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Head-to-head · Code Clone Detection Tools

PMD vs Amimica

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score PMD #3 in Code Clone Detection Tools 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit PMD
Amimica #5 in Code Clone Detection Tools 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Amimica

PMD leads on 0 checks, Amimica on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorePMD · 9.0/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresAmimica · 1 of 3

PMD scores higher on our rubric for code clone detection tools: 9.0 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #5.

PMD is the better fit for teams wanting clones plus broad static analysis. Amimica is the better fit for open-source hybrid detection with developer tooling.

  • PMD fits best

    Teams wanting clones plus broad static analysis

  • Amimica fits best

    Open-source hybrid detection with developer tooling

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Side by side

Feature PMD 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Amimica 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.7
Ranking #3 in Code Clone Detection Tools #5 in Code Clone Detection Tools
Best for Teams wanting clones plus broad static analysis Open-source hybrid detection with developer tooling
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted, Desktop Self-hosted
Support Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 10 integrations 3 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features PMD 0/3 · Amimica 1/3
CI integration Not checked yet —
IDE integration Not checked yet —
Self-hosted option Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Clone detection method Not checked yet Hybrid
Scan scope Not checked yet Repository
Supported languages Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • CPD detects duplicated code alongside 400+ built-in analysis rules
  • Supports 16 languages with Java and XPath custom rules
  • Fits Maven, IDE, CI, and major build-tool workflows
  • Detects exact, renamed, near-duplicate, and repeated-pattern clones
  • Combines hashing, shingles, and MinHash/LSH analysis
  • Offers CLI, MCP server, text output, and JSON output
Cons
  • Primarily suits teams comfortable with self-hosted developer tooling
  • Custom rules require Java or XPath knowledge
  • IDE support centers on Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and Visual Studio Code
  • No listed CI integration
  • No listed native IDE integration
  • Focused language coverage rather than broad language support
Our verdict

PMD is an open-source, multilanguage static code analyzer for developers and development teams that need more than duplicate-code detection. Its CPD component identifies duplicated code, while the wider analysis engine covers issues such…

Read the review →

Amimica is an open-source, deterministic code clone detection tool for developers and engineering teams. It scans repositories and paths for exact, renamed, near-duplicate, and repeated structural code patterns, then reports evidence that…

Read the review →
  1. PMDCode Clone Detection Tools 9.0Free plan
  2. AmimicaCode Clone Detection Tools 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • PMD — where it wins

    • CPD detects duplicated code alongside 400+ built-in analysis rules
    • Supports 16 languages with Java and XPath custom rules
    • Fits Maven, IDE, CI, and major build-tool workflows

    Where it doesn't

    • Primarily suits teams comfortable with self-hosted developer tooling
    • Custom rules require Java or XPath knowledge
    • IDE support centers on Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and Visual Studio Code

  • Amimica — where it wins

    • Detects exact, renamed, near-duplicate, and repeated-pattern clones
    • Combines hashing, shingles, and MinHash/LSH analysis
    • Offers CLI, MCP server, text output, and JSON output

    Where it doesn't

    • No listed CI integration
    • No listed native IDE integration
    • Focused language coverage rather than broad language support
  • PMD9.0/10 · Free plan

    A strong open-source choice for teams pairing clone detection with broad static analysis.

    Visit PMDFull verdict →
  • Amimica8.7/10 · Free plan

    An open-source hybrid detector for finding exact, renamed, near-duplicate, and recurring code.

    Visit AmimicaFull verdict →

More comparisons

All code clone detection tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update