PMD vs Qlty Cloud

PPMD7.4Visit Qlty Cloud6.9Visit

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

vs

Qlty Cloud #6 in Code Complexity Analyzers 6.9/10 Free plan · paid from $20/mo Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Qlty Cloud

• PMD fits best

  Teams wanting free, extensible static analysis

• Qlty Cloud fits best

  Teams wanting cloud PR analysis and autofix

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Side by side

Feature	PPMD 7.4/10 Visit ↗	Qlty Cloud 6.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.4	6.9
Ranking	#4 in Code Complexity Analyzers	#6 in Code Complexity Analyzers
Best for	Teams wanting free, extensible static analysis	Teams wanting cloud PR analysis and autofix
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Desktop	Cloud, Browser extension
Platforms	Windows, Linux, macOS	Web, Chrome extension
Support	Docs	Email, Community
Integrations	10 integrations	9 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features PMD 0/4 · Qlty Cloud 0/4
Hotspot detection	Not published	Not published
IDE feedback	Not published	Not published
Pull-request gates	Not published	Not published
Trend history	Not published	Not published
Specs
Complexity metrics	Not published	Not published
Supported languages	Not published	Not published
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	Analyzes complexity, maintainability, and duplication in pull requests Free plan includes coverage, linting, and unlimited contributors AI autofix suggestions and configurable quality gates
Cons	Primarily targets Java and Apex despite multilanguage support Support is provided through documentation channels No AI-assisted analysis features	Pro starts at $20 per contributor per month Advanced analytics and organization policies require Enterprise Annual plan dollar amounts are not shown
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 →	Qlty Cloud analyzes code health in pull requests, covering complexity, maintainability, duplication, coverage impact, and security findings. It is aimed at development teams that want cloud-based review and configurable quality gates… 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

• Qlty Cloud — where it wins

  • Analyzes complexity, maintainability, and duplication in pull requests
  • Free plan includes coverage, linting, and unlimited contributors
  • AI autofix suggestions and configurable quality gates

  Where it doesn't

  • Pro starts at $20 per contributor per month
  • Advanced analytics and organization policies require Enterprise
  • Annual plan dollar amounts are not shown

• PPMD7.4/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit PMDFull verdict →
• Qlty Cloud6.9/10 · Free plan · paid from $20/mo

  Qlty Cloud combines complexity analysis with PR review, quality gates, security scans, and AI autofix.

  Visit Qlty CloudFull verdict →