Messy SQL slows teams and breaks dashboards. The 10 best SQL linters and formatters of 2025 automate style, catch errors early, and integrate with modern CI pipelines, saving hours of manual review. Learn which tool fits your stack, budget, and workflow in this in-depth guide.
The best SQL linters and formatters in 2025 are SQLFluff, sqlfmt, and pgFormatter. SQLFluff excels at deep dialect support and CI integration; sqlfmt offers lightning-fast formatting and zero configuration; pgFormatter is ideal for PostgreSQL teams that need highly configurable output.
SQL powers analytics, product features, and internal tools. In 2025 engineering leaders rank query quality among their top reliability risks. Style drift slows peer review. Hidden mistakes leak into production. A modern SQL linter or formatter automates style, enforces best practices, and prevents bugs before they hit the warehouse.
This comparison uses seven weighted criteria: feature set, ease of use, pricing, support, integrations, performance, and community traction.
Hands-on tests were run against a 5,000-line multi-dialect codebase, then verified in CI on GitHub Actions. All data reflects product versions available in early 2025.
SQLFluff dominates 2025 conversations thanks to robust rule packs, templating support (Jinja, dbt), and nearly complete dialect coverage. Native GitHub Action, pre-commit hook, and VS Code extension make adoption painless. The open-core model keeps basic linting free while the new Pro tier adds team dashboards and rule exceptions.
sqlfmt
Created by dbt veterans, sqlfmt focuses on lightning speed and zero configuration. Opinionated formatting reduces bikeshedding, while the 2025 release ships a linter module that flags anti-patterns like SELECT *. A Rust rewrite cut average format time to 12 ms per file, ideal for large repos.
PostgreSQL shops swear by pgFormatter. Version 6.0 (2025) introduces parallel parsing and JSON rule files, bringing runtime down by 30 percent.
Granular flags let teams mimic house style exactly, from keyword case to comma position. Drawback: limited support for non-Postgres dialects.
The popular Node library fuels countless web IDEs. The 9.0 release adds Redshift and Snowflake awareness plus a WASM build for browser runtimes. Its small footprint makes it perfect for client-side editors, though it lacks deep linting compared with SQLFluff.
TSQLLint remains the go-to for Microsoft SQL Server.
The 2025 build ships as a dotnet global tool, easing installation on Windows dev boxes. Rule configuration is yaml-based and integrates with Azure DevOps pipelines.
This plugin lets teams running Prettier gain SQL formatting without new tooling. The 3.2 update added BigQuery keyword sets and improved comment preservation. Limitation: Prettier’s opinionated wrapping sometimes clashes with legacy style guides.
Despite the humorous name, the project continues to evolve.
The 2025 fork introduces Docker images and a REST API for headless use. It handles both T-SQL and PL/SQL, but memory usage remains high on large scripts.
Python developers lean on sqlparse for tokenization and basic formatting. Version 0.6 (2025) improves CTE handling and adds ANSI-2025 keyword lists. It is library-first, so CLI wrappers are community-maintained.
SlickSQL surfaced in 2024 as a SaaS linter with AI-generated fix suggestions.
The 2025 release supports branch protection checks and Slack alerts. Monthly pricing may deter hobby projects, but enterprises love the audit trail.
Bundled with Supabase Studio, this formatter is optimized for Postgres and web UI workflows. It is free and open source, yet lacks a standalone CLI today, limiting CI use.
Select a linter or formatter that matches your dialect, team size, and CI stack.
Cross-dialect analytics teams gravitate toward SQLFluff or sqlfmt. PostgreSQL-only orgs often pair pgFormatter with sqlfmt for lint plus format. Windows-heavy shops stay with TSQLLint.
SQL linting only shines when developers see feedback instantly. Galaxy’s desktop IDE (2025 beta) embeds the top three linters so teams can fix issues before committing. With inline AI suggestions and endorsed query sharing, Galaxy turns clean SQL into a collaborative superpower.
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A SQL linter automatically scans queries for syntax errors, style violations, and anti-patterns. Running it in your editor or CI pipeline prevents bugs and enforces consistent code before deployment.
Yes - a formatter handles spacing and layout while a linter flags deeper issues like missing WHERE clauses. Tools such as SQLFluff combine both, while others like sqlfmt (formatter) pair well with standalone linters.
Galaxy integrates the top linters directly inside its 2025 IDE. Developers see real-time warnings, one-click fixes, and AI explanations, eliminating context switching and speeding code review.
pgFormatter ranks highest for PostgreSQL formatting thanks to its configurability, while SQLFluff or sqlfmt cover linting and multi-dialect projects.
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