Which is Better JavaScript and TypeScript Code Quality Tools?
eslint vs prettier vs stylelint vs tslint
1 Year
eslintprettierstylelinttslintSimilar Packages:
What's JavaScript and TypeScript Code Quality Tools?

Code quality tools are essential in modern web development to ensure that code adheres to specified standards and best practices. These tools help maintain consistency, improve readability, and prevent bugs by enforcing rules and formatting styles across JavaScript and TypeScript projects. By integrating these tools into the development workflow, teams can enhance collaboration, reduce code review time, and ensure a higher quality of code before deployment. Each tool serves a unique purpose, targeting different aspects of code quality, from syntax and style to specific language features.

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eslint49,910,70425,1253.34 MB884 days agoMIT
prettier45,363,33049,4507.7 MB1,4124 months agoMIT
stylelint4,895,66511,0331.49 MB136a month agoMIT
tslint3,321,6245,905-14 years agoApache-2.0
Feature Comparison: eslint vs prettier vs stylelint vs tslint

Purpose

  • eslint: ESLint is a static code analysis tool designed to identify problematic patterns in JavaScript code. It allows developers to define their own coding standards and rules, making it highly customizable to fit the needs of the project.
  • prettier: Prettier is an opinionated code formatter that automatically formats code to ensure a consistent style across the entire codebase. It focuses solely on formatting and does not concern itself with code quality or potential errors.
  • stylelint: Stylelint is a modern CSS linter that helps developers enforce consistent conventions and catch errors in stylesheets. It supports various CSS preprocessors and can be configured to suit different project requirements.
  • tslint: TSLint was a linter specifically for TypeScript that helped catch errors and enforce coding standards. However, it has been deprecated, and users are encouraged to migrate to ESLint for TypeScript linting.

Integration

  • eslint: ESLint integrates seamlessly with various development environments and build tools, including IDEs like Visual Studio Code, and can be run as part of the build process using task runners like Gulp or Webpack.
  • prettier: Prettier can be integrated into most code editors and IDEs, allowing developers to format their code on save. It can also be configured to run as part of the CI/CD pipeline to ensure consistent formatting before deployment.
  • stylelint: Stylelint can be integrated into build tools and task runners, as well as IDEs, providing real-time feedback on CSS code quality. It can also be used in conjunction with Prettier for a complete styling solution.
  • tslint: TSLint could be integrated into various build processes and IDEs, but since its deprecation, users are encouraged to adopt ESLint for TypeScript, which offers similar integration capabilities.

Customization

  • eslint: ESLint is highly customizable, allowing developers to create their own rules or extend existing ones through plugins. This flexibility enables teams to enforce specific coding standards tailored to their project needs.
  • prettier: Prettier has limited customization options as it follows a set of opinionated rules. However, it does allow some configuration for specific formatting preferences, such as tab width and single vs. double quotes.
  • stylelint: Stylelint is customizable and allows developers to define their own rules and configurations to enforce specific styling conventions. It also supports plugins to extend its functionality.
  • tslint: TSLint offered customization options for TypeScript projects, but with its deprecation, users are encouraged to transition to ESLint, which provides similar customization capabilities.

Community and Support

  • eslint: ESLint has a large and active community, which means a wealth of resources, plugins, and support are available. It is widely adopted in the JavaScript ecosystem, making it a go-to choice for many developers.
  • prettier: Prettier also has a strong community and is widely used in the industry. Its opinionated nature means that there is less debate about formatting styles, leading to a more uniform adoption across projects.
  • stylelint: Stylelint has a growing community and is increasingly adopted in projects that require CSS linting. It has a solid set of plugins and resources available for developers.
  • tslint: TSLint had a dedicated community, but with its deprecation, the focus has shifted to ESLint, which now supports TypeScript, ensuring ongoing community support and development.

Performance

  • eslint: ESLint is generally performant, but the complexity of the rules and the size of the codebase can impact its speed. Developers can optimize performance by selectively enabling rules and using caching.
  • prettier: Prettier is designed for speed and efficiency, quickly formatting code without significant performance overhead. Its focus on formatting ensures that it runs efficiently even on large codebases.
  • stylelint: Stylelint's performance can vary based on the number of rules and the size of the stylesheets. Developers can optimize performance by configuring it to only lint necessary files and using caching.
  • tslint: TSLint's performance was generally acceptable, but with its deprecation, users are encouraged to transition to ESLint, which offers similar performance characteristics.
How to Choose: eslint vs prettier vs stylelint vs tslint
  • eslint: Choose ESLint if you are working primarily with JavaScript or TypeScript and need a highly configurable linter that can enforce coding standards and catch potential errors early in the development process. ESLint is widely adopted and has a rich ecosystem of plugins.
  • prettier: Select Prettier if your main focus is on code formatting rather than linting. Prettier automatically formats your code according to a set of rules, ensuring a consistent style throughout your codebase. It works well alongside ESLint for a complete code quality solution.
  • stylelint: Opt for Stylelint if you are dealing with CSS or preprocessors like SCSS or LESS. Stylelint helps enforce consistent conventions and catch errors in stylesheets, making it an essential tool for maintaining high-quality styles in web applications.
  • tslint: Use TSLint if you are working with TypeScript and require a linter specifically designed for TypeScript code. However, note that TSLint has been deprecated in favor of ESLint, which now supports TypeScript through plugins.
README for eslint

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ESLint

Website | Configure ESLint | Rules | Contribute to ESLint | Report Bugs | Code of Conduct | Twitter | Discord | Mastodon

ESLint is a tool for identifying and reporting on patterns found in ECMAScript/JavaScript code. In many ways, it is similar to JSLint and JSHint with a few exceptions:

  • ESLint uses Espree for JavaScript parsing.
  • ESLint uses an AST to evaluate patterns in code.
  • ESLint is completely pluggable, every single rule is a plugin and you can add more at runtime.

Table of Contents

  1. Installation and Usage
  2. Configuration
  3. Version Support
  4. Code of Conduct
  5. Filing Issues
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. Releases
  8. Security Policy
  9. Semantic Versioning Policy
  10. Stylistic Rule Updates
  11. License
  12. Team
  13. Sponsors
  14. Technology Sponsors

Installation and Usage

Prerequisites: Node.js (^18.18.0, ^20.9.0, or >=21.1.0) built with SSL support. (If you are using an official Node.js distribution, SSL is always built in.)

You can install and configure ESLint using this command:

npm init @eslint/config@latest

After that, you can run ESLint on any file or directory like this:

npx eslint yourfile.js

Configuration

You can configure rules in your eslint.config.js files as in this example:

export default [
    {
        files: ["**/*.js", "**/*.cjs", "**/*.mjs"],
        rules: {
            "prefer-const": "warn",
            "no-constant-binary-expression": "error"
        }
    }
];

The names "prefer-const" and "no-constant-binary-expression" are the names of rules in ESLint. The first value is the error level of the rule and can be one of these values:

  • "off" or 0 - turn the rule off
  • "warn" or 1 - turn the rule on as a warning (doesn't affect exit code)
  • "error" or 2 - turn the rule on as an error (exit code will be 1)

The three error levels allow you fine-grained control over how ESLint applies rules (for more configuration options and details, see the configuration docs).

Version Support

The ESLint team provides ongoing support for the current version and six months of limited support for the previous version. Limited support includes critical bug fixes, security issues, and compatibility issues only.

ESLint offers commercial support for both current and previous versions through our partners, Tidelift and HeroDevs.

See Version Support for more details.

Code of Conduct

ESLint adheres to the OpenJS Foundation Code of Conduct.

Filing Issues

Before filing an issue, please be sure to read the guidelines for what you're reporting:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ESLint support JSX?

Yes, ESLint natively supports parsing JSX syntax (this must be enabled in configuration). Please note that supporting JSX syntax is not the same as supporting React. React applies specific semantics to JSX syntax that ESLint doesn't recognize. We recommend using eslint-plugin-react if you are using React and want React semantics.

Does Prettier replace ESLint?

No, ESLint and Prettier have different jobs: ESLint is a linter (looking for problematic patterns) and Prettier is a code formatter. Using both tools is common, refer to Prettier's documentation to learn how to configure them to work well with each other.

What ECMAScript versions does ESLint support?

ESLint has full support for ECMAScript 3, 5, and every year from 2015 up until the most recent stage 4 specification (the default). You can set your desired ECMAScript syntax and other settings (like global variables) through configuration.

What about experimental features?

ESLint's parser only officially supports the latest final ECMAScript standard. We will make changes to core rules in order to avoid crashes on stage 3 ECMAScript syntax proposals (as long as they are implemented using the correct experimental ESTree syntax). We may make changes to core rules to better work with language extensions (such as JSX, Flow, and TypeScript) on a case-by-case basis.

In other cases (including if rules need to warn on more or fewer cases due to new syntax, rather than just not crashing), we recommend you use other parsers and/or rule plugins. If you are using Babel, you can use @babel/eslint-parser and @babel/eslint-plugin to use any option available in Babel.

Once a language feature has been adopted into the ECMAScript standard (stage 4 according to the TC39 process), we will accept issues and pull requests related to the new feature, subject to our contributing guidelines. Until then, please use the appropriate parser and plugin(s) for your experimental feature.

Which Node.js versions does ESLint support?

ESLint updates the supported Node.js versions with each major release of ESLint. At that time, ESLint's supported Node.js versions are updated to be:

  1. The most recent maintenance release of Node.js
  2. The lowest minor version of the Node.js LTS release that includes the features the ESLint team wants to use.
  3. The Node.js Current release

ESLint is also expected to work with Node.js versions released after the Node.js Current release.

Refer to the Quick Start Guide for the officially supported Node.js versions for a given ESLint release.

Where to ask for help?

Open a discussion or stop by our Discord server.

Why doesn't ESLint lock dependency versions?

Lock files like package-lock.json are helpful for deployed applications. They ensure that dependencies are consistent between environments and across deployments.

Packages like eslint that get published to the npm registry do not include lock files. npm install eslint as a user will respect version constraints in ESLint's package.json. ESLint and its dependencies will be included in the user's lock file if one exists, but ESLint's own lock file would not be used.

We intentionally don't lock dependency versions so that we have the latest compatible dependency versions in development and CI that our users get when installing ESLint in a project.

The Twilio blog has a deeper dive to learn more.

Releases

We have scheduled releases every two weeks on Friday or Saturday. You can follow a release issue for updates about the scheduling of any particular release.

Security Policy

ESLint takes security seriously. We work hard to ensure that ESLint is safe for everyone and that security issues are addressed quickly and responsibly. Read the full security policy.

Semantic Versioning Policy

ESLint follows semantic versioning. However, due to the nature of ESLint as a code quality tool, it's not always clear when a minor or major version bump occurs. To help clarify this for everyone, we've defined the following semantic versioning policy for ESLint:

  • Patch release (intended to not break your lint build)
    • A bug fix in a rule that results in ESLint reporting fewer linting errors.
    • A bug fix to the CLI or core (including formatters).
    • Improvements to documentation.
    • Non-user-facing changes such as refactoring code, adding, deleting, or modifying tests, and increasing test coverage.
    • Re-releasing after a failed release (i.e., publishing a release that doesn't work for anyone).
  • Minor release (might break your lint build)
    • A bug fix in a rule that results in ESLint reporting more linting errors.
    • A new rule is created.
    • A new option to an existing rule that does not result in ESLint reporting more linting errors by default.
    • A new addition to an existing rule to support a newly-added language feature (within the last 12 months) that will result in ESLint reporting more linting errors by default.
    • An existing rule is deprecated.
    • A new CLI capability is created.
    • New capabilities to the public API are added (new classes, new methods, new arguments to existing methods, etc.).
    • A new formatter is created.
    • eslint:recommended is updated and will result in strictly fewer linting errors (e.g., rule removals).
  • Major release (likely to break your lint build)
    • eslint:recommended is updated and may result in new linting errors (e.g., rule additions, most rule option updates).
    • A new option to an existing rule that results in ESLint reporting more linting errors by default.
    • An existing formatter is removed.
    • Part of the public API is removed or changed in an incompatible way. The public API includes:
      • Rule schemas
      • Configuration schema
      • Command-line options
      • Node.js API
      • Rule, formatter, parser, plugin APIs

According to our policy, any minor update may report more linting errors than the previous release (ex: from a bug fix). As such, we recommend using the tilde (~) in package.json e.g. "eslint": "~3.1.0" to guarantee the results of your builds.

Stylistic Rule Updates

Stylistic rules are frozen according to our policy on how we evaluate new rules and rule changes. This means:

  • Bug fixes: We will still fix bugs in stylistic rules.
  • New ECMAScript features: We will also make sure stylistic rules are compatible with new ECMAScript features.
  • New options: We will not add any new options to stylistic rules unless an option is the only way to fix a bug or support a newly-added ECMAScript feature.

License

FOSSA Status

Team

These folks keep the project moving and are resources for help.

Technical Steering Committee (TSC)

The people who manage releases, review feature requests, and meet regularly to ensure ESLint is properly maintained.

Nicholas C. Zakas's Avatar
Nicholas C. Zakas
Francesco Trotta's Avatar
Francesco Trotta
Milos Djermanovic's Avatar
Milos Djermanovic

Reviewers

The people who review and implement new features.

唯然's Avatar
唯然
Nitin Kumar's Avatar
Nitin Kumar

Committers

The people who review and fix bugs and help triage issues.

Josh Goldberg ✨'s Avatar
Josh Goldberg ✨
Tanuj Kanti's Avatar
Tanuj Kanti

Website Team

Team members who focus specifically on eslint.org

Amaresh  S M's Avatar
Amaresh S M
Strek's Avatar
Strek
Percy Ma's Avatar
Percy Ma

Sponsors

The following companies, organizations, and individuals support ESLint's ongoing maintenance and development. Become a Sponsor to get your logo on our READMEs and website.

Platinum Sponsors

Automattic Airbnb

Gold Sponsors

trunk.io

Silver Sponsors

SERP Triumph JetBrains Liftoff American Express Workleap

Bronze Sponsors

Cybozu Syntax WordHint Anagram Solver Icons8 Discord GitBook Nx HeroCoders

Technology Sponsors

Technology sponsors allow us to use their products and services for free as part of a contribution to the open source ecosystem and our work.

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