Most featuresOpenRewrite · 2 of 3

ast-grep scores higher on our rubric for code refactoring tools: 8.7 against 7.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #8.

ast-grep is the better fit for developers needing free structural refactoring. OpenRewrite is the better fit for java ecosystem migrations and security fixes.

  • ast-grep fits best

    Developers needing free structural refactoring

  • OpenRewrite fits best

    Java ecosystem migrations and security fixes

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Side by side

Feature ast-grep 8.7/10 Visit ↗ OpenRewrite 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 7.9
Ranking #2 in Code Refactoring Tools #8 in Code Refactoring Tools
Best for Developers needing free structural refactoring Java ecosystem migrations and security fixes
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Open source Open source
Free plan Not checked yet Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features ast-grep 0/3 · OpenRewrite 2/3
Batch refactoring Not checked yet ✓ (best)
AI assistance Not checked yet Not checked yet
AST-based analysis Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Supported languages Not checked yet Java, Kotlin, Groovy
Refactoring scope Not checked yet Repository
Deployment Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • AST-based search and rewriting support large-scale codemods
  • Custom YAML lint rules and language-server fixes
  • Works across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Free open-source recipes for migrations, updates, and security fixes
  • Maven and Gradle plugins support local execution
  • Custom YAML recipes, composition, and multi-cycle execution
Cons
  • Local installation requires teams to manage their own deployment
  • AST pattern matching differs from plain-text search workflows
  • Editor integrations focus on VS Code, Neovim, and Emacs
  • Verified language coverage centers on Java, Kotlin, and Groovy
  • Primarily operates through local or build-tool workflows
  • Cross-repository orchestration belongs to the separate Moderne platform
Our verdict

ast-grep is an open-source command-line tool for developers who need structural code search, linting, rewriting, and refactoring. Instead of matching only plain text, it works with abstract syntax tree patterns, making it suitable for…

Read the review →

OpenRewrite is an open-source ecosystem for automated source-code refactoring across repositories. It is aimed at development teams working on Java, Kotlin, and Groovy codebases that need framework migrations, dependency updates, security…

Read the review →
  1. ast-grepCode Refactoring Tools 8.7Open source
  2. OpenRewriteCode Refactoring Tools 7.9Open source

Strengths and trade-offs

  • ast-grep — where it wins

    • AST-based search and rewriting support large-scale codemods
    • Custom YAML lint rules and language-server fixes
    • Works across Windows, macOS, and Linux

    Where it doesn't

    • Local installation requires teams to manage their own deployment
    • AST pattern matching differs from plain-text search workflows
    • Editor integrations focus on VS Code, Neovim, and Emacs

  • OpenRewrite — where it wins

    • Free open-source recipes for migrations, updates, and security fixes
    • Maven and Gradle plugins support local execution
    • Custom YAML recipes, composition, and multi-cycle execution

    Where it doesn't

    • Verified language coverage centers on Java, Kotlin, and Groovy
    • Primarily operates through local or build-tool workflows
    • Cross-repository orchestration belongs to the separate Moderne platform

More comparisons

All code refactoring tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update