Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide vs Prettier
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A widely used style guide with rules and ESLint configs for writing consistent JavaScript.
Open source · MIT
An opinionated code formatter that rewrites your code in one consistent style.
Our verdict
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide is a written set of rules about how JavaScript should be written, from naming to modern syntax, with optional ESLint configs that check many of them automatically. Prettier is a tool that automatically reformats your code into one fixed layout, covering spacing and line breaks rather than naming or language patterns. They solve different problems, so they are not really rivals; many teams could reasonably use both, with the guide setting conventions and Prettier handling formatting.
Pick Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide if you want a documented set of JavaScript conventions and examples to share with your team or learn from.
Pick Prettier if you want code formatting handled automatically on save or in commit checks so nobody argues about spacing and line breaks.
| Key difference | Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide | Prettier |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A written style guide with rules, examples, and explanations | A code formatter that rewrites code in one fixed style |
| Main goal | Shared JavaScript conventions, including naming and modern syntax | Consistent layout, including spacing and line wrapping |
| Setup | Beginner-level; enforcement requires adding ESLint configs | Beginner-level; install with a package manager |
| Customisation | Opinionated; some rules are subjective and debatable | Opinionated with limited options for individual formatting choices |
| Language scope | JavaScript only; CSS, React, and Ruby have separate guides | Supports JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, JSON, Markdown, YAML and more |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide if you need…
- Teams that want one shared JavaScript style without debating every rule
- Developers who want a documented set of modern JavaScript conventions
- Projects that already use ESLint and want a ready-made rule set
- Developers learning ES2015+ syntax who want clear examples
Choose Prettier if you need…
- Teams that want one shared code style without writing their own rules
- Developers who want formatting handled automatically on save
- Projects that use JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, or Markdown
- Setups that run formatting in a pre-commit hook or CI check
Side-by-side
| Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide | Prettier | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Learning resource | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 148k | 52.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | See the README | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 7 months ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide
This is a written style guide for JavaScript, covering how to name things, format code, and use modern language features. Each rule is paired with examples of 'bad' and 'good' code and often a short explanation of why. The README also points to ESLint configs (eslint-config-airbnb and eslint-config-airbnb-base) that automatically enforce many of these rules in a project.
Prettier
Prettier reads your source code, parses it, and reprints it using its own fixed formatting rules, wrapping lines when they exceed a maximum length. It supports many languages, including JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, JSON, Markdown, and YAML. Teams use it so everyone's code looks the same and code reviews don't turn into debates about spacing and line breaks.
Best for
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide
- Teams that want one shared JavaScript style without debating every rule
- Developers who want a documented set of modern JavaScript conventions
- Projects that already use ESLint and want a ready-made rule set
- Developers learning ES2015+ syntax who want clear examples
Prettier
- Teams that want one shared code style without writing their own rules
- Developers who want formatting handled automatically on save
- Projects that use JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, or Markdown
- Setups that run formatting in a pre-commit hook or CI check
Strengths
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide
- Widely adopted, with rules that are explained with examples
- Maps many rules to specific ESLint rules, so enforcement can be automated
- Covers a broad range of topics, from types and naming to testing and performance
Prettier
- Removes formatting debates from code review by applying one consistent style
- Supports many languages in one tool, as listed in the README
- Widely used, with an active repository and a recent release (3.9.10)
Not ideal for
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide
- Projects that already follow a different established style and do not want to change, since adopting it means many edits
- Developers who need a guide for CSS, React, or Ruby specifically, since those are separate guides linked from the README
- Teams targeting environments where the README's Babel and polyfill assumptions do not hold, since the guide assumes those tools are in use
Prettier
- People who want to customize every formatting detail, since Prettier is opinionated and offers limited options (the README links to an Options page, which was not reviewed here)
- Projects in languages not listed in the README, unless a plugin exists for them
Trade-offs
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide
- It is opinionated; some rules are subjective and not every team will agree with them
- The README assumes Babel and polyfill tooling, which adds setup for projects that do not use them
- The README excerpt provided is truncated, so the full scope of later sections could not be verified here
Prettier
- Its opinionated style means limited control over individual formatting choices
- Teams with an established, different style may need to reformat existing code, which creates large diffs
Getting started
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide
Get started on the Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide websiteStep-by-step guide: how to use Airbnb JavaScript Style GuidePrettier
Install with npm (from the project's install docs; README excerpt does not include the command)
git clone https://github.com/prettier/prettierFrequently asked questions
Should I use Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide or Prettier?
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide is a written set of rules about how JavaScript should be written, from naming to modern syntax, with optional ESLint configs that check many of them automatically. Prettier is a tool that automatically reformats your code into one fixed layout, covering spacing and line breaks rather than naming or language patterns. They solve different problems, so they are not really rivals; many teams could reasonably use both, with the guide setting conventions and Prettier handling formatting. Pick Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide if you want a documented set of JavaScript conventions and examples to share with your team or learn from. Pick Prettier if you want code formatting handled automatically on save or in commit checks so nobody argues about spacing and line breaks.
What is the difference between Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide and Prettier?
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide: A widely used style guide with rules and ESLint configs for writing consistent JavaScript. Prettier: An opinionated code formatter that rewrites your code in one consistent style. Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide suits teams that want one shared javascript style without debating every rule, while Prettier suits teams that want one shared code style without writing their own rules.
Are Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide and Prettier free?
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide: Free and open source. Prettier: Free and open source.
Is Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide or Prettier more popular?
Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide has more GitHub stars (148k) than Prettier (52.4k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide and Prettier?
Other options people compare them with include ESLint, PostCSS, esbuild, Mitosis, Madge.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.