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PyLint VS Pyright

Compare PyLint VS Pyright and see what are their differences

PyLint logo PyLint

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

Pyright logo Pyright

Static type checker for Python. Contribute to microsoft/pyright development by creating an account on GitHub.
  • PyLint Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-22
  • Pyright Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-01

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.

Pyright features and specs

  • Performance
    Pyright is known for its speed and efficient performance, providing developers with rapid type-checking without significant lag, thanks to its implementation in TypeScript.
  • Type Inference and Checking
    Pyright offers excellent type inference capabilities, supporting Python's dynamic nature while effectively checking for type-related issues.
  • Ease of Integration
    It integrates smoothly with most editors, especially Visual Studio Code, allowing for seamless use directly within the development environment.
  • Configurable
    Pyright is highly configurable, allowing developers to tailor its behavior to their specific project needs, enhancing flexibility in various development scenarios.
  • Active Development
    Being backed by Microsoft, Pyright benefits from frequent updates and active community support, ensuring it stays up to date with the latest Python features.

Possible disadvantages of Pyright

  • Complexity of Advanced Features
    While it offers powerful features, configuring and utilizing some of its more advanced functionalities can be complex and may have a learning curve for beginners.
  • Limited Standalone Usage
    Although Pyright is effective for type-checking, its standalone usage outside of Visual Studio Code might not be as efficient or intuitive for users of other IDEs.
  • Dependency on Python Type Annotations
    To fully leverage Pyright's capabilities, codebases need to adopt Python's type hinting system, which may require substantial refactoring of legacy code.
  • Potential Overhead
    In some cases, the overhead of thorough type-checking can slow down development workflows, particularly for large codebases with many unresolved type issues.

Analysis of PyLint

Overall verdict

  • PyLint is generally considered a good tool for Python developers, especially those who want to maintain high code quality. While some users may find it overly strict at times, its comprehensive analysis is beneficial for identifying both significant errors and minor code improvements. Its configurability allows users to tailor its checks according to their project's specific needs.

Why this product is good

  • PyLint is a widely used static code analysis tool for Python that helps ensure code quality and adherence to coding standards. It analyzes Python source code to look for programming errors, enforce a coding standard, and suggest code improvements. It provides detailed insights into potential issues and helps maintain consistency and readability in Python projects.

Recommended for

  • Python developers who care about code quality and adherence to PEP 8 standards.
  • Teams working on collaborative projects where maintaining a consistent coding style is important.
  • Projects that require thorough documentation and linting for all code artifacts.
  • Developers who want to catch errors and potential bugs early in the development process.

PyLint videos

Pylint Tutorial – How to Write Clean Python

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to write pylint plugins

Pyright videos

Vim setup for Python programmers: conquer of completion (coc) and pyright

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PyLint and Pyright)
Code Analysis
74 74%
26% 26
Code Coverage
66 66%
34% 34
Code Review
82 82%
18% 18
Code Quality
58 58%
42% 42

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 Pyright

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.

Pyright Reviews

We have no reviews of Pyright yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Pyright might be a bit more popular than PyLint. We know about 15 links to it since March 2021 and only 13 links to PyLint. 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 (13)

  • Nix-Powered Python Development
    These requirements are not too uncommon. I have seen many projects with similar setup, with alternatives such as tox instead of nox, or black and pylint instead of ruff, etc. - Source: dev.to / 29 days ago
  • Nix Flake Templates
    Use pylint and flake8 for linting and static analysis. - Source: dev.to / 30 days ago
  • 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 / almost 3 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: almost 3 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
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Pyright mentions (15)

  • Ruff and Ready: Linting Before the Party
    Mypy (and pyright occasionally) as a type checker,. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Python 3.13.0 Is Released
    Disclaimer: I don't work on big codebases. Pylance with pyright[0] while developing (with strict mode) and mypy[1] with pre-commit and CI. Previously, I had to rely on pyright in pre-commit and CI for a while because mypy didn’t support PEP 695 until its 1.11 release in July. [0] -- https://github.com/microsoft/pyright. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • Introducing Tapyr: Create and Deploy Enterprise-Ready PyShiny Dashboards with Ease
    Static Type Checking with PyRight: Improve code quality and reduce bugs with PyRight, a static type checking feature not available in R. This proactive error detection ensures your applications are reliable, before you even start them. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Enhance Your Project Quality with These Top Python Libraries
    Pyright is a fast type checker meant for large Python source bases. It can run in a “watch” mode and performs fast incremental updates when files are modified. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • VSCodium – Libre Open Source Software Binaries of VS Code
    You can use pyright instead[0]. It is the FOSS version of pyright, but having some features missing. [0]: https://github.com/microsoft/pyright. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PyLint and Pyright, 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.