---
title: "Best Open Source Code Climate (now Qlty) Alternative (2026) | Codeward.cloud vs Code Climate (now Qlty)"
description: "Looking for the best open-source Code Climate (now Qlty) alternative? Compare Codeward vs Code Climate (now Qlty). Autonomous AI code reviews, isolated sandbox execution, 100+ debt checks, and auto-fixing commits."
canonical: https://codeward.cloud/compare/code-climate
human_url: https://codeward.cloud/compare/code-climate
markdown_url: https://codeward.cloud/compare/code-climate.md
agents_url: https://codeward.cloud/agents.md
llms_url: https://codeward.cloud/llms.txt
updated: 2026-10-27
---

# Codeward vs Code Climate (now Qlty)

> 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.

## 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.

## What Code Climate (now Qlty) does

A-to-F maintainability grades, duplication and complexity, coverage tracking, a free CLI, quality gates.

## What Codeward does

Maintainability is one of eight analyzers. Adds security, runtime, AI-era and compliance checks.

## 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 review | Limited | ✔ |
| Security scanning | Via plugins (Trivy, osv-scanner) | ✔ native, 18 checks |
| Sandbox execution | ✕ | ✔ |
| AI-generated fixes | ✕ | ✔ verified diffs |
| Compliance checks | ✕ | ✔ |
| Product momentum | Qlty is new (since Dec 2024); Velocity sunset | Active development |
| Self-host / open source | CLI 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](https://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.

## Bottom line

Stop grading. Start fixing.


## Get started

- Read online: [https://codeward.cloud/compare/code-climate](https://codeward.cloud/compare/code-climate)
- All comparisons: [https://codeward.cloud/alternatives](https://codeward.cloud/alternatives) — machine-readable: [alternatives.md](https://codeward.cloud/alternatives.md)

- Sign up free (5 pull request scans per month): [https://codeward.cloud/signup](https://codeward.cloud/signup)
- Pricing (all plans): [https://codeward.cloud/pricing](https://codeward.cloud/pricing) — machine-readable: [pricing.md](https://codeward.cloud/pricing.md)
- Source code (Apache-2.0): [github.com/kelvinmaina01/codeward-](https://github.com/kelvinmaina01/codeward-)
- Agent-facing overview: [agents.md](https://codeward.cloud/agents.md)
- Full machine-readable index: [llms.txt](https://codeward.cloud/llms.txt)