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In recent years, the use of no-code platforms has increased among individuals who want to avoid learning programming languages. These tools enable users to develop applications or websites without writing any code, simply by using visual interfaces and pre-built components. For example, many web design programs allow users to create and customize websites without needing to know HTML or CSS. Similarly, top project management software tools help teams plan, track, and complete projects efficiently, saving both time and costs while ensuring deadlines are met. Despite the rise of no-code solutions, understanding how code functions, the features it provides, and optimizing it remains a crucial skill for developers. For these professionals, code review tools are indispensable in maintaining high-quality code standards. Moreover, effective teamwork is vital in software development, and this inevitably involves reviewing each other’s code. Code reviews are a process where developers examine code snippets to ensure quality, identify errors, and uphold coding standards. This review process helps catch mistakes early and improves overall software reliability.
In this article, I will introduce some of the best code review tools available today, so you can incorporate them into your development workflow and enhance your coding quality. Let’s explore these tools in detail.
What Are the Leading Code Review Tools?
Below are some of the top options for developers to consider when selecting a code review tool.
1. Crucible
Best Overall Choice for Code Reviews
Crucible is a tool designed to facilitate rapid delivery of high-quality code. It offers a rich set of features that support more than simple code review, making it suitable for collaborative development teams. Features include the ability to discuss specific code segments, share snippets, track issues, and generate reviews based on commits, JIRA tickets, and other sources. This helps teams stay organized and ensures that no review point is overlooked. Crucible also allows for post-review action tracking, so teams can follow up on identified issues. Its integrations with popular tools like JIRA, Bitbucket, and others make it a comprehensive solution for managing review workflows efficiently.
Key Features:
- The review system supports issue tracking and review creation from multiple sources, like commits and JIRA issues.
- Inline commenting features enable discussions directly within the code context.
- Activity streams provide a real-time overview of all ongoing review activities.
- Pre-commit reviews allow for code evaluation before it’s committed to the main repository.
- JIRA integration facilitates seamless linking with your project management workflows.
- Analytics with charts and reports to monitor and improve the review process.
User Experience and Interface:
A key aspect of effective code review is the ability for team members to comment directly on specific parts of the code, which Crucible facilitates through its “inline discussions” feature. This allows reviewers to leave targeted comments, ask questions, or suggest improvements directly related to particular code snippets, fostering clearer communication and more efficient reviews.This section provides an overview of pricing options, along with comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the Crucible tool. It also highlights recent product updates and introduces Azure DevOps as a collaborative development platform, detailing its features and user experience. The information is presented with images and bullet points for ease of understanding.
Potential issues include inconsistencies in the pricing plans, where the “small teams” plan is a low-cost monthly fee, while the “growing teams” plan is a high one-time fee, which could confuse users. Additionally, the “growing teams” plan lacks detailed information such as the number of users it supports or what features are included, making it hard to compare effectively. The user experience paragraph for Azure DevOps ends abruptly, suggesting it might be incomplete or lacking further details.The interface is designed to be simple and user-friendly, guiding you smoothly through each phase of your project without confusion.
Pricing details include two options:
- Azure Pipelines: Provides one free Microsoft-hosted CI/CD pipeline and one free Self-Hosted CI/CD pipeline.
- Azure Artifacts: Offers 2 GB of free storage, with additional space costing $2 per GB.
There are two plans to choose from based on your needs.
What I Like/Dislike About Azure DevOps
Like:
- Integrating with Azure resources is seamless and straightforward.
- The company’s support for open-source projects is highly appreciated.
Dislike:
- Professional support requires upgrading to a paid plan, which can delay issue resolution.
Product Updates:
Recent enhancements include a redesigned web portal that makes navigation faster and easier, helping you quickly locate the tools and information you need. The improved search functionality now allows you to find specific files or entire projects with ease.
3. CodeScene
Best For Prioritizing Code Improvements
CodeScene is a versatile tool that combines data from code, personnel, and workflows into a single system, giving you a comprehensive overview of your codebase. If your goal is to take a proactive stance to prevent technical debt and improve code quality, CodeScene is an ideal choice. It provides actionable insights that facilitate smarter decision-making and help avoid expensive mistakes by alerting you to potential risks before they escalate. With CodeScene, you get all vital information centralized—making it easier to track progress, set improvement targets, and involve your team in ongoing enhancements.
Key Features:
Screenshots highlight its capabilities, including:
- Utilizing quality gates to ensure only high-quality code merges into your main branch.
- Providing immediate feedback through inline comments tied directly to specific lines of code.
- Enhancing review efficiency by highlighting which areas need attention first.
- Identifying trouble spots and hidden risks early in the development process.
- Helping you stay ahead of technical debt with a proactive approach that minimizes costly errors.
- Supporting retrospectives by pinpointing areas for improvement and tracking progress over time.
User Experience:
CodeScene offers a clean and intuitive interface that makes navigating complex data easy. Visuals and tools are designed to help teams understand their code better, foster collaboration, and ensure continuous improvement in code quality.
Awareness of critical errors in your code is a vital part of the development process. CodeScene ensures that nothing goes unnoticed by providing clear, understandable notifications about issues. This helps developers quickly identify and resolve errors, maintaining high-quality code production.
Pricing:
Schedule a demonstration to explore how CodeScene can assist your development team in optimizing code quality and workflow efficiency.
What I Like and Dislike About CodeScene
Likes: The tool’s performance metrics enable quick visualization of your codebase’s health and risks, making it easier to manage quality control and technical debt. It is also highly adaptable for use in various quality and risk management scenarios.
Dislikes: The user interface may not be the most intuitive at first, requiring some time for new users to become comfortable navigating the platform.
Product Updates:
- Implementation of ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation signifies that CodeScene adheres to top-tier security standards.
- The platform has recently undergone a visual redesign, making it more user-friendly and easier to navigate.
4. Bitbucket
Ideal For Scaling Software Development Processes
Bitbucket is a comprehensive platform that supports code management and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD). It is tailored for professional teams seeking a flexible environment for handling large-scale development operations. Optimized for use with Jira and other Atlassian tools, Bitbucket provides all necessary features to create, review, and deploy code, whether in small projects or big enterprise settings. If your goal is to reduce the need to switch between multiple tools by consolidating your development processes, Bitbucket is an excellent choice. Its ability to automate status updates through Jira ensures your team stays informed without extra effort. Additionally, features like robust code review workflows facilitate better feedback and enhance code quality.
Key Features:
- IP whitelist restrictions combined with enforced two-factor authentication (2FA) enhance the security of your repositories.
- Integration with SAML Single Sign-On via Atlassian Access allows seamless, secure login for users using existing organizational credentials.
- Strong data encryption practices safeguard your code and sensitive information against unauthorized access.
- Support for security-critical operations ensures that only authorized personnel can access and modify repositories.
- Pull request scanning tools help identify potential security vulnerabilities early, preventing risky code from reaching production.
- Continuous security testing integrations enable your development pipeline to automatically check for vulnerabilities, maintaining high security standards.
User Experience:
Bitbucket features a user-friendly interface that simplifies navigation and usage, making it accessible for developers across all experience levels.
Within your dashboard, you can view all the pull requests linked to the repositories you have access to, along with any ongoing build processes.
Pricing details include a free plan for code review testing, while available paid options are as follows: a Standard plan at $3 per user per month, and a Premium plan at $6 per user per month.
These plans are billed monthly on a per-user basis.
What I Like/Dislike About Bitbucket
Like:
– It’s an excellent platform for managing code repositories, especially if you’re working with a team of developers.
– It can be easily integrated with Jenkins pipelines to streamline workflows.
Dislike:
– Users sometimes experience sluggishness when switching between different sections of the platform.
Product Updates:
Recently, Bitbucket has added the capability to view deployment and build information directly within Jira Cloud, enhancing project tracking and visibility.
Collaborator
Best for Quality Assurance
Collaborator is a highly effective tool tailored for quality assurance teams and software developers who need to oversee and evaluate code modifications.
It’s also suitable for teams aiming to elevate their coding standards and improve overall codebase quality.
With quick setup options for integrations with other tools, Collaborator makes initiating code reviews straightforward. Its advanced reporting features enable teams to monitor review progress and pinpoint areas needing improvement.
This platform is ideal if you want comprehensive metrics that reflect the effectiveness and quality of your code review processes.
Key Features:
– Document review functionality facilitates tracking and managing changes to various files, including documents and images.
– Customizable checklists and workflows allow tailoring the review process to meet specific project needs.
– Seamless integration with popular tools like Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket, and others simplifies the review process.
– Built-in bug tracking helps identify, record, and resolve issues discovered during reviews.
– Easy management of review audits helps maintain compliance and track review history.
– Access to comprehensive reports and metrics provides insight into review efficiency and quality.help you monitor the progress of your code review process and pinpoint areas that could benefit from improvement.
User Experience:
The ability to easily track and manage defects in a centralized location enhances collaboration between developers and QA teams. Several other features also foster seamless cooperation among all members of the software development team.
Pricing:
The subscription options for Collaborator are:
- Team plan: €565 per year
- Enterprise plan: €1,010 per year
Pros and Cons of Collaborator
What I Like:
- Sharing files with the team is simple and efficient, promoting smooth collaboration.
- The feature to link comments directly to specific parts of the document is particularly useful.
What I Dislike:
- The web interface looks outdated and could benefit from a modern redesign.
Recent Product Updates:
- Adding the option to attach external files to comments facilitates better collaboration on code updates.
- Implementing review/file deletion triggers allows automatic removal of outdated reviews, keeping workflows tidy.
6. Review Board
Ideal for Sharing Documentation
Review Board is a valuable tool that aids teams in managing their code review process. It allows for scalable review workflows as teams grow, enabling the sharing of documentation, graphics, PDFs, and more to gather team feedback. It also enhances code quality and ensures adherence to coding standards through various features and integrations that automate parts of the review process.
Key Features:
- Track, discuss, and resolve issues that affect code quality and compliance with standards.
- Centralized location for accessing all review requests relevant to your project.
- Automated code review assistance with Review Bot, which helps identify issues proactively.
- Command-line tools that simplify integration with multiple repositories for streamlined review processes.
Pricing:
Here are some available plans:
– Starter: $29 per month
– Medium: $99 per month
– Large: $229 per month
– Enterprise: $499 per month
All plans include a 60-day free trial and unlimited linked repositories.
What are code review tools?
Code review tools are vital for software development teams aiming to improve code quality and teamwork. They help identify errors and potential issues early, reducing the risk of bugs reaching production. These tools support adherence to coding standards and best practices, streamlining the review process through automation. Additionally, many tools enable managing and sharing documentation, graphics, PDFs, and other related files, making collaboration smoother.
Benefits of using code review tools
Implementing a code review tool offers numerous advantages. Static code analysis within these tools helps spot issues that could cause problems later, allowing teams to fix them beforehand and enhance overall code quality. They promote compliance with coding standards, such as Google Java Style Guide, ensuring consistency across projects. Furthermore, these tools foster better collaboration by enabling team members to comment on code changes in real-time. This improves communication and helps avoid merging conflicts, which occur when multiple team members modify the same file simultaneously. The early detection and resolution of conflicts help ensure smoother development workflows. Many tools also provide quick insights into code, accelerating feedback and decision-making.
Top tools in this category include Review Board and GitLab, each offering unique features and pricing to suit different team sizes and needs.
Review Board offers affordable plans starting at $29/month, with a 60-day free trial and unlimited linked repositories, making it easy for teams to get started.
GitLab is well-regarded for its comprehensive features including portfolio management, service desk, source code management, wikis, and merge trains. Its pricing ranges from a free tier to premium plans at $19 per user/month (Premium) and $99 per user/month (Ultimate), ensuring options for teams of all sizes.
Other notable code review tools not discussed include GitHub, Rhodecode, Gerrit, Smartbear, Codacy, Perforce, PowerBuilder, Veracode, Visual Studio, and Phabricator.
In summary, code review tools streamline the development process, improve code quality, foster collaboration, and reduce conflicts, making them indispensable for modern software teams.
insights into their codebase, making spotting issues and potential problems easier. This approach can save significant time compared to manually reviewing every code change.
Reducing Errors with Automation
Automated code review tools help integrate the review process directly into development platforms, which enhances the overall quality of the code. By automating many tasks traditionally done by developers during reviews, these tools streamline the process and improve consistency.
Key Features of Code Review Tools
Now that we understand the advantages, let’s explore some of the top features that make code review tools effective.
Peer Review Capabilities
With peer code review, team members can provide comments and feedback on code changes in real-time. This collaboration helps prevent merge conflicts and encourages team communication.
Post-Commit Review
Version control systems like Git can automatically facilitate post-commit code reviews, which boost the efficiency of the review process. This ensures code is reviewed and pushed to production smoothly and without delays.
Integration with Version Control Systems
A common time-consuming task is manually resolving merge conflicts. The best code review tools offer deep integration with version control systems (VCS). Automating post-commit reviews within your VCS setup can save considerable time and effort.
Automation Features
Automation in code review takes various forms—such as checking adherence to coding standards and running automated tests. It also includes enhancing code maintainability: the ease with which code can be modified or updated. Automation helps identify common issues, like code smells—patterns that often signal underlying problems—such as duplicate code or excessively long functions.
Supports Multiple Programming Languages
Whether you’re working with Java, JavaScript, Python, SQL, or any other popular language, top code review tools are adaptable to various programming languages. This flexibility means teams can use a single tool across all projects, regardless of the language involved.
Frequently Asked Questions About Code Review Tools
Is Open-Source Software a Good Choice?
While open-source tools can pack many features, they might not always be reliably maintained. A good guideline is to check the date of the last update and review the activity history, such as commits, before choosing an open-source option.
What Exactly Are Git Repositories?
Git repositories are storage locations for code management. Think of them as project folders accessible from any device, allowing easy collaboration and version tracking anytime, anywhere.
Is a Visual Specialist Required for Code Review?
No, you don’t need to be a visual expert. All that’s generally required is a good text editor and a commitment to improving your code. Using diff tools can also help compare different versions of code to understand changes better.
What Is an IDE?
An IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a software suite that provides all necessary tools for coding, such as a text editor, compiler, debugger, and more. It streamlines the development process by consolidating essential functionalities.
Conclusion
Code review plays a vital role in software development by catching errors, bugs, or security flaws early on. The best review tools come equipped with features that simplify and speed up this process. Knowing which features to prioritize helps in selecting the right tool for your team. Have you used a code review tool before? Share your experience in the comments below.
Further reading on StepThroughThePortal.com: Alongside coding, databases are a critical component of applications. Choosing and properly setting up the right database can save time and money over the long term. With numerous database options available, determining the best fit can be challenging. This article covers the top database software available today.
Did you know that a programming career is an excellent work-from-home option? For more insights into this and similar remote jobs, check out my article on the best remote jobs for 2025.