Oxc vs Prettier
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
Fast JavaScript and TypeScript tools (parser, linter, formatter, minifier) written in Rust.
Open source · MIT
An opinionated code formatter that rewrites your code in one consistent style.
The short answer
Choose Oxc if you need…
- Developers who want to lint a JavaScript or TypeScript project quickly
- Teams building their own JavaScript build tooling who need a parser or resolver
- Projects already using or considering Vite or Rolldown
Choose Prettier if you need…
- Teams that want one shared code style without writing their own rules
- Developers who want formatting handled automatically on save
- Projects that use JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, or Markdown
- Setups that run formatting in a pre-commit hook or CI check
Side-by-side
| Oxc | Prettier | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 23.3k | 52.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Rust | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Oxc
Oxc is a collection of tools for working with JavaScript and TypeScript code, written in Rust. It includes a linter (Oxlint), a formatter (Oxfmt), and building blocks such as a parser, transformer, minifier, and module resolver. The README says it is designed for speed and is used by build tools such as Rolldown, the bundler behind Vite.
Prettier
Prettier reads your source code, parses it, and reprints it using its own fixed formatting rules, wrapping lines when they exceed a maximum length. It supports many languages, including JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, JSON, Markdown, and YAML. Teams use it so everyone's code looks the same and code reviews don't turn into debates about spacing and line breaks.
Best for
Oxc
- Developers who want to lint a JavaScript or TypeScript project quickly
- Teams building their own JavaScript build tooling who need a parser or resolver
- Projects already using or considering Vite or Rolldown
Prettier
- Teams that want one shared code style without writing their own rules
- Developers who want formatting handled automatically on save
- Projects that use JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, or Markdown
- Setups that run formatting in a pre-commit hook or CI check
Strengths
Oxc
- Written in Rust, and the README positions it around high performance
- Covers several steps of the JavaScript toolchain (lint, format, parse, transform, minify, resolve) under one project
- Released under the permissive MIT license
Prettier
- Removes formatting debates from code review by applying one consistent style
- Supports many languages in one tool, as listed in the README
- Widely used, with an active repository and a recent release (3.9.10)
Not ideal for
Oxc
- People who need a fully documented, stable plugin ecosystem, since the README does not describe one
- Non-developers, since the tools run on code and require a command line
- Teams that need features the README does not mention, because the README is short on feature details
Prettier
- People who want to customize every formatting detail, since Prettier is opinionated and offers limited options (the README links to an Options page, which was not reviewed here)
- Projects in languages not listed in the README, unless a plugin exists for them
Trade-offs
Oxc
- The README is truncated and gives few details on features, configuration, or compatibility
- Built on top of a fast-moving toolchain, so APIs and behavior may change between releases
- Benchmarks and performance claims are linked to external docs rather than shown in the README
Prettier
- Its opinionated style means limited control over individual formatting choices
- Teams with an established, different style may need to reformat existing code, which creates large diffs
Getting started
Oxc
Lint a codebase with Oxlint
npx oxlint@latestFormat a codebase with Oxfmt
npx oxfmt@latestPrettier
Install with npm (from the project's install docs; README excerpt does not include the command)
git clone https://github.com/prettier/prettierFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Oxc and Prettier?
Oxc: Fast JavaScript and TypeScript tools (parser, linter, formatter, minifier) written in Rust. Prettier: An opinionated code formatter that rewrites your code in one consistent style. Oxc suits developers who want to lint a javascript or typescript project quickly, while Prettier suits teams that want one shared code style without writing their own rules.
Are Oxc and Prettier free?
Oxc: Free and open source. Prettier: Free and open source.
Is Oxc or Prettier more popular?
Prettier has more GitHub stars (52.4k) than Oxc (23.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Oxc and Prettier?
Other options people compare them with include ESLint, esbuild, PostCSS, Mitosis, Madge.
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.