Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PyLint VS mypy

Compare PyLint VS mypy and see what are their differences

PyLint logo PyLint

Pylint is a Python source code analyzer which looks for programming errors.

mypy logo mypy

Mypy is an experimental optional static type checker for Python that aims to combine the benefits of dynamic (or "duck") typing and static typing.
  • PyLint Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-22
  • mypy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-01-06

PyLint features and specs

  • Extensive Error Checking
    PyLint provides comprehensive checks for errors in Python code, including syntax errors, structural problems, and more complex issues like unused variables and undefined names.
  • Customizability
    PyLint allows users to configure which types of errors and warnings they want to check for through configuration files, making it adaptable to different coding standards and preferences.
  • Integration with Development Tools
    PyLint can be integrated with various IDEs and editors such as Visual Studio Code, PyCharm, and more, enhancing the development workflow by providing real-time feedback.
  • Code Quality Metrics
    It offers additional metrics and ratings for code quality, helping developers understand the complexity and maintainability of their code.
  • Code Refactoring Support
    PyLint suggests specific code improvements and refactorings, which can enhance the readability and performance of the code.

Possible disadvantages of PyLint

  • Performance Overhead
    Analyzing large codebases can be slow with PyLint, impacting performance and increasing the time taken for continuous integration pipelines to run.
  • False Positives
    PyLint can generate false positive warnings, particularly in complex or dynamically-typed code, which might lead to developers spending time investigating non-issues.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The initial setup and configuration of PyLint can be challenging for new users who are not familiar with its extensive customization options.
  • Strictness
    PyLint is very strict by default, which might overwhelm developers, especially those working in less formal or rapid development environments, with a high volume of warnings and errors.
  • Compatibility Issues
    There might be compatibility issues with certain Python versions or specific coding patterns, leading to inaccurate linting results or the need for frequent adjustments to configurations.

mypy features and specs

  • Static Type Checking
    Mypy provides static type checking for Python code, allowing developers to detect type errors during development rather than at runtime.
  • Improved Code Quality
    By catching type errors early, Mypy helps ensure code correctness and maintainability, leading to improved overall code quality.
  • Better Documentation
    Mypy's type annotations serve as a form of documentation, making it easier for developers to understand the expected types of function parameters and return values.
  • Easy Integration
    Mypy can be easily integrated with existing Python projects incrementally, allowing teams to adopt type checking gradually.
  • Support for Python 3 Typing
    Mypy supports Python 3's type hinting syntax, making it a natural fit for modern Python codebases.

Possible disadvantages of mypy

  • Partial Support for Python Features
    Mypy may not fully support some dynamic features of Python, leading to limitations in its type-checking capabilities for certain code patterns.
  • Initial Learning Curve
    Developers unfamiliar with type annotations or static type checking may face a learning curve when first adopting Mypy in their projects.
  • Additional Code Overhead
    Mypy requires additional type annotations in the code, which can add to the overall codebase size and require extra effort to maintain.
  • Performance Overhead
    While Mypy itself does not affect runtime performance, running type checks during development can introduce additional processing time.
  • Incompatibility with Some Libraries
    Certain third-party libraries may not provide type stubs or may not be fully compatible with Mypy's type checking, requiring developers to create custom stubs.

PyLint videos

Pylint Tutorial – How to Write Clean Python

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to write pylint plugins

mypy videos

Convincing an entire engineering org to use and like mypy

More videos:

  • Review - Start Being Static with MyPy - Mark Koh - PyGotham 2017

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PyLint and mypy)
Code Analysis
64 64%
36% 36
Code Coverage
59 59%
41% 41
Code Review
100 100%
0% 0
Code Quality
60 60%
40% 40

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare PyLint and mypy

PyLint Reviews

7 best recommended IntelliJ IDEA Python plugins - Programmer Sought
As the name suggests, this plugin is a Python linter. It provides real-time and on-demand scanning of Python files with Pylint ideas from your Intellij. Pylint is an open source project, so it can be fully customized according to your needs. In addition, Pylint has a lot of documentation on the plugin website.

mypy Reviews

7 best recommended IntelliJ IDEA Python plugins - Programmer Sought
This plugin from the JetBrains plugin market integrates MyPy into your Intellij. If you need some guidance, the MyPy website provides a lot of documentation to help you install and use MyPy to improve your Python code.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, mypy should be more popular than PyLint. It has been mentiond 50 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PyLint mentions (11)

  • The Cloud Resume Challenge - GCP :)
    I used Pylint to perform basic test on the code and for the security bit I used snyk SCM to check for vulnerabilities within my code and it's dependencies. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • I'm being told that one of my projects on GitHub is poorly coded. Can anyone tell me why? The only thing I see ugly, not necessary wrong or poorly coded, is the two variables with the list of iPhone models, and the incredibly long if, elif, and else statements.
    Pylint - https://pylint.pycqa.org/en/latest/ Black - https://black.readthedocs.io/en/stable/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • API pull into pandas with formatting.
    Your code isn't PEP-8 compliant. Use black or autopep8 on your code to auto-format your code, or at least use pylint to check for issues, before asking anyone else to read your code. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • First time posting here wow
    Here's the pylint user manual if you're curious. Source: about 3 years ago
  • 50 Ways You can Improve as a Programmer
    Use code linters. Code linters provide immediate feedback for your programs. The online W3C Markup Validation Service checks web documents for validity. ESlint helps you find and fix problems in JavaScript code. Pylint is a linter for Python code. Linters are available as plugins for IDEs like Visual Studio Code. Linters force you to learn by flagging errors and suggesting changes. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
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mypy mentions (50)

  • Java in the Small
    I've always admired many of Java's features, but let's not act like the reason for using Java for scripting is the pitfalls of Python. It's just because of an underlying preference for Java. 1. https://mypy-lang.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Moving your bugs forward in time
    ‍I’m not here to tell people which languages they should love. But if you do find yourself writing production code in a dynamically typed language like Python, Ruby, or JavaScript, I would give serious consideration to opting into the type-checking tools that have become available in those ecosystems. In Python, consider requiring type hints and adding mypy checks to your CI to move your type safety bugs forward... - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Embracing Modern Python for Web Development
    Mypy is "an optional static type checker for Python that aims to combine the benefits of dynamic (or "duck") typing and static typing". As Python is dynamically typed, Mypy adds an extra layer of safety by checking types at compile time (based on type annotations conforming to PEP 484), catching potential errors before runtime. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • A Tale of Two Kitchens - Hypermodernizing Your Python Code Base
    Mypy stands as an essential static type-checking tool. Its primary function is to verify the correctness of types in your codebase. However, manually annotating types in legacy code can be laborious and time-consuming. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Lua: The Little Language That Could
    Lua is a great language for embedding, but one thing I wish it had was some form of optional type annotations that could be checked by a linter. Something like mypy for Lua would be super-useful. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PyLint and mypy, you can also consider the following products

SonarQube - SonarQube, a core component of the Sonar solution, is an open source, self-managed tool that systematically helps developers and organizations deliver Clean Code.

flake8 - A wrapper around Python tools to check the style and quality of Python code.

PyCharm - Python & Django IDE with intelligent code completion, on-the-fly error checking, quick-fixes, and much more...

Coverity Scan - Find and fix defects in your Java, C/C++ or C# open source project for free

PyFlakes - A simple program which checks Python source files for errors.

Checkmarx - The industry’s most comprehensive AppSec platform, Checkmarx One is fast, accurate, and accelerates your business.