Rocq vs PVS

Rocq9.3Visit PPVS9.2Visit

Higher score Rocq #3 in Formal Verification Tools 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Rocq

vs

P PVS #4 in Formal Verification Tools 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit PVS

• Rocq fits best

  Certified theorem proving with strong tooling

• PVS fits best

  Hybrid specification and model checking

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Side by side

Feature	Rocq 9.3/10 Visit ↗	PPVS 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	9.2
Ranking	#3 in Formal Verification Tools	#4 in Formal Verification Tools
Best for	Certified theorem proving with strong tooling	Hybrid specification and model checking
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Desktop	Self-hosted
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Linux, macOS, Windows
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Integrations	6 integrations	4 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Rocq 1/2 · PVS 2/2
Counterexamples	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Proof artifacts	✓	✓
Specs
Verification method	Deductive	Hybrid
Supported formalisms	Theorem-proving	Theorem-proving
Input languages	Gallina and Rocq vernacular	PVS specification language (typed higher-order logic)
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Our review
Pros	Kernel machine-checks proof terms through a small certification kernel Extracts certified programs to OCaml, Haskell, and Scheme Supports RocqIDE, major editors, Docker, and opam	Combines higher-order theorem proving with BDD/CTL model checking Supports SMT proving, random testing, and counterexample discovery Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows with useful integrations
Cons	Focused on theorem proving rather than broader verification formalisms Self-hosted deployment requires managing the local environment No commercial pricing tiers or vendor-hosted plan options	Its breadth requires expertise in formal methods and proof development Self-hosted deployment places setup and maintenance on the user Commercial use may require additional licensing through SRI
Our verdict	Rocq is an open-source interactive theorem prover and dependently typed programming language for mathematical formalisation, education, research, and verified software development. It lets users define programs, predicates, mathematical… Read the review →	PVS is a self-hosted formal specification and verification environment for researchers and engineers working on formalizations, proofs, protocols, distributed systems, and safety-critical software or hardware specifications. Its typed… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Rocq — where it wins

  • Kernel machine-checks proof terms through a small certification kernel
  • Extracts certified programs to OCaml, Haskell, and Scheme
  • Supports RocqIDE, major editors, Docker, and opam

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on theorem proving rather than broader verification formalisms
  • Self-hosted deployment requires managing the local environment
  • No commercial pricing tiers or vendor-hosted plan options

• PVS — where it wins

  • Combines higher-order theorem proving with BDD/CTL model checking
  • Supports SMT proving, random testing, and counterexample discovery
  • Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows with useful integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Its breadth requires expertise in formal methods and proof development
  • Self-hosted deployment places setup and maintenance on the user
  • Commercial use may require additional licensing through SRI

• Rocq9.3/10 · Free plan

  A free, kernel-checked theorem prover with dependent types, automation, and certified extraction.

  Visit RocqFull verdict →
• PPVS9.2/10 · Free plan

  A broad, self-hosted environment for hybrid formal verification workflows.

  Visit PVSFull verdict →