Stylelint vs PMD

Stylelint8.8Visit PPMD8.3Visit

Higher score Stylelint #4 in Linters 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Stylelint

vs

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

• Stylelint fits best

  CSS and CSS-like language teams

• PMD fits best

  Multilanguage static-analysis programs

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Side by side

Feature	Stylelint 8.8/10 Visit ↗	PPMD 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.3
Ranking	#4 in Linters	#9 in Linters
Best for	CSS and CSS-like language teams	Multilanguage static-analysis programs
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Browser extension	Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms	Linux, macOS, Windows	Windows, Linux, macOS
Support	Docs, Community	Docs
Integrations	9 integrations	10 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Stylelint 3/4 · PMD 3/4
Autofix	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Custom rules	✓	✓
Security rules	—	✓ (best)
CI support	✓	✓
Specs
Languages supported	8	16 (best)
IDE support	Ide	Ide
Our review
Pros	More than 100 built-in rules with autofix for supported problems Plugins, shareable configs, and custom syntax support Node.js, PostCSS, editor, and CI integration options	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	Specialized around CSS and CSS-like languages Platform coverage centers on API and self-hosted workflows Autofix applies only to supported problems	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	Stylelint is an open-source linter for CSS and CSS-like syntaxes. It checks for invalid or problematic constructs, unknown properties, naming violations, convention issues, and other rule-defined problems. Its audience is teams working… 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

• Stylelint — where it wins

  • More than 100 built-in rules with autofix for supported problems
  • Plugins, shareable configs, and custom syntax support
  • Node.js, PostCSS, editor, and CI integration options

  Where it doesn't

  • Specialized around CSS and CSS-like languages
  • Platform coverage centers on API and self-hosted workflows
  • Autofix applies only to supported problems

• 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

• Stylelint8.8/10 · Free plan

  A capable, extensible CSS linter for teams that want configurable rules and CI support.

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

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

  Visit PMDFull verdict →