NDepend vs Code Complexity

NDepend6.9Visit Code Complexity6.8Visit

Higher score NDepend #5 in Code Complexity Analyzers 6.9/10 14-day trial ✓ 0 of 4 features Visit NDepend

vs

Code Complexity #7 in Code Complexity Analyzers 6.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Try Code Complexity

• NDepend fits best

  .NET teams needing metrics and quality gates

• Code Complexity fits best

  Developers wanting free IDE complexity feedback

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Side by side

Feature	NDepend 6.9/10 Visit ↗	Code Complexity 6.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	6.9	6.8
Ranking	#5 in Code Complexity Analyzers	#7 in Code Complexity Analyzers
Best for	.NET teams needing metrics and quality gates	Developers wanting free IDE complexity feedback
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Cloud	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features NDepend 0/4 · Code Complexity 1/4
Hotspot detection	Not published	—
IDE feedback	Not published	✓ (best)
Pull-request gates	Not published	—
Trend history	Not published	—
Specs
Complexity metrics	Not published	Cognitive
Supported languages	Not published	5
Our review
Pros	Measures complexity, coupling, nesting depth, and lines of code Custom CQLinq rules and quality gates can fail builds Tracks trends and debt estimates, with CI and IDE integrations	Shows cognitive complexity beside methods and classes in the editor Inspects multiple project files and flags very high scores Supports Java, Kotlin, Python, Dart, and Go
Cons	Supports .NET languages rather than a broad range of languages Developer edition is Windows-only Paid product; no free plan	Focuses on cognitive complexity rather than multiple metrics Does not provide hotspot detection or trend history Does not provide pull request gates
Our verdict	NDepend analyzes .NET applications and assemblies for developers, architects, and engineering teams that need to understand code complexity and dependencies. It reports metrics such as lines of code, coupling, and nesting depth; maps… Read the review →	Code Complexity is a free plugin for IntelliJ-based IDEs that calculates Cognitive Complexity and displays scores beside methods and classes in the editor. It is aimed at developers who want complexity feedback while working in the IDE,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• NDepend — where it wins

  • Measures complexity, coupling, nesting depth, and lines of code
  • Custom CQLinq rules and quality gates can fail builds
  • Tracks trends and debt estimates, with CI and IDE integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Supports .NET languages rather than a broad range of languages
  • Developer edition is Windows-only
  • Paid product; no free plan

• Code Complexity — where it wins

  • Shows cognitive complexity beside methods and classes in the editor
  • Inspects multiple project files and flags very high scores
  • Supports Java, Kotlin, Python, Dart, and Go

  Where it doesn't

  • Focuses on cognitive complexity rather than multiple metrics
  • Does not provide hotspot detection or trend history
  • Does not provide pull request gates

• NDepend6.9/10 · 14-day trial

  A .NET-focused analyzer that pairs code metrics with customizable rules and build gates.

  Visit NDependFull verdict →
• Code Complexity6.8/10 · Free plan

  A free IntelliJ-based IDE plugin for on-the-fly cognitive complexity feedback.

  Try Code ComplexityFull verdict →