PMD vs golangci-lint

PPMD8.3Visit golangci-lint7.7Visit

Higher score P PMD #9 in Linters 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit PMD

vs

golangci-lint #15 in Linters 7.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit golangci-lint

• PMD fits best

  Multilanguage static-analysis programs

• golangci-lint fits best

  Go teams wanting many linters in one tool

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Side by side

Feature	PPMD 8.3/10 Visit ↗	golangci-lint 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.3	7.7
Ranking	#9 in Linters	#15 in Linters
Best for	Multilanguage static-analysis programs	Go teams wanting many linters in one tool
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Desktop	Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, Linux, macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Docs	Docs
Integrations	10 integrations	9 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features PMD 3/4 · golangci-lint 4/4
Autofix	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Custom rules	✓	✓
Security rules	✓	✓
CI support	✓	✓
Specs
Languages supported	16 (best)	1
IDE support	Ide	Ide
Our review
Pros	400+ built-in rules across 16 supported languages Custom Java and XPath rules plus CPD duplicate-code detection Integrates with major build tools, IDEs, and CI workflows	Runs multiple Go linters in parallel with caching Supports autofixes, custom linters, and YAML configuration Works with major IDEs and CI systems
Cons	Autofix is not part of the stated core capabilities Its breadth may require managing rules across multiple languages Platform coverage is listed as Windows, Linux, and self-hosted	Focused on Go rather than multiple programming languages Command-line workflow may not suit teams seeking a broader platform AI features are not included
Our verdict	PMD is an open-source, extensible static code analyzer for developers and development teams working across multiple programming languages. Its published capabilities cover 16 languages and include checks for common programming flaws such… Read the review →	golangci-lint is an open-source command-line tool for analyzing Go code with multiple linters. It is suited to Go teams that want one configurable runner for correctness, style, performance, unused-code, and security-related checks. The… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• PMD — where it wins

  • 400+ built-in rules across 16 supported languages
  • Custom Java and XPath rules plus CPD duplicate-code detection
  • Integrates with major build tools, IDEs, and CI workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • Autofix is not part of the stated core capabilities
  • Its breadth may require managing rules across multiple languages
  • Platform coverage is listed as Windows, Linux, and self-hosted

• golangci-lint — where it wins

  • Runs multiple Go linters in parallel with caching
  • Supports autofixes, custom linters, and YAML configuration
  • Works with major IDEs and CI systems

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on Go rather than multiple programming languages
  • Command-line workflow may not suit teams seeking a broader platform
  • AI features are not included

• PPMD8.3/10 · Free plan

  A broad, open-source linter for teams managing static analysis across 16 languages.

  Visit PMDFull verdict →
• golangci-lint7.7/10 · Free plan

  A focused open-source tool for running and managing many Go linters.

  Visit golangci-lintFull verdict →