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Best Open Source Code Climate (now Qlty) Alternative (2026)

Code Climate graded your code. Codeward fixes the reasons it got a C.

Code Climate's Quality product became Qlty. If you are re-evaluating after the change, here is how Codeward compares.

Why Teams Switch from Code Climate (now Qlty) to Codeward

Unlike traditional AI review tools that spam pull requests with unverified comments, Codeward executes real tests inside isolated Firecracker microVMs before opening a fix. Only verified, non-breaking code reaches your repository (86.3% merge acceptance rate).

The short version

Use Qlty (the Code Climate successor) if you want a lightweight maintainability grader and a free multi-language linter CLI with 70+ bundled tools. Use Codeward if you want AI agents, sandbox execution, security and compliance checks and merge gating in addition to maintainability tracking.

Codeward vs Code Climate (now Qlty): feature comparison

Feature Code Climate (now Qlty) Codeward
Maintainability grading✔ core strength✔ health score
Duplication and complexity✔✔ AST-based
Test coverage in PRs✔✕ not a focus; flaky-test reruns instead
Free CLI that runs locally✔ Qlty CLI, 70+ linters✕ (VS Code extension on roadmap)
AI PR reviewLimited✔
Security scanningVia plugins (Trivy, osv-scanner)✔ native, 18 checks
Sandbox execution✕✔
AI-generated fixes✕✔ verified diffs
Compliance checks✕✔
Product momentumQlty is new (since Dec 2024); Velocity sunsetActive development
Self-host / open sourceCLI open; cloud proprietary✔ full platform

Honest take

If you only ever wanted grades and coverage in PRs, Qlty is the nearest like-for-like migration from Code Climate, built by the same founding team, and its CLI is free for commercial use.

Codeward is a larger step: it reasons about code, runs it and proposes tested fixes. Choose it if grading alone has not reduced your debt.

Pricing

Qlty: CLI free; Qlty Cloud has a free tier and paid plans (check qlty.sh for current limits). Codeward: open source; cloud pricing at codeward.cloud.

Frequently asked questions

Is Code Climate shut down?

Code Climate Quality was spun off as Qlty, and Velocity was sunset. Check codeclimate.com and qlty.sh for current service terms.

Can I import my Code Climate config?

Not automatically. Codeward does not read .codeclimate.yml. Qlty provides a migration command for its own format.

Does Codeward give A-F grades?

It provides a repository health score and trends rather than letter grades.

Stop grading. Start fixing.

Try Codeward Free →