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Head-to-head · Code Formatting Tools

Spotless vs Black

  • 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
Black #6 in Code Formatting Tools 6.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Black

Spotless leads on 1 check, Black on 1, and 3 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 Black
  • Most featuresSpotless · 4 of 4

Spotless scores higher on our rubric for code formatting tools: 7.7 against 6.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #6.

Black offers free plan; Spotless doesn't publish it. Spotless offers library api; Black doesn't.

Spotless is the better fit for JVM build-driven projects. Black is the better fit for python formatting with stable conventions.

  • Spotless fits best

    JVM build-driven projects

  • Black fits best

    Python formatting with stable conventions

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 ↗ Black 6.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.7 6.9
Ranking #3 in Code Formatting Tools #6 in Code Formatting Tools
Best for JVM build-driven projects Python formatting with stable conventions
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan Not published ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Support Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 5 integrations 12 integrations
Features Spotless 4/4 · Black 3/4
Editor integration ✓ ✓
Ignore files ✓ ✓
Changed-lines formatting ✓ ✓
Library API ✓ (best) —
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 Python
Supported platforms Gradle, Maven, SBT, other build systems Windows, macOS, Linux, local HTTP API
License model Open_source Open_source
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
  • Opinionated PEP 8-compliant formatting for consistent Python style
  • Changed-line, check-only, diff, and ignore-rule support
  • Integrations across editors, GitHub Actions, pre-commit, and notebooks
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
  • Supports Python rather than multiple programming languages
  • Jupyter Notebook formatting requires an optional installation extra
  • No library API is listed in the published category specifications
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 →

Black is an open-source Python code formatter for developers and teams that want repeatable style decisions and smaller diffs during code review. It reformats Python files in place and can process files, directories, standard input, and…

Read the review →
  1. SpotlessCode Formatting Tools 7.7Open source
  2. BlackCode Formatting Tools 6.9Free 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

  • Black — where it wins

    • Opinionated PEP 8-compliant formatting for consistent Python style
    • Changed-line, check-only, diff, and ignore-rule support
    • Integrations across editors, GitHub Actions, pre-commit, and notebooks

    Where it doesn't

    • Supports Python rather than multiple programming languages
    • Jupyter Notebook formatting requires an optional installation extra
    • No library API is listed in the published category specifications
  • Spotless7.7/10 · Open source

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

    Visit SpotlessFull verdict →
  • Black6.9/10 · Free plan

    A focused open-source formatter for consistent Python style and smaller diffs.

    Visit BlackFull 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