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Head-to-head · SQL Linters and Formatters

SQL Formatter VSCode vs Prettier SQL

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score SQL Formatter VSCode #7 in SQL Linters and Formatters 8.1/10 Open source ✓ 3 of 5 features Visit site
Prettier SQL #8 in SQL Linters and Formatters 8.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Prettier SQL

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

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreSQL Formatter VSCode · 8.1/10
  • Free planonly Prettier SQL
  • Most featuresSQL Formatter VSCode · 3 of 5

SQL Formatter VSCode scores higher on our rubric for sql linters and formatters: 8.1 against 8.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #7 and #8.

SQL Formatter VSCode is the better fit for VS Code users needing highly configurable formatting. Prettier SQL is the better fit for prettier users formatting SQL and embedded code.

  • SQL Formatter VSCode fits best

    VS Code users needing highly configurable formatting

  • Prettier SQL fits best

    Prettier users formatting SQL and embedded code

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Side by side

Feature SQL Formatter VSCode 8.1/10 Visit ↗ Prettier SQL 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.1 8.0
Ranking #7 in SQL Linters and Formatters #8 in SQL Linters and Formatters
Best for VS Code users needing highly configurable formatting Prettier users formatting SQL and embedded code
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Open source Free plan
Free plan Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop, Browser extension Self-hosted
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features SQL Formatter VSCode 3/5 · Prettier SQL 2/5
Automatic fixes ✓ ✓
Custom rules Not checked yet Not checked yet
Editor extensions ✓ (best) Not checked yet
CI/CD integration Not checked yet Not checked yet
Configuration file ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported SQL dialects BigQuery, DB2 for LUW, DB2 for IBM i, DuckDB, Hive, MariaDB, MySQL, N1QL, PL/SQL, PostgreSQL, Amazon Redshift, SingleStoreDB, Snowflake, Spark, SQLite, Trino (Presto), Transact-SQL sql, bigquery, db2, db2i, hive, mariadb, mysql, n1ql, postgresql, plsql, redshift, singlestoredb, snowflake, spark, sqlite, transactsql, tsql, trino, clickhouse; node-sql-parser databases: bigquery, db2, hive, mariadb, mysql, postgresql, transactsql, flinksql, snowflake
Our review
Pros
  • Supports a broad range of SQL dialects
  • Offers detailed casing, spacing, indentation, and line-break controls
  • Formats files and selections directly in VS Code
  • Free, open-source formatting across many SQL dialects
  • Formats SQL-in-JS tagged template literals through prettier-plugin-embed
  • Detailed controls for casing, indentation, spacing, and layout
Cons
  • The underlying SQL Formatter library is in maintenance mode
  • Requires VS Code for its editor-based workflow
  • Platform and workflow coverage is focused on the VS Code extension
  • No verified linting or custom-rule support
  • No verified CI features
  • Requires a self-hosted local Prettier setup
Our verdict

SQL Formatter VSCode is an open-source Visual Studio Code extension for formatting SQL files and selections. It is aimed at developers and data teams who work in VS Code and need formatting rules that can be adjusted to match different SQL…

Read the review →

Prettier SQL is an open-source plugin for formatting SQL files through Prettier, with support for SQL embedded in JavaScript tagged template literals. It is aimed at developers and teams already using Prettier who want SQL formatting…

Read the review →
  1. SQL Formatter VSCodeSQL Linters and Formatters 8.1Open source
  2. Prettier SQLSQL Linters and Formatters 8.0Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • SQL Formatter VSCode — where it wins

    • Supports a broad range of SQL dialects
    • Offers detailed casing, spacing, indentation, and line-break controls
    • Formats files and selections directly in VS Code

    Where it doesn't

    • The underlying SQL Formatter library is in maintenance mode
    • Requires VS Code for its editor-based workflow
    • Platform and workflow coverage is focused on the VS Code extension

  • Prettier SQL — where it wins

    • Free, open-source formatting across many SQL dialects
    • Formats SQL-in-JS tagged template literals through prettier-plugin-embed
    • Detailed controls for casing, indentation, spacing, and layout

    Where it doesn't

    • No verified linting or custom-rule support
    • No verified CI features
    • Requires a self-hosted local Prettier setup
  • SQL Formatter VSCode8.1/10 · Open source

    A flexible open-source formatter for VS Code users working across SQL dialects.

    Visit siteFull verdict →
  • Prettier SQL8.0/10 · Free plan

    A flexible open-source SQL formatter for Prettier workflows, not a verified linter.

    Visit Prettier SQLFull verdict →

More comparisons

All SQL linters and formatters comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update