Ruff vs PMD

Ruff9.2Visit PPMD8.3Visit

Higher score Ruff #2 in Linters 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Ruff

vs

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

• Ruff fits best

  Python teams wanting linting and formatting together

• PMD fits best

  Multilanguage static-analysis programs

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Side by side

Feature	Ruff 9.2/10 Visit ↗	PPMD 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.3
Ranking	#2 in Linters	#9 in Linters
Best for	Python teams wanting linting and formatting together	Multilanguage static-analysis programs
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, Linux, macOS
Support	Docs	Docs
Integrations	10 integrations	10 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Ruff 3/4 · PMD 3/4
Autofix	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Custom rules	—	✓ (best)
Security rules	✓	✓
CI support	✓	✓
Specs
Languages supported	1	16 (best)
IDE support	Ide	Ide
Our review
Pros	More than 900 built-in lint rules Automatic fixes and built-in Python formatting Editor, notebook, CI, pre-commit, and Docker integrations	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
Cons	Focused on Python rather than multiple languages Custom lint rules are not supported Third-party plugins are not supported	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
Our verdict	Ruff is an open-source Python linter and code formatter for developers and teams. It checks Python files with the ruff check command, automatically fixes supported violations, and formats Python code. Its focus suits Python projects that… Read the review →	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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Ruff — where it wins

  • More than 900 built-in lint rules
  • Automatic fixes and built-in Python formatting
  • Editor, notebook, CI, pre-commit, and Docker integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on Python rather than multiple languages
  • Custom lint rules are not supported
  • Third-party plugins are not supported

• 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

• Ruff9.2/10 · Free plan

  Free Python linting and formatting with more than 900 built-in rules.

  Visit RuffFull verdict →
• PPMD8.3/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit PMDFull verdict →