JavaScript Code Quality Tools Comparison
eslint vs standard vs xo vs semistandard
1 Year
eslintstandardxosemistandardSimilar Packages:
What's JavaScript Code Quality Tools?

JavaScript code quality tools are essential for maintaining clean, consistent, and error-free code in web development. These tools help developers adhere to coding standards, catch potential errors early, and ensure that the codebase remains manageable and scalable. They provide linting capabilities, which analyze code for stylistic errors and potential bugs, thus improving overall code quality and collaboration among team members. By integrating these tools into the development workflow, teams can enforce coding standards and best practices, leading to more maintainable and robust applications.

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eslint43,052,65325,2193.34 MB9113 days agoMIT
standard388,02529,159164 kB1233 months agoMIT
xo96,0037,70968 kB616 days agoMIT
semistandard19,4891,41047.6 kB02 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: eslint vs standard vs xo vs semistandard

Customization

  • eslint:

    ESLint is known for its extensive customization options. Developers can create custom rules, extend existing ones, and configure the linter to fit their specific coding standards and practices. This flexibility makes it suitable for diverse projects and teams.

  • standard:

    Standard is opinionated and does not allow configuration, which promotes consistency across projects. It is designed to enforce a single style without the need for extensive customization, making it easy to adopt but limiting flexibility.

  • xo:

    XO is built on top of ESLint and offers a zero-config approach with a set of predefined rules. It emphasizes modern JavaScript features and provides a good balance between customization and ease of use, making it suitable for developers who want to get started quickly.

  • semistandard:

    Semistandard is a minimalistic linter that enforces a specific set of rules based on StandardJS, but it allows some customization. It is less flexible than ESLint but simplifies the setup process for teams looking for a straightforward solution.

Community and Ecosystem

  • eslint:

    ESLint has a large and active community, which means a wealth of plugins, shareable configurations, and resources are available. This ecosystem allows developers to easily integrate ESLint into various workflows and projects.

  • standard:

    Standard has a dedicated community that values simplicity and consistency. While it may not have as many plugins as ESLint, it is widely adopted for projects that prioritize a uniform coding style.

  • xo:

    XO benefits from the ESLint ecosystem, allowing users to leverage existing plugins and configurations. Its community is growing, and it aims to provide a modern linting experience with a focus on best practices.

  • semistandard:

    Semistandard has a smaller community compared to ESLint but is still supported by StandardJS. It may not have as many plugins or resources, but it provides a straightforward approach to linting without extensive configuration.

Learning Curve

  • eslint:

    ESLint has a moderate learning curve, especially for new users. However, its extensive documentation and community support make it easier to learn and implement effectively in various projects.

  • standard:

    Standard has a very low learning curve due to its opinionated nature and lack of configuration. Developers can start using it immediately without needing to understand complex settings or rules.

  • xo:

    XO offers a gentle learning curve, especially for those familiar with ESLint. Its zero-config approach allows developers to focus on writing code rather than configuring the linter.

  • semistandard:

    Semistandard is easy to learn and use, especially for developers familiar with StandardJS. Its minimal configuration requirements make it accessible for teams looking for a quick setup.

Integration

  • eslint:

    ESLint integrates seamlessly with various development environments, build tools, and CI/CD pipelines. Its flexibility allows it to be used in a wide range of projects, from small scripts to large applications.

  • standard:

    Standard can be integrated into projects with minimal effort, making it suitable for teams that want a straightforward linting solution without extensive configuration.

  • xo:

    XO is designed for easy integration into modern JavaScript projects and works well with popular build tools and editors, making it a convenient choice for developers.

  • semistandard:

    Semistandard can be integrated easily into most development environments, but it may not offer the same level of flexibility as ESLint for complex setups.

Performance

  • eslint:

    ESLint is efficient in terms of performance, but the speed can vary based on the number of rules and plugins used. Proper configuration can help optimize linting times for larger projects.

  • standard:

    Standard is also lightweight, focusing on a limited set of rules, which can lead to faster linting times, especially in smaller projects.

  • xo:

    XO is optimized for performance and aims to provide fast linting without sacrificing the quality of checks, making it a good choice for developers who prioritize speed.

  • semistandard:

    Semistandard is lightweight and performs well, as it has fewer rules and options to evaluate compared to ESLint, making it suitable for quick checks.

How to Choose: eslint vs standard vs xo vs semistandard
  • eslint:

    Choose ESLint if you need a highly customizable linter that supports a wide range of plugins and configurations. It is ideal for teams that want to enforce specific coding styles and rules tailored to their project requirements.

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.

Netlify Algolia 1Password