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ShellCheck vs ESLint: open-source code quality and static analysis tools compared

Metrics as of , from the GitHub or GitLab API of each repository. Refreshed monthly.

Summary

ShellCheck: Static analysis tool that flags syntax, semantic and portability problems in bash and sh scripts.

ESLint: Pluggable linter that finds and reports patterns in JavaScript code using configurable rules.

Both are listed under Code quality and static analysis. The table gives repository metrics from the GitHub API with their fetch date, then the documented facts used for every comparison in this category, each linked to the README or docs page it comes from. A cell reads "not documented" when the fact was not found in the project's documentation; that does not mean the feature is absent.

Side by side

ShellCheck and ESLint: metrics and documented facts, in the fixed row order used for code quality and static analysis comparisons.
FactShellCheckESLint
Stars40,067127,5161
Forks1,94615,1891
Contributors17911,2491
Last release2025-08-0412026-09-181
Last commit2026-09-2112026-09-221
Commits in 90 days911891
LicenseGPL-3.01MIT1
Primary languageHaskell1JavaScript1
Statusactive1active1
Languages or files analysedShell scripts in the sh, bash, dash, ksh and BusyBox dialects source: Docs: shellcheck(1) manualECMAScript/JavaScript code; JSX parsing when enabled source: README
Configuration formatkey=value directives in .shellcheckrc files and in script comments source: Docs: shellcheck(1) manualJavaScript config file (eslint.config.js) source: README
CI integrationPre-installed on Travis CI, CircleCI (ShellCheck Orb), GitHub (Linux), Codacy, Code Climate and other services source: READMEIntegrations page lists Mega-Linter, a community linters aggregator for CI that embeds ESLint source: Docs: Integrations
Report formatsJSON, CheckStyle XML, GCC-compatible warnings, plain text source: READMEhtml, json, json-with-metadata, stylish; third-party formatters source: Docs: Formatters Reference
Install methodOS package managers (apt, pacman, dnf, brew, choco, winget and others); Docker image koalaman/shellcheck; binaries source: READMEnpm (npm init @eslint/config@latest) source: README

1 Fetched from the GitHub or GitLab API on . Hover a value for its own date.

When each fits

Written from each project's documented scope, not from preference. Neither tool is ranked.

ShellCheck

Fits projects that contain bash or sh shell scripts; its README describes a static analysis tool that warns about syntax issues, semantic problems and pitfalls in those scripts. source: README

ESLint

Fits projects that lint ECMAScript/JavaScript code; its README describes a design in which every rule is a plugin and more rules can be added at runtime. source: README

More on these tools

Sources

  1. GitHub REST API: repository, read
  2. GitHub REST API: repository, read
  3. GitHub REST API: contributors, read
  4. GitHub REST API: contributors, read
  5. GitHub REST API: latest release, read
  6. GitHub REST API: latest release, read
  7. GitHub REST API: commits, read
  8. GitHub REST API: commits, read
  9. Docs: shellcheck(1) manual, read
  10. README, read
  11. README, read
  12. Docs: Integrations, read
  13. Docs: Formatters Reference, read

Documented facts collected 2026-09-22. See the methodology for how metrics and facts are gathered.