Code reviews play a crucial role in software development by ensuring code quality, identifying bugs, maintaining coding standards, and improving overall software performance. As projects grow in size and complexity, managing the codebase becomes increasingly challenging. Leveraging code review tools helps streamline the process, minimise manual effort, and enhance efficiency.

What Are Code Review Tools?

Code review tools help developers detect errors, maintain quality, and ensure security before deployment. They offer features like syntax error detection, code quality analysis, and inline commenting for collaboration. By automating repetitive checks and providing actionable suggestions, these tools improve accuracy and efficiency.

Most modern code review tools are web-based and integrate seamlessly with version control systems like Git and IDEs, making workflows more efficient. They enhance code stability and reliability by enabling early issue detection, enforcing coding standards, and facilitating team collaboration.

Why Use Code Review Tools?

• Improved Code Quality – Detects bugs early, preventing major defects in production.
• Time-Saving Automation – Automates syntax checks, error detection, and formatting corrections.
• Enhanced Collaboration – Enables real-time feedback, inline comments, and discussion threads.
• Consistent Coding Standards – Ensures uniformity and adherence to best practices.
• Risk Mitigation – Identifies critical vulnerabilities early, reducing security risks.
• Efficient Deployment – Speeds up code reviews and approvals for faster releases.
• Scalability and Maintainability – Promotes clean, well-structured code for long-term projects.

Best Code Review Tools

Below are some of the top code review tools designed to optimise development workflows, improve code quality, and foster seamless collaboration.

1. CodeRabbit

CodeRabbit is an AI-powered tool designed to enhance the code review process with intelligent, context-aware feedback. By analysing pull requests line by line, it provides actionable suggestions that developers can apply directly to their code.

With automated pull request summaries and interactive real-time chats, CodeRabbit offers developers quick insights and clarifications, making the review process more efficient and collaborative.

Key Features:

• Line-by-Line Code Suggestions – Reviews code changes in detail and offers direct, applicable recommendations.
• Real-Time Chat – Enables developers to interact with the bot within the code, ask questions, and even generate code.
• Pull Request Summaries – Automatically generates clear, concise summaries of code changes.
• Seamless Git Integration – Works with GitHub, GitLab, and Azure DevOps to provide continuous, incremental reviews for each commit.
• Privacy and Security – Protects data with ephemeral review environments, end-to-end encryption, and zero data retention post-review.

2. DeepSource

DeepSource is a code health platform that helps development teams detect and fix issues early in the development lifecycle. By identifying potential vulnerabilities and anti-patterns before code is merged, it ensures a cleaner, more secure, and maintainable codebase.

With features like auto-fix capabilities and custom quality gates, DeepSource streamlines code reviews by automatically resolving detected issues and enforcing coding standards. It also tracks code coverage, highlighting untested areas to improve reliability.

Key Features:

• Static Code Analysis – Runs automated checks on every commit to detect code quality and security issues before merging.
• Code Formatting – Applies popular formatters like Black, Prettier, and gofmt automatically to maintain consistency.
• Code Coverage Tracking – Visualises line and branch coverage, helping teams identify untested sections of the codebase.
• Quality Gates – Enables teams to set custom quality and security gates, blocking pull requests that don’t meet defined standards.
• Seamless Integrations – Connects with Jira, GitHub Issues, Slack, and Vanta to automate workflows and enhance collaboration.

3. Codiga

Codiga, formerly known as CodeInspector, automates the code review process by helping developers identify and resolve code issues and security vulnerabilities. This tool integrates seamlessly with IDEs, allowing real-time code quality checks and flagging potential bugs directly in the source code editor. It also runs automated pre-commit checks and comments on pull requests with detailed feedback.

Key Features:

• Advanced Code Analysis – Detects code issues and security vulnerabilities using sophisticated detection techniques.
• Multi-Language Support – Works with Java, C, C++, Python, and more.
• Customisable Rule Sets – Allows teams to define coding standards and security policies tailored to their projects.
• Automated Code Review – Reduces manual effort by automating key review processes.
• Automated Issue Tracking – Monitors and reports issues found in code changes.
• Pull Request Comments – Adds direct comments on PRs with suggestions for improvement.

4. CodeScene

CodeScene is a code analysis and review tool that goes beyond static analysis by providing deep insights into both code quality and team dynamics. Unlike traditional code review tools, it helps developers manage technical debt by analysing code health, identifying high-risk areas, and prioritising refactoring efforts. It also integrates with pull request workflows, delivering actionable feedback on code quality during reviews.

Key Features:

• Automated Code Reviews – Integrates with pull requests to detect code quality issues and provide feedback automatically.
• Code Health Metrics – Aggregates multiple contextual factors to assess and improve code quality.
• Technical Debt Management – Identifies and prioritises refactoring targets to effectively reduce technical debt.
• Team Dynamics Analysis – Provides insights into team performance, knowledge ownership, and system mastery through dashboards and trend tracking.
• Software Delivery Metrics – Tracks developer output and measures the impact of factors like unplanned work and organisational trends.

5. Crucible

Crucible, an Atlassian code review tool, enhances code quality through collaborative peer reviews. It enables teams to review code efficiently, discuss changes, share knowledge, and identify defects across multiple version control systems, including SVN, Git, Mercurial, CVS, and Perforce.

Key Features:

• Formal and Quick Reviews – Supports both structured, workflow-based reviews and informal assessments to fit different project needs.
• Inline Discussions – Allows direct commenting on specific lines, files, or entire change sets for detailed discussions.
• Unified Activity Tracking – Provides a centralised view of commits, reviews, and comments to keep teams informed.
• Comprehensive Reporting – Tracks code review status and highlights areas needing more attention to improve code quality.
• Audit and Compliance – Maintains a complete audit trail of all review details for transparency and accountability.

6. CodeQL

CodeQL by GitHub is a semantic code analysis engine designed to help developers detect bugs and security vulnerabilities. By representing code as a database, it allows developers to write queries that identify potential issues, making it one of the most advanced code review tools available.

With its ability to evaluate code as data, CodeQL simplifies the detection of vulnerabilities that might otherwise go unnoticed. Integrated with GitHub, it delivers actionable security alerts directly within repositories. Its broad support for multiple programming languages makes it a versatile solution for organisations of all sizes.

Key Features:

• Semantic Code Analysis – Treats code as data, enabling deep analysis through complex queries to detect vulnerabilities and errors.
• Custom Query Writing – Allows users to create tailored queries for specific security concerns or coding standards.
• Automation Capabilities – Integrates into CI/CD pipelines for automated code analysis during development.
• Multi-Language Support – Analyses diverse codebases across various programming languages.
• Community and Shared Queries – Provides access to a repository of community-driven queries for common vulnerabilities and coding issues.

7. Azure DevOps

Azure DevOps is an end-to-end software development service that supports teams in planning, developing, testing, and deploying software efficiently. It offers a comprehensive set of DevOps tools, enabling continuous integration, project management, and collaboration.

As one of the most widely used code review tools, Azure DevOps integrates seamlessly with cloud and on-premise technologies, ensuring smooth workflows across teams.

Key Features:

• Pull Requests – Enables developers to propose, discuss, and review code changes before merging them into the main branch.
• Inline Comments – Facilitates real-time discussions and feedback directly within the code.
• Branch Permissions – Restricts who can merge changes into specific branches to maintain code integrity.
• Automated Code Quality Checks – Ensures that only code meeting predefined quality standards is merged.
• Merge Strategies – Supports various merge approaches, including squashing, rebasing, and standard merging.
• Security Features – Includes built-in security tools to monitor and address vulnerabilities during code reviews.
• Inline Diff Viewer – Provides a visual comparison tool for reviewing code changes side by side.

8. GitHub

GitHub provides a powerful collaboration platform for developers, offering features that streamline code reviews and enhance team efficiency. As one of the most widely used code review tools, it supports project management, CI/CD, and strong version control, making it a preferred choice for development teams. With seamless integration into numerous third-party applications, GitHub serves as a primary platform for code reviews and team collaboration.

Key Features:

• Pull Requests – Enables developers to propose, discuss, and review changes before merging them into the main codebase.
• Inline Code Comments – Allows clear, context-specific feedback by enabling comments directly on lines of code.
• Branching and Merging – Simplifies parallel development and ensures smooth integration of different code versions.
• Code Insights – Provides detailed analytics on code quality and highlights potential security vulnerabilities.
• Security Features – Scans code for known vulnerabilities and delivers security alerts.
• Project Management – Integrates project boards, issues, and milestones to keep development tasks organised.

9. GitLab

GitLab is a comprehensive platform designed to streamline software deployment while maintaining security. It accelerates software delivery through automated workflows, real-time security checks, and compliance monitoring.

As one of the leading code review tools, GitLab simplifies code management and enhances development efficiency with AI-driven capabilities, optimising both development and security operations.

Key Features:

• Merge Requests – Facilitates seamless code reviews with inline comments and discussions.
• Version Control – Provides Git repository management for efficient versioning and branching.
• Real-time Collaboration – Enables live collaboration with instant updates on code changes and discussions.
• Security and Compliance – Detects vulnerabilities in the codebase and ensures adherence to security standards.

10. Bitbucket

Bitbucket is a code management tool that enhances collaboration and optimises development workflows, from planning to deployment. As one of the leading code review tools, it helps teams automate deployments, making the software delivery process more efficient. Bitbucket’s collaboration features track code changes and enforce security measures, supporting both cloud and on-premises development needs.

Key Features:

• Pull Requests – Facilitates collaboration by allowing developers to propose, discuss, and review code changes.
• Jira Integration – Seamlessly integrates with Jira to link code changes with relevant tasks, improving traceability and visibility.
• Inline Commenting – Enables real-time discussions and feedback by allowing team members to comment directly within the code.
• Branch Permissions – Controls who can merge changes into specific branches, ensuring code is merged only by authorised contributors.
• Merge Strategies – Offers various strategies, such as merge commits, squashing, or rebasing, to suit different team workflows.
• Security Features – Includes built-in security tools to monitor and address vulnerabilities during the code review process.
• Inline Diff Viewer – Provides a visual interface to compare code changes side by side, making it easier to spot issues.

11. Gerrit Code Review

Gerrit Code Review is a free, web-based team collaboration tool designed to work seamlessly with Git. It allows developers to review and discuss each other’s code changes using a web browser. As one of the most effective code review tools, Gerrit facilitates online code reviews, workflow management, and Git repository hosting, all within an integrated experience.

Its robust design supports both pre-commit and post-commit reviews, enabling developers to catch issues early and reduce the risk of bugs making it into production. With a focus on transparency and collaboration, Gerrit ensures that all team members are aligned, with changes tracked and discussed in a centralised system.

Key Features:

• Inline Comments – Reviewers can add comments directly within the code, making it easier to provide targeted feedback and foster discussions.
• Access Control – Offers a powerful access control model, allowing fine-grained permissions for pushing code into the central repository.
• Integration with Git – Works with Git-enabled SSH and HTTPS servers, compatible with all Git clients, simplifying the management of multiple Git repositories.
• Extensibility through Plugins – Teams can extend and customise Gerrit by installing server-side plugins, tailoring the tool to their specific needs.
• Project Navigation – Enables easy navigation of projects, enhancing the efficiency of code reviews and repository management.
• Branch Updates – Keeps codebases current and synchronised, ensuring teams work with the most up-to-date versions.

12. Codacy

Codacy is a powerful code review tool that automates code quality checks and security analysis, helping developers maintain clean, secure, and efficient code. By performing static code analysis, it detects vulnerabilities, code duplication, complexity issues, and coding style violations. Seamlessly integrating with Git-based workflows, including GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, Codacy provides detailed insights directly within pull requests and commits, allowing developers to address issues early in the development process.

Key Features:

• Quality Monitoring – Ensures coding standards are upheld by enforcing consistency and maintaining code quality across pull requests.
• Security Analysis – Detects and helps resolve security issues using techniques like Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Software Composition Analysis (SCA), secret detection, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) analysis.
• Test Coverage – Expands and enforces test coverage to prevent breaking changes, ensuring a more reliable and maintainable codebase.
• Engineering Performance Metrics – Provides data-driven insights to help engineering teams optimise performance and improve decision-making processes.