How do Ruff and Pylint compare?
Ruff and Pylint are Python code analysis tools with overlapping but distinct capabilities.
Core Differences
Speed and Architecture
Ruff’s Rust implementation delivers dramatically faster performance than Pylint’s Python codebase. This speed advantage becomes particularly noticeable in large codebases where Ruff can analyze files orders of magnitude faster.
Rule Coverage
While Pylint implements approximately 409 rules, Ruff now exceeds 900 total rules, with around 209 overlapping with Pylint’s ruleset. However, these numbers continue to change, especially as Ruff undergoes rapid development.
Automatic Fixes
Ruff fixes many of the issues it identifies automatically. Pylint focuses on detection and reporting rather than automated correction.
Extensibility Model
The tools take different approaches to extensibility. Pylint supports a plugin system allowing custom “checkers”. Ruff implements all rules natively without plugin support.
Working Together
Projects can use both tools:
- Ruff for fast, automated style enforcement and common patterns
- Pylint for deeper static analysis when needed
- Type checkers to handle advanced type validation
This combination leverages each tool’s strengths while compensating for their respective limitations.