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Head-to-head · Code Formatting Tools

Spotless vs Biome

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Spotless #3 in Code Formatting Tools 7.7/10 Open source ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Spotless
Biome #5 in Code Formatting Tools 7.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Biome

Spotless leads on 4 checks, Biome on 1, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreSpotless · 7.7/10
  • Free planonly Biome
  • Most featuresSpotless · 4 of 4

Spotless scores higher on our rubric for code formatting tools: 7.7 against 7.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #5.

Biome offers free plan; Spotless doesn't publish it. Spotless offers editor integration; Biome doesn't publish it. Spotless offers ignore files; Biome doesn't publish it. Spotless offers changed-lines formatting; Biome doesn't publish it. Spotless offers library api; Biome doesn't publish it.

Spotless is the better fit for JVM build-driven projects. Biome is the better fit for web teams wanting lint and format.

  • Spotless fits best

    JVM build-driven projects

  • Biome fits best

    Web teams wanting lint and format

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. It never changes our verdict. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Spotless 7.7/10 Visit ↗ Biome 7.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.7 7.1
Ranking #3 in Code Formatting Tools #5 in Code Formatting Tools
Best for JVM build-driven projects Web teams wanting lint and format
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan Not published ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Support Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 5 integrations 5 integrations
Features Spotless 4/4 · Biome 0/4
Editor integration ✓ (best) Not published
Ignore files ✓ (best) Not published
Changed-lines formatting ✓ (best) Not published
Library API ✓ (best) Not published
Specs
Supported languages ANTLR, C, C#, C++, CSS, Flow, GraphQL, Groovy, HTML, Java, JavaScript, JSON, JSX, Kotlin, Less, Markdown, Objective-C, Protobuf, Python, Scala, SCSS, Shell, SQL, TypeScript, Vue, YAML, Gherkin, Go, RDF, Anything Not published
Supported platforms Gradle, Maven, SBT, other build systems Not published
License model Open_source Not published
Our review
Pros
  • Supports many programming, markup, configuration, and data languages
  • Deep Gradle and Maven integration with external SBT support
  • Ratcheting, exclusions, hooks, linting, and custom formatter steps
  • Combines formatting, lint diagnostics, autofixes, and import sorting
  • Supports custom lint diagnostics through GritQL plugins
  • Works with VS Code, IntelliJ, Zed, CI, Docker, and standalone binaries
Cons
  • Build-system plugins may not suit teams seeking a hosted SaaS product
  • Its workflow centers on build automation rather than a standalone editor
  • Broad configuration options may require more setup than a narrow formatter
  • Language support spans 17 entries, including experimental and in-progress languages
  • Not every listed language currently supports linting
  • Its focus is web projects rather than a general-purpose language toolchain
Our verdict

Spotless is an open-source code-formatting and linting tool for software projects. It is designed for developers and teams that want formatting checks and automatic fixes inside their build process, particularly JVM projects using Gradle,…

Read the review →

Biome is an open-source toolchain for web projects that brings together a formatter, linter, command-line interface, and Language Server Protocol integration. It is aimed at developers and web teams maintaining JavaScript, TypeScript, JSX,…

Read the review →
  1. SpotlessCode Formatting Tools 7.7Open source
  2. BiomeCode Formatting Tools 7.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Spotless — where it wins

    • Supports many programming, markup, configuration, and data languages
    • Deep Gradle and Maven integration with external SBT support
    • Ratcheting, exclusions, hooks, linting, and custom formatter steps

    Where it doesn't

    • Build-system plugins may not suit teams seeking a hosted SaaS product
    • Its workflow centers on build automation rather than a standalone editor
    • Broad configuration options may require more setup than a narrow formatter

  • Biome — where it wins

    • Combines formatting, lint diagnostics, autofixes, and import sorting
    • Supports custom lint diagnostics through GritQL plugins
    • Works with VS Code, IntelliJ, Zed, CI, Docker, and standalone binaries

    Where it doesn't

    • Language support spans 17 entries, including experimental and in-progress languages
    • Not every listed language currently supports linting
    • Its focus is web projects rather than a general-purpose language toolchain
  • Spotless7.7/10 · Open source

    A build-focused formatter for JVM projects that need broad language coverage and automation.

    Visit SpotlessFull verdict →
  • Biome7.1/10 · Free plan

    An open-source web toolchain combining formatting, linting, fixes, and editor support.

    Visit BiomeFull verdict →

More comparisons

All code formatting tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated · How we research and update