Black
The uncompromising code formatter
41.4k GitHub stars
Black vs Ruff
Black and Ruff are often used together, but teams still ask whether one can replace parts of the other. The answer depends on whether you need only formatting or a broader lint-and-fix pipeline.
Quick Comparison
Ruff
An extremely fast Python linter and code formatter, written in Rust
46.1k GitHub stars
Scope
Black focuses on code formatting with minimal configuration.
Ruff includes linting rules and can also handle formatting, reducing toolchain size for some teams.
Team Adoption
Black has long-standing adoption and predictable style output.
Ruff adoption is accelerating because of speed and consolidation of lint tooling.
Verdict
Use Black for stable opinionated formatting. Use Ruff for very fast linting and auto-fixes. Many teams run both.
FAQ
Can Ruff replace Black?
Ruff can format code, but some teams keep Black for established style consistency while using Ruff for linting and fixes.
Should I run both Black and Ruff?
Running both is common: Ruff for linting and autofixes, Black for deterministic formatting in mature codebases.