Sourcery - Claude code alternative

Sourcery provides automated code reviews for GitHub repositories through AI-powered analysis. The system reviews any pull request on any GitHub repository to provide instant feedback on proposed changes. It focuses on automated code reviews designed for security and speed. Solo developers benefit from immediate code quality feedback without waiting for human reviewers.

Strengths

• Provides instant feedback with summaries, high-level analysis, and line-by-line suggestions
• Completely free for open source projects and public repositories
• Integrates directly with VS Code for real-time code reviews in your IDE
• Catches security checks, logic errors and edge cases before they create rework
• Offers repository-level customization options for review processes
• Automatically detects code duplication opportunities and suggests refactoring

Weaknesses

• Limited to code review functionality rather than full code generation
• Requires paid subscription for private repositories ($12/developer/month)
• Primarily focused on GitHub integration with limited platform support
• Unknown support for languages beyond common programming languages

Best for

• Solo developers working on open source projects needing automated code review
• Teams wanting faster merge cycles with automated security and quality checks

Pricing plans

• Open Source — Free — Unlimited usage for public repositories
• Pro — $12/developer/month or $120/developer/year — Unlimited GitHub repositories, IDE integration
• Free Trial — 14 days free for private repositories — All Pro features during trial period

Tech details

• Type: AI-powered automated code review service
• IDEs: VS Code, JetBrains IDEs
• Key features: Pull request analysis, line-by-line suggestions, change summaries, repository-level customization
• Privacy / hosting: Cloud-based service, emphasizes code security and privacy
• Models / context window: Unknown AI models, context size not specified

When to choose this over Claude code

• You need automated pull request reviews integrated with GitHub workflow
• Your primary focus is code quality assurance rather than code generation
• You work primarily with open source projects requiring free tooling

When Claude code may be a better fit

• You need comprehensive code generation and development assistance beyond reviews
• You require multi-platform support beyond GitHub integration
• You want interactive coding assistance throughout development process

Conclusion

Sourcery addresses the challenge of traditional code reviews not keeping up with AI-accelerated development. It serves as a specialized Claude code alternative for developers prioritizing automated quality assurance over code generation. The platform enables shorter review cycles, fewer blockers, and faster merges. Best suited for GitHub-centric workflows requiring consistent code quality enforcement.

Sources

• Official site
• Docs
• Pricing

FAQ

Q: Is Sourcery completely free for open source projects? A: Yes, Sourcery is free to use for open source projects and offers unlimited usage for public repositories.

Q: What IDEs does Sourcery support? A: Sourcery supports VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, with a dedicated VS Code extension available.

Q: How much does Sourcery cost for private repositories? A: Sourcery Pro costs $12/developer/month or $120/developer/year for private repositories, with a 14-day free trial available.

Q: What type of feedback does Sourcery provide? A: Every review includes a summary of changes, high-level feedback, and line-by-line suggestions where relevant.

Q: Can I customize Sourcery's review process? A: Yes, you can add specific repository-level instructions for code reviews to customize the review process for specific repositories.

Q: Does Sourcery work with platforms other than GitHub? A: Based on available information, Sourcery primarily focuses on GitHub integration as a GitHub bot, with limited information about other platform support.