prettier vs js-beautify: Which is Better Code Formatting Tools?

Package	Downloads	Stars	Size	Issues	Publish	License

prettier	40,095,691	49,256	7.7 MB	1,398	3 months ago	MIT
js-beautify	4,310,650	8,602	978 kB	397	8 months ago	MIT

Package

Downloads

Stars

Size

Issues

Publish

License

prettier

40,095,691

49,256

7.7 MB

1,398

3 months ago

MIT

js-beautify

4,310,650

8,602

978 kB

397

8 months ago

MIT

Configuration Flexibility

prettier: Prettier is designed to be opinionated, meaning it has a set of default formatting rules that cannot be extensively customized. While it offers some configuration options, the focus is on enforcing a consistent style across the codebase, which can streamline the formatting process.
js-beautify: js-beautify provides extensive configuration options, allowing developers to customize the formatting rules to fit their specific coding style. This includes options for indent size, wrapping, and other stylistic preferences, making it suitable for projects with unique formatting requirements.

Integration

prettier: Prettier integrates seamlessly with many popular text editors and IDEs, providing real-time feedback and formatting as you code. Its integration with version control systems and CI/CD pipelines makes it easy to enforce consistent formatting across teams.
js-beautify: js-beautify can be integrated into various build systems and text editors, allowing for on-the-fly formatting as code is written. It can be used in conjunction with other tools to create a robust development workflow, particularly in legacy projects that require specific formatting adjustments.

Performance

prettier: Prettier is optimized for performance, ensuring that formatting occurs quickly even on larger files. Its design minimizes the time spent on formatting, allowing developers to focus more on coding rather than waiting for formatting processes to complete.
js-beautify: js-beautify may experience performance issues with very large files or complex code structures, as it processes the entire file to apply formatting. However, it is generally efficient for typical use cases and can handle most projects without significant delays.

Community and Ecosystem

prettier: Prettier has a large and active community, with numerous plugins and integrations available for various frameworks and languages. This extensive ecosystem makes it easier to find support, resources, and tools that work well with Prettier.
js-beautify: js-beautify has a smaller community compared to Prettier, but it is still widely used and supported. It has a range of plugins and extensions available, making it adaptable for various use cases and environments, especially for legacy codebases.

Learning Curve

prettier: Prettier is known for its low learning curve, as it requires minimal configuration and is straightforward to use. Developers can quickly adopt Prettier into their workflow without needing to understand complex settings.
js-beautify: js-beautify may have a steeper learning curve due to its extensive configuration options, which can be overwhelming for new users. However, once familiar with its settings, developers can achieve highly customized formatting results.

prettier: Choose Prettier if you prefer a more opinionated approach to code formatting that emphasizes consistency and simplicity. Prettier automatically formats your code without requiring extensive configuration, making it ideal for teams that want to enforce a uniform style across their codebase with minimal effort.

js-beautify: Choose js-beautify if you need a tool that offers a wide range of configuration options for customizing the formatting of your JavaScript, HTML, and CSS code. It is particularly useful for projects that require specific formatting styles or when working with legacy code that needs to be beautified.

Opinionated Code Formatter

JavaScript · TypeScript · Flow · JSX · JSON
CSS · SCSS · Less
HTML · Vue · Angular
GraphQL · Markdown · YAML
Your favorite language?

Intro

Prettier is an opinionated code formatter. It enforces a consistent style by parsing your code and re-printing it with its own rules that take the maximum line length into account, wrapping code when necessary.

Input

foo(reallyLongArg(), omgSoManyParameters(), IShouldRefactorThis(), isThereSeriouslyAnotherOne());

Output

foo( reallyLongArg(), omgSoManyParameters(), IShouldRefactorThis(), isThereSeriouslyAnotherOne(), );

Prettier can be run in your editor on-save, in a pre-commit hook, or in CI environments to ensure your codebase has a consistent style without devs ever having to post a nit-picky comment on a code review ever again!