ShellCheck
ShellCheck: A free, open-source linter for shell syntax, portability, robustness and security checks. Ranked #3 of 33 in Linters by our editors (9.0/10); pricing: Free plan; best for shell-script quality and portability checks.
At a glance
- Editor score9.0 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forShell-script quality and portability checks
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- CI supportYes
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Checks sh, bash, dash, ksh and BusyBox shell dialects
- Fits editors, CI pipelines and build or test workflows
- Provides machine-readable output and unified-diff fix suggestions
Where it doesn't
- Does not support custom rules
- Focused specifically on shell scripts rather than multiple languages
- Configuration relies on inline directives and shellcheckrc
Our verdict on ShellCheck
ShellCheck is an open-source static analysis and linting tool for shell scripts. It is suited to developers and teams maintaining sh, bash, dash, ksh or BusyBox shell code who want feedback on syntax, semantic, robustness, portability and security-related issues. The tool is available through a web service, command-line workflows and self-hosted environments, with support for Windows, macOS and Linux. Its focused scope makes it a practical choice for shell quality checks rather than a general-purpose linter across several programming languages.
ShellCheck fits into existing development workflows through editor integrations for Vim, Emacs, Sublime Text, Pulsar and Visual Studio Code. It can also connect with Travis CI, Codacy, Code Climate, Code Factor, CircleCI and GitHub. CI and build or test integration can use exit codes, while GCC, Checkstyle, JSON, diff and human-readable output formats support different review and automation needs. Autofix suggestions are provided as unified diffs, giving maintainers a clear way to inspect proposed changes before applying them.
There are no paid tiers to compare: ShellCheck is free and distributed as GPL-licensed open-source software. Inline directives and shellcheckrc configuration provide control over how checks are applied, but custom rules are not supported. Choose ShellCheck when shell-script portability, error detection and pipeline integration are the priority. Teams seeking a linter that spans multiple programming languages or supports custom rule authoring should look elsewhere. Its narrow focus is also its main boundary: it offers depth for shell code, not a broad language-agnostic analysis platform.
Your product? Our editors can test ShellCheck in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
ShellCheck pricing
ShellCheck fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Languages supported | 4 |
| Autofix | Yes |
| Custom rules | Not verified |
| Security rules | Not verified |
| IDE support | Editor |
| CI support | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Support | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 9 integrations: Vim, Emacs, Sublime Text, Pulsar Edit, Visual Studio Code, Travis CI … |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | shellcheck.net |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
ShellCheck integrations
ShellCheck lists 9 integrations on its own site.
- Vim
- Emacs
- Sublime Text
- Pulsar Edit
- Visual Studio Code
- Travis CI
- CircleCI
- GitHub
- GitLab
Alternatives to ShellCheck
- ESLintA free, extensible JavaScript linter with autofix, plugins, and broad developer-tool integrations.9.4
- RuffFree Python linting and formatting with more than 900 built-in rules.9.2
- StylelintA capable, extensible CSS linter for teams that want configurable rules and CI support.8.8
See all ShellCheck alternatives →
ShellCheck vs the competition
- ShellCheck vs ESLint
- ShellCheck vs Ruff
- ShellCheck vs Stylelint
- ShellCheck vs clang-tidy
- ShellCheck vs Clippy
- ShellCheck vs Credo
Compare ShellCheck with any tool side by side →
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The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used ShellCheck for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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