All 5 recommendations
Est. prices as of Mar 14, 2026
#1 · Prettier · Crowd Favorite
Prettier
Free
Opinionated enough to remove your ability to argue about code style
- ✓ Zero-config magic that just works
- ✓ Integrates everywhere (VS Code, pre-commit, CI)
- ✓ Removes 90% of style debates instantly
- ✗ No customization—love it or leave it
- ✗ Aggressive semicolon insertion divides rooms
- ✗ Opinions feel dictated rather than collaborative
#2 · OpenJS Foundation · Best Value
ESLint + Prettier
Free
The power couple that catches bugs AND formats, leaving no room for excuses
- ✓ ESLint catches actual errors; Prettier handles style
- ✓ Massive ecosystem of shareable configs
- ✓ Works across JS, TypeScript, JSON, Markdown
- ✗ Setup is more complex than Prettier alone
- ✗ Can feel heavy-handed for small projects
- ✗ Requires configuration discipline to shine
#3 · Python Software Foundation · Hidden Gem
Black
Free
Prettier's brutally honest Python cousin—88 characters, take it or leave it
- ✓ Eliminates all Python formatting debates
- ✓ Lightning-fast processing
- ✓ Clear, minimalist philosophy
- ✗ Line length of 88 feels arbitrary to some
- ✗ Less customizable than alternatives
- ✗ Python-only (good or bad depending on your view)
#4 · Go Team
Go fmt
Free
Built into Go itself—the only formatter debate that never happened
- ✓ Part of the language, non-negotiable
- ✓ Impossibly consistent across all Go codebases
- ✓ No configuration needed or wanted
- ✗ Go-only—not useful outside that ecosystem
- ✗ Some developers still hate the style choices
- ✗ Feels authoritarian to developers from other languages
#5 · Rust Foundation
Rust rustfmt
Free
Rust's answer to Go fmt—opinionated, fast, and quietly ending debates in Slack
- ✓ Included with Rust toolchain
- ✓ Excellent for large projects
- ✓ Growing customization options
- ✗ Rust-only ecosystem
- ✗ Some style choices still controversial in the community
- ✗ Less integrated into IDEs than JavaScript alternatives