Comparing jsBeautifier vs. Other JavaScript FormattersJavaScript formatters help maintain readable, consistent code by automatically applying styling rules. This article compares jsBeautifier with several popular JavaScript formatters — Prettier, ESLint (with –fix), js-beautify (jsBeautifier’s package), and Beautify tools built into editors — to help you choose the right tool for your project.
What is jsBeautifier?
jsBeautifier (often distributed as the npm package js-beautify) is a code formatter that focuses on making JavaScript (and related languages like HTML and CSS) more readable by adjusting indentation, spacing, and simple structural formatting. It provides a range of configuration options for indentation size, brace style, maximum preserved newlines, and other whitespace-related rules. It’s lightweight, fast, and easy to integrate into build scripts or run as a CLI tool.
What the other formatters do
- Prettier: An opinionated formatter that enforces a consistent style with minimal configuration. It formats JavaScript (including modern JS, JSX, TypeScript) and many other file types. Prettier intentionally limits options to avoid style debates.
- ESLint (with –fix): Primarily a linter for identifying code quality and correctness issues; when run with –fix it can auto-correct certain stylistic and semantic issues. ESLint is highly configurable and supports custom rules/plugins.
- Editor Built-in Beautifiers: Many editors (VS Code, WebStorm) include formatting features or integrate formatters. Their behavior depends on the engine used (often Prettier, built-in heuristics, or js-beautify).
- Other Beautifiers (e.g., js-beautify forks / online tools): Variants or forks of js-beautify or web-based formatters that offer similar features with minor differences in options and defaults.
Key comparison criteria
- Configuration flexibility
- Opinionation and consistency
- Language & syntax support (modern JS, TypeScript, JSX)
- Integration (editors, CI, pre-commit hooks)
- Speed and footprint
- Ability to enforce style across teams
- Handling of complex/edge-case syntax
- Ecosystem (plugins, community, maintenance)
Configuration flexibility
jsBeautifier: Offers fine-grained control over many whitespace and indentation options — brace styles, indent sizes, newline preservation, space-in-parens, etc. Good when you want to match a specific existing style.
Prettier: Very few options (line length, tabs vs spaces, semicolons, quotes in some cases). This minimalism is deliberate: it reduces bikeshedding.
ESLint: Extremely flexible through rules. Can be used to enforce almost any style, but requires rule configuration and sometimes plugins.
Editor built-ins / others: Vary widely; many simply wrap Prettier or jsBeautify.
Opinionation vs. configurability
- jsBeautifier is less opinionated than Prettier — it allows you to shape many style aspects.
- Prettier is highly opinionated; it aims for a single consistent output across teams.
- ESLint sits between: it can be strict if configured, but that requires explicit rule choices.
Language & modern syntax support
- Prettier: Strong support for modern JavaScript, JSX, TypeScript, Flow, and many other formats, keeping up with new syntax.
- jsBeautifier: Works well for standard JS and older syntaxes; support for newer syntax (e.g., complex TypeScript types, new proposal syntax) can lag behind Prettier.
- ESLint: Supports modern syntax parsing via parsers (espree, babel-eslint/@babel/eslint-parser, @typescript-eslint/parser) and can fix many issues. Fixes depend on rule coverage.
- Editor tools: depend on the underlying engine.
Integration and workflow
- All tools can be integrated with editors, CI pipelines, and pre-commit hooks.
- Prettier has first-class editor plugins and is widely adopted in modern workflows; automatic formatting on save is common.
- jsBeautifier also has editor integrations and CLI use; it’s often used in legacy projects or where fine control is needed.
- ESLint is commonly combined with Prettier: Prettier handles formatting while ESLint enforces code quality, with plugins resolving overlaps.
Speed and footprint
- jsBeautifier: Lightweight and fast for most file sizes; small footprint.
- Prettier: Fast and optimized; slightly larger dependency surface but still performant.
- ESLint: Heavier due to rule evaluation; –fix can be slower depending on the number of rules and plugins.
Enforcing style across teams
- Prettier’s opinionated approach simplifies team agreement: fewer decisions to make.
- jsBeautifier requires a documented configuration file shared across the team; it’s flexible but requires upkeep.
- ESLint gives granular enforcement and can catch quality issues beyond style.
Handling edge cases & complex JSX/TS
- Prettier tends to produce the most consistent results with complex JSX/TS constructs because it’s updated frequently to handle modern syntax.
- jsBeautifier may struggle or produce less-expected outputs on very modern constructs or when code uses less common syntactic forms.
- ESLint fixes are rule-dependent and might not reformat complex structures in the same comprehensive way as a dedicated formatter.
Ecosystem and maintenance
- Prettier: Large community, frequent updates, many integrations and plugins.
- jsBeautifier (js-beautify): Stable, maintained, smaller community; ideal for legacy codebases and simple formatting needs.
- ESLint: Large ecosystem for linting and fixers; active maintenance.
When to choose jsBeautifier
- You need granular control over whitespace/brace style.
- You’re working with legacy code or want to preserve an existing, specific formatting style.
- You prefer a lightweight tool with straightforward CLI usage.
When to choose Prettier
- You want zero-configuration consistency across projects and teams.
- Your project uses modern JavaScript/TypeScript/JSX heavily.
- You prefer a widely-adopted tool with strong editor support.
When to choose ESLint (–fix) or combine tools
- You need to enforce code-quality rules in addition to style.
- Use Prettier for formatting and ESLint for linting; configure them to avoid conflicts (eslint-config-prettier, eslint-plugin-prettier if desired).
Example workflow recommendations
- New projects (modern JS/TS, team environments): Use Prettier for formatting + ESLint for linting.
- Legacy projects requiring specific style: Use jsBeautifier with a checked-in config and CI checks.
- Large teams wanting both formatting and linting: Prettier + ESLint (with Prettier integration).
Quick comparison table
| Feature / Concern | jsBeautifier (js-beautify) | Prettier | ESLint (–fix) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opinionated | No | Yes | Configurable |
| Fine-grained options | High | Low | Very high |
| Modern JS/TS/JSX support | Medium | High | Depends on parser |
| Editor integrations | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Speed | Fast | Fast | Variable |
| Best for | Legacy/style-specific projects | Consistent modern apps | Lint + fixes |
Pitfalls and gotchas
- Mixing formatters without coordination causes churny diffs. Use one primary formatter and ensure others are configured to avoid overlapping rules.
- Relying solely on ESLint –fix may leave many stylistic inconsistencies unaddressed.
- jsBeautifier configs must be shared and versioned; otherwise team members will see different outputs.
Conclusion
- jsBeautifier excels when you need detailed control and want a lightweight formatter for legacy or style-specific projects.
- Prettier is best when you want consistent, opinionated formatting with minimal configuration across modern codebases.
- ESLint (with –fix) complements formatters by enforcing code-quality rules and fixing some stylistic issues.
Choose based on your project’s needs: strict consistency with minimal decisions (Prettier), granular control and legacy maintenance (jsBeautifier), or comprehensive linting plus fixes (ESLint + formatter).
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