CodeMatch vs NiCad
CodeMatch
safe-corp.comNiCad
github.comSide by side
| Figure | CodeMatch | NiCad |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Code Clone Detection Tools | 7.7 (#9) | 7.7 (#10) |
| Languages | The product page lists support for languages including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, SQL, Swift, and TypeScript, and says new language support can usually be added within days on request. | Included language plugins cover C, C#, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, WSDL, and ATL. |
| Purpose | CodeMatch compares source code files across directories and subdirectories, ranking the most highly correlated file pairs to help locate possible plagiarism. | NiCad is a near-miss source code clone detection system. |
| Reports | CodeMatch creates a database exportable to an HTML summary report, with detailed HTML reports showing the statements, comments, strings, identifiers, or instruction sequences behind high correlations. | Results include clone pairs and clone classes in XML-like formats, with optional browsable HTML reports. |
| Support | The maker invites users to contact it if a needed programming language is not listed and says it will usually add support within days. | The repository's Issues page currently shows no open issues and says issue creation is restricted. |
Plans
In their own words
CodeMatch
CodeMatch is a Windows program from SAFE Corporation for comparing source-code files across two directories, including their subdirectories. It ranks file pairs by correlation scores from 0 to 100, helping an examiner reduce many combinations to a smaller review list. Its hybrid methods compare statements, comments and strings, instruction sequences, and identifiers. Reports can show the material behind high correlations in detailed HTML, while a database export can produce an HTML summary. SAFE lists languages including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python, SQL, Swift, Verilog, and VHDL, and says requested languages can usually be added within days. The maker also describes uses such as finding open-source code in proprietary software, assessing common authorship, and identifying shared algorithms. A press release allows no-charge comparison of up to 1 megabyte of source code. CodeMatch assists expert review rather than precisely identifying plagiarism. It is paid, with a free plan and trial, but no CodeMatch price is listed.
NiCad
NiCad is a near-miss source code clone detection system for finding similar fragments in a repository. It can analyze code at file, function, or block granularity. Included language plugins cover C, C#, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby, WSDL, and ATL; plugins for other languages can be added when a TXL grammar is available. Configuration files let users tailor renaming, filtering, abstraction, and normalization before comparison. Results include clone pairs and clone classes in XML-like formats, with optional browsable HTML reports. The default near-miss difference threshold is 0.30; a setting of 0.00 means exact clones. NiCadCross can report fragments from one system that also appear as clones in a second. The software is free under an MIT-style license, with stated conditions for use, modification, distribution, sublicensing, and sale. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and can be run from its directory for personal use or installed system-wide. NiCad 7.0 requires OpenTxl 11 or later; building comparison tools requires Turing+ 6.2 or later.