ESLint vs standard
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript linter that finds and reports problematic code patterns, with rules you can configure.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript style guide with a linter and auto-fixer that needs no config files.
The short answer
Choose ESLint if you need…
- JavaScript developers who want automatic checks on their code
- Teams that want consistent rules enforced in a shared configuration
- Projects that need to customize which code patterns are flagged
- Developers working with React who add a React-specific plugin on top
Choose standard if you need…
- JavaScript projects where the team wants consistent style without debating rules
- Node.js developers who want a quick, zero-config check in their package.json test script
- Open source projects that want clear, automated style expectations for contributors
- Developers who want to avoid managing .eslintrc files
Side-by-side
| ESLint | standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 27.6k | 29.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 16 months ago |
What each one is
ESLint
ESLint is a tool that scans JavaScript (ECMAScript) code and reports patterns that may be problems or bad practice. It works by parsing code into a syntax tree and checking it against rules, and every rule is a pluggable piece you can turn on, off, or adjust. Developers use it to catch mistakes and keep code style consistent across a project.
standard
Standard is a JavaScript style guide enforced by a linter, which is a tool that checks code for formatting problems and common programmer mistakes. Running standard --fix will automatically correct many style issues. It is designed so you do not need to write or maintain a configuration file.
Best for
ESLint
- JavaScript developers who want automatic checks on their code
- Teams that want consistent rules enforced in a shared configuration
- Projects that need to customize which code patterns are flagged
- Developers working with React who add a React-specific plugin on top
standard
- JavaScript projects where the team wants consistent style without debating rules
- Node.js developers who want a quick, zero-config check in their package.json test script
- Open source projects that want clear, automated style expectations for contributors
- Developers who want to avoid managing .eslintrc files
Strengths
ESLint
- Highly pluggable: every rule is a plugin and rules can be added at runtime, per the README
- Mature and widely used, with an MIT license and about 27,600 GitHub stars
- Clear three-level severity model (off, warn, error) that controls the exit code
standard
- No configuration files to create or maintain
- Automatic fixing via standard --fix saves review time
- Widely used and actively maintained, with about 29,000 GitHub stars and a recent push in July 2025
Not ideal for
ESLint
- People who only want code formatting; the README says Prettier is the formatter and ESLint is a linter
- Users of experimental or non-standard syntax without a suitable parser, since ESLint officially supports only the latest final ECMAScript standard
- Environments that cannot run a supported Node.js version (^20.19.0, ^22.13.0, or >=24)
standard
- Teams that want to customize many style rules, since the README stresses there is no configuration (reason: the style is fixed by design)
- Projects that prefer Prettier-style formatting specifically, since the README only compares to Prettier in a linked talk and does not describe it as a replacement (reason: different approach)
- Developers who need the linter to check non-JavaScript languages (reason: it targets JavaScript files by default: **/*.js and **/*.jsx)
Trade-offs
ESLint
- Requires a supported Node.js version and, for TypeScript type definitions, TypeScript 5.3 or later
- Does not lock dependency versions by design, so behavior can change as dependencies update
- Parser officially supports only the latest final ECMAScript standard; newer experimental syntax may need other parsers
standard
- Style rules are fixed, so you cannot easily adjust them to personal or team preferences
- Requires Node.js and npm to be installed first
- The README is truncated here, so details on supported syntax and newer language features are unclear
Getting started
ESLint
Install and configure ESLint
npm init @eslint/config@latestRun ESLint on a file
npx eslint yourfile.jsstandard
Install globally as a command line program
npm install standard --globalInstall locally for a single project
npm install standard --save-devFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between ESLint and standard?
ESLint: A JavaScript linter that finds and reports problematic code patterns, with rules you can configure. standard: A JavaScript style guide with a linter and auto-fixer that needs no config files. ESLint suits javascript developers who want automatic checks on their code, while standard suits javascript projects where the team wants consistent style without debating rules.
Are ESLint and standard free?
ESLint: Free and open source. standard: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, ESLint or standard?
standard is easier to get started with (rated beginner); ESLint is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is ESLint or standard more popular?
standard has more GitHub stars (29.4k) than ESLint (27.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to ESLint and standard?
Other options people compare them with include typescript-eslint, Prettier, lint-staged, RuboCop.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.