PMD vs Code Complexity

PPMD7.4Visit Code Complexity6.8Visit

Higher score P PMD #4 in Code Complexity Analyzers 7.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit PMD

vs

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

• PMD fits best

  Teams wanting free, extensible static analysis

• Code Complexity fits best

  Developers wanting free IDE complexity feedback

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Side by side

Feature	PPMD 7.4/10 Visit ↗	Code Complexity 6.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.4	6.8
Ranking	#4 in Code Complexity Analyzers	#7 in Code Complexity Analyzers
Best for	Teams wanting free, extensible static analysis	Developers wanting free IDE complexity feedback
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, Linux, macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features PMD 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	400+ built-in rules across 16 supported languages Custom Java or XPath rules with configurable rulesets Build, CI, IDE, command-line, and copy-paste detection support	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	Primarily targets Java and Apex despite multilanguage support Support is provided through documentation channels No AI-assisted analysis features	Focuses on cognitive complexity rather than multiple metrics Does not provide hotspot detection or trend history Does not provide pull request gates
Our verdict	PMD is an open-source static code analyzer for teams that want to identify programming flaws, enforce coding standards, and inspect code for security-focused issues. It supports 16 languages, with built-in rules covering best practices,… 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

• PMD — where it wins

  • 400+ built-in rules across 16 supported languages
  • Custom Java or XPath rules with configurable rulesets
  • Build, CI, IDE, command-line, and copy-paste detection support

  Where it doesn't

  • Primarily targets Java and Apex despite multilanguage support
  • Support is provided through documentation channels
  • No AI-assisted analysis features

• 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

• PPMD7.4/10 · Free plan

  Free, extensible analysis with 400+ rules, custom checks, IDEs, CI, and CPD.

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

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

  Try Code ComplexityFull verdict →