Whether it’s due to the pressure to meet sprint deadlines, temporary fixes to address urgent issues, technological constraints like legacy systems, or just a lack of expertise, technical debt finds multiple ways to accumulate in your codebase.
Short-term fixes and workarounds can help you solve immediate challenges, but they tend to lead to difficulties in the long run—slower development, bugs, and major security vulnerabilities.
That’s why software teams must create a system to manage their growing technical debt. The most convenient way to do so is by using technical debt tools such as code editors and AI coding tools.
In this blog, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best technical debt management tools on the market. Get to know their standout features and how they can help you maintain the standard of your code.
The Top 10 Technical Debt Tools to Manage and Track Tech Debt in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in Technical Debt Tools?
When considering a technical debt management tool for your organization, it’s important to ensure it aligns with your development team’s goals, syncs with your existing software development tools, and is compatible with your current workflows and processes.
Here are some characteristics to evaluate so you can make a well-rounded decision:
- Comprehensive code analysis: Ensure the tool offers robust code analysis capabilities such as code smells, duplication, and complexity so you can track technical debt effectively
- Language support: Verify that the technical debt tool supports the programming languages and platforms you use
- Visualization and reporting: Check if your tool offers visualization capabilities, such as interactive dashboards, velocity charts, and more, to help you track and analyze technical debt metrics over time
- Integrations: Look for tools that integrate seamlessly with your existing DevOps tools, version control systems, workflow automation software, project management tools, and more
- Security analysis: In addition to analyzing your code’s quality, check if the technical debt tool tests the code for security vulnerabilities and compliance issues so you can address those on time
- Data privacy and security: Ensure the tool adheres to data privacy regulations and industry standards for handling sensitive code and project information. It should have features such as role-based access control and data encryption
More than anything, pick a technical debt tool that matches your team’s preferences, increases developer productivity, and enables them to maintain code quality.
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Technical Debt Tools
There’s no shortage of technical debt tools in the market. But not all of them will work for every use case. This list analyzes the 10 best tools for your development team to track and measure code efficiency.
We’ve picked these tools after multiple rounds of testing and feedback, so you don’t have to do it from scratch. Let’s go!
1. ClickUp
ClickUp is a productivity and workspace management platform that can help software teams plan their sprints, manage requirements, and streamline bug-tracking from a single console.
Now, ClickUp may not be a dedicated technical debt management tool, but its customizable software development templates, project management capabilities, and AI-powered code analyzing features are a godsend for software teams to track and manage technical debt efficiently.
Development teams can start by duplicating and customizing the ClickUp Technical Debt Register Template. This ready-to-use project template enables developers to register and track their technical debt using agile methodologies and frameworks.
Here’s how to use the template (in five simple steps):
- Sign up to ClickUp (if you haven’t already) and create a Workspace for your org. Then, create a Space for your software team
- Within the Space, create a separate project to manage all your technical debt issues and findings
- Set up a Priority Board and classify debts based on their priority so you know when to pick which debt
- Use the Kanban Board to get a bird’s-eye-view of all your technical debts and their status
- Register new technical debt findings as tasks and add context like justification, severity level, and more
You can create individual documents for each technical debt finding in ClickUp Docs and add the relevant link to that task to facilitate transparency and collaboration within your teams.
Technical leads can also create a master document outlining the basic guidelines for managing technical debt in their organization. This can standardize the process, especially when organizations have multiple development teams.
A particularly useful feature for code quality checks is ClickUp Brain. A generative AI tool, ClickUp Brain can help developers analyze code for bugs, get suggestions to refactor code, brainstorm code suggestions, and more.
Teams can also automate status updates, summarize documents and projects, and find important information via the tool. This makes it a great virtual assistant for developers looking to improve their productivity and efficiency.
ClickUp best features
- Register technical debt: Streamline the process of logging technical debt items by adding them to a separate project in ClickUp or using tags and labels
- Monitor historical debt trends: Visualize your overall technical debt and track trends to measure your technical debt ratio over time
- Document your processes: Manage all documentation related to your technical debt, including legacy code, plans for restructuring your architecture, and more
- Brainstorm with AI: Use ClickUp Brain’s GenAI capabilities to analyze your code or find solutions to your coding challenges
- Integrate with code analysis tools: While ClickUp doesn’t offer built-in code analysis, it can integrate with code analysis tools. So you can import technical debt issues directly into ClickUp tasks for better tracking
ClickUp limitations
- ClickUp Brain is available only on the paid plans
- Some users have reported a somewhat steep learning curve
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
- ClickUp Brain is available on all paid plans for $5 per member per Workspace per month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,100+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4000+ reviews)
2. CodeScene
CodeScene is a code analysis and visualization tool that checks the quality of your code and correlates its health to other factors such as code type, authors, and projects. This gives users insight into your team’s behavioral patterns and how they influence your code.
For example, you can learn about your team’s strengths, such as their technical knowledge or system expertise, and whether you need to allocate different resources to a project to improve your code health.
CodeScene also offers insights into your codebase’s overall ‘architectural health.’ This includes metrics such as code coupling and cohesion to help identify potential design flaws that contribute to technical debt.
CodeScene best features
- Understand your code health by individual coder, team, or project and get insight into your team’s dynamics
- Automate code reviews with pre-defined quality checks to reduce development time
- Refactor legacy code and address technical debt easily with AI-powered code refactoring tools
CodeScene limitations
- Users report a steep learning curve that’s exacerbated by a less-than-intuitive UX experience
- CodeScene’s emphasis on developer interaction with code might not directly address all technical debt issues
CodeScene pricing
- Standard: €20/month per active author
- Pro: €30/month per active author
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
CodeScene ratings and reviews
- G2: Not available
- Capterra: Not available
3. Perforce
Perforce is an all-in-one DevOps platform that enables development teams to manage everything from version control and code reviews to requirements management and agile project management.
Designed for large-scale enterprise software companies, Perforce includes key solutions such as application lifecycle management, static code analysis, and IT infrastructure automation, to name a few.
Developers can also log their technical debt and track the status of various issues on Perforce using its agile project management tool. This combination of developer productivity and operation management features makes Perforce a great tool for large enterprises managing complex software projects.
Perforce best features
- Create isolated branches of code for experimentations and refactoring purposes and safeguard your codebase
- Visualize your technical debt management process and add more context using Gliffy, Perforce’s diagramming tool
- Streamline all operation strategies and processes (new feature development, risk assessment, testing, and debugging) from one console
- Understand and address historical technical debt using Perforce’s version control history and merge capabilities
- Perform a variety of testing activities such as biometric, continuous, and geological scans to catch issues early
Perforce limitations
- It can be slow and sluggish when running complex code scans
- Some users report a steep learning curve due to a lack of sufficient training and resources
- Can prove expensive for small- and medium-sized organizations
Perforce pricing
- Custom pricing
Perforce ratings and reviews
- G2: Not available
- Capterra: Not available
4. Stepsize AI
Stepsize AI is a generative AI tool that helps development teams track and manage technical debt more efficiently. Unlike other code analysis tools, Stepsize AI is a ‘’tracker’ that helps developers list technical debt across a project’s lifecycle and address it in each project.
Stepsize AI is known for its artificial intelligence capabilities, such as generating contextual reports and automated project-level summaries of technical debt. It can also help engineers measure technical debt based on effort and impact so they can prioritize better.
Stepsize AI’s best features
- Get project-level insights and commentary on your data flow, technical debt, and issue-tracking
- Generate automated updates regarding your technical debt and latest issues using AI
- Add in-line annotations to your code to add context and manage technical debt issues right from your code editor
- Integrate with all popular code editors and issue trackers to sync your technical debt across all platforms
Stepsize AI limitations
- Supports only a limited set of programming languages
- You’ll have to integrate Stepsize AI with other code analysis tools for in-depth code quality testing and vulnerability scanning
- Some users report that integrating Stepsize AI with other tools can be complex
Stepsize AI pricing
- Team: $29/month per Jira board or Linear Team
- Tailored setup: $29/month per Jira board or Linear Team
Stepsize AI ratings and reviews
- G2: Not available
- Capterra: Not available
5. Sonarqube
SonarQube is an open-source alternative to commercial code testing and analysis tools. It supports more than 30 programming languages and offers a variety of code analysis and quality management solutions for software development teams.
Key features include custom code analysis, measuring technical debt via in-depth code health metrics (complexity score, duplications, and more), and even a secret detection tool to prevent security breaches.
SonarQube also has a vibrant developer community and over 50 plugins to help developers get answers to their questions and become more efficient.
Sonarqube AI best features
- Use the static application security testing (SAST) engine to run static code analysis and flag potential issues
- Receive precise feedback and actionable insights based on your programming language and development style
- Automatically fail pipelines that don’t match your pre-defined code guidelines or formatting
- Catch and fix issues early in the development cycle by integrating SonarQube with your integrated development environment (IDE) and continuous delivery (CD) pipelines
Sonarqube AI limitations
- Sonarqube has been reported to generate false positive issue reports in some cases
- Setting up SonarQube for large development teams can be a high-effort and time-consuming process
- Limited reporting features when compared to similar technical debt tools
Sonarqube AI pricing
- Free
- Sonar Cloud: Starts at $11.81 for 100 thousand lines of code (billed monthly)
- Developer: Starts at $160 for 100 thousand lines of code (billed annually)
- Enterprise: Starts at $21,600 for 1 million lines of code (billed annually)
- Data Center: Starts at $136,600 for 20 million lines of code (billed annually)
Sonarqube AI ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (60+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (50+ reviews)
6. CAST Highlight
CAST Highlight is a software intelligence tool that provides development teams with a comprehensive overview of a codebase’s health and any potential roadblocks that may arise.
Its key features include a central console to monitor the status of all your apps, a vulnerability checker to run automated code scans and flag issues, and customizable dashboards to provide in-depth insights into your code’s performance.
A particularly unique feature of CAST Highlight is its sustainability analytics. With data like green impact scores, CO2 emission estimates, and green deficiencies, you can lower your software’s environmental footprint and become more energy- and cost-efficient.
CAST Highlight best features
- Identify weaknesses within open-source libraries used in your code and analyze their potential risk on your applications
- Personalize dashboards with key metrics and get a clear picture of your software portfolio’s health over time
- Automatically segment and prioritize applications for cloud migration based on business impact and technical considerations
- Pinpoint ‘green deficiencies’ in your code, such as lowering your CO2 emissions or being more energy-efficient
CAST Highlight limitations
- Not suitable for small- and mid-sized companies
- Some users report a ‘data overload’ due to the constant alerts and notifications
CAST Highlight pricing
- Complete: Starts at $39,000 for 25 apps (billed annually)
- Cloud: Starts at $27,000 for 25 apps (billed annually)
- SCA: Starts at $28,000 for 25 apps (billed annually)
- Green: Starts at $11,000 for 25 apps (billed annually)
CAST Highlight ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (70+ reviews)
- Capterra: Not available
7. ReSharper
ReSharper by JetBrains is a popular code analysis extension for .NET developers. It is primarily used within Microsoft Visual Studio and features advanced code analysis and refactoring capabilities, streamlined code navigation, intelligent code completion, and more.
ReSharper also elevates the IntelliSense (Visual Studio’s built-in code completion tool) experience for .NET developers by giving them additional features like context-based code suggestions and automatic import suggestions.
ReSharper best features
- Restructure code with built-in refactoring options and improve your code’s organization and readability
- Run code inspections and fix potential issues with automated quick-fix suggestions by ReSharper
- Set up language-specific code formatting guidelines and standardize your codebase
- Use code generation actions to generate properties and overloads and create boilerplate code
ReSharper limitations
- ReSharper is designed for the .NET ecosystem and doesn’t support other development systems
- Running complex code analysis can slow down your system
- Some users have reported a learning curve
ReSharper pricing
- Free: ReSharper is free for students, teachers, and communities
- Organizations: Starts at $34.90/month per user
- Individuals: Starts at $13.90/month per user
ReSharper ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: Not available
8. Checkstyle
Checkstyle, introduced in the early 2000s, is an open-source code formatting and static code analysis tool for Java projects. It can help developers establish a uniform coding style across projects by adding naming conventions, blank spaces, and more.
You can integrate Checkstyle with your CI/CD pipelines and automate your code reviews to ensure all code follows pre-defined rules and guidelines. This proves particularly beneficial for open-source projects with diverse contributors or small Java teams requiring a free and simple formatting checker.
Checkstyle best features
- Standardize your codebase’s formatting to ensure easy readability
- Create custom rules to flag formatting issues specific to your organization
- Integrate with IDEs and get real-time alerts on any code formatting violations
Checkstyle limitations
- Checkstyle supports only Java
- It offers only basic code quality checks
Checkstyle pricing
- Free to use
Checkstyle ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (21 reviews)
- Capterra: Not available
9. Mend.io
Mend aims to streamline application security by automating processes and providing developers with the tools they need to write secure code. As an enterprise-grade AppSec tool for development and security teams, Mend has unique but complementary tools for both functions.
It offers a suite of tools that address various aspects of application security, specifically focusing on automating tasks and reducing the burden on development teams. Some key features include custom code analysis, automated open-source risk identification, and early vulnerability detection.
Mend.io best features
- Increase development speed and code quality by scanning your code and addressing debt issues in real-time
- Consolidate data flows, merge-common issues, and address multiple vulnerabilities through a single change in code
- Get clear, actionable steps on how you can fix issues and prevent similar ones in the future
- Initiate periodic, automated security checks throughout your development lifecycle to catch vulnerabilities early and avoid compliance issues
Mend.io limitations
- Mend.io might not be suitable for smaller companies as it only offers annual plans meant for a minimum of 25 developers
- Limited customization options when compared to other similar tools
Mend.io pricing
- Mend Renovate: Starts at $25,000 per year for 100 developers
- Mend SCA: Starts at $18,000 per year for 25 developers
- Mend Container: Starts at $15,000 per year for 100 developers
- Mend SAST: Starts at $18,000 per year for 25 developers
Mend.io ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (100+ reviews)
- Capterra: Not available
10. Teamscale
Teamscale by CQSE is a software quality management platform created in 2010 by researchers at the Technical University of Munich.
The tool is now known for its automated code analysis capabilities, such as continuous inspection, customizable quality profiles, and security analysis features.
Other key features of Teamscale include its wide range of programming languages and frameworks and extensive reports and dashboards to monitor and manage technical debt ratio and code quality trends.
It also integrates with popular issue-tracking and product backlog systems such as Jira and GitHub, which enable collaboration across multiple teams.
Teamscale best features
- Analyze data from different sources like code repositories, bug trackers, and even requirement management tools
- Highlight untested areas of code and run periodic quality assurance tests on your code
- Get in-depth data and metrics on your code’s quality, analyze security issues, and test your software’s architecture
- Integrate Teamscale with your collaboration, code management, and bug-tracking tools to unify your data
Teamscale limitations
- Teamscale doesn’t offer a free plan or a free trial for users
- No artificial intelligence capabilities are currently available
Teamscale pricing
- Pay-as-you-go: Starts at €110 per user for five users, per month
Teamscale ratings and reviews
- G2: Not available
- Capterra: Not available
Summarize this article for me pleaseAnalyze Code and Reduce Technical Debt with ClickUp
Tech debt management in your codebase offers a host of benefits: you can improve your development team’s speed and enhance your code’s security. And it’s easy to do so by using nifty technical debt tools.
You may use any of the tools we listed in this blog, and they’re sure to be helpful to your software development team.
We, however, suggest you try ClickUp to start managing technical debt.
An all-in-one workspace management solution, ClickUp comes with built-in tools for project management, document creation, and team communication. This makes it a great tool for tracking technical debt and creating documentation explaining API constraints, business inconsistencies, and more.
Your teams can also collaborate across the aisle directly within the ClickUp platform using various built-in communication and collaboration tools, such as ClickUp Whiteboards, Clips, Chat view, and more.
Why not give ClickUp a try? Sign up for free and explore how ClickUp can help refine your codebase and increase developer productivity.
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