Checkstyle vs ShellCheck
Checkstyle
checkstyle.org
ShellCheck
shellcheck.netSide by side
| Figure | Checkstyle | ShellCheck |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Linters | 8.0 (#9) | 7.6 (#24) |
| Checks | Checks cover naming, imports, Javadoc, formatting, class design, and coding practices. | It aims to identify syntax problems, semantic issues, and subtle pitfalls that could make scripts fail in future circumstances. |
| License | The project license is LGPL-2.1-or-later. | ShellCheck is available under the GPLv3 license. |
| Purpose | Checkstyle analyzes Java source code against configurable rules to help teams enforce coding standards. | ShellCheck is a static analysis tool that gives warnings and suggestions for Bash and sh scripts. |
Plans
In their own words
Checkstyle
Checkstyle is a free Java source-code analyzer for programmers who follow a coding standard. It checks naming, imports, Javadoc, formatting, class design, and coding practices against configurable rules. You can select supplied Google Java Style, Sun Conventions, OpenJDK Style, or Doc Style configurations, or create your own. Checkstyle runs from its command-line tool or as an Ant task, with documented Maven and Gradle integrations. Listed IDE and CI integrations include Eclipse, Bamboo, GitHub Actions, Codacy, and Code Climate. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. The current site says it parses Java features through Java 25; versions 13.x and 14.x require Java runtime 21 or newer. Analysis is single-file and source-level, without expression-type determination or a full inheritance hierarchy. Releases are available through GitHub releases and Maven Central, including a standalone all-in-one JAR. It is licensed under LGPL-2.1-or-later and supports only the latest version.
ShellCheck
ShellCheck is a free static analysis tool for Bash and sh scripts. It flags syntax problems, semantic issues, and subtle pitfalls that could make scripts fail in future circumstances, then offers warnings and suggestions. You can paste a script into ShellCheck.net or run it from a terminal with `shellcheck yourscript`.
The project lists integrations for Vim, Emacs, Sublime, Pulsar Edit, and VS Code, along with GCC-compatible warnings for other editors. It can also be added to builds or test suites, with support listed for services including Travis CI, Codacy, Code Climate, CodeFactor, CircleCI, GitHub Actions, and Trunk. Output options include JSON, CheckStyle-compatible XML, GCC-compatible warnings, and readable text with or without ANSI colors. Installation routes include package managers, precompiled binaries, Docker, and source compilation. ShellCheck is licensed under GPLv3; its wiki documents the tool, and bugs can be reported through GitHub issues. There are no official Apple Silicon binaries, and compiling from source requires 2 GB of RAM.