Diffwise vs Sourcery
Sourcery is aI code reviewer grown out of a Python refactoring engine, posting instant PR reviews with refactoring-oriented suggestions on GitHub and GitLab. Diffwise takes a different approach: a team of 40+ specialist AI agents (security, performance, conventions, language-specific) reviews every pull request in parallel, classifies findings as Fixed, Still Open, or New on each push, and tracks anti-patterns across your entire organization.
The short version: pick Diffwise for specialist multi-agent review, cross-repo intelligence, and flat-rate pricing that does not grow with headcount. Pick Sourcery if you're a Python-heavy team that values refactoring suggestions above multi-domain review coverage.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Diffwise | Sourcery |
|---|---|---|
| Review architecture | 40+ specialist agents in parallel (security, performance, conventions, language-specific) | Single reviewer + Python refactoring rule engine |
| Incremental re-review | Every push: findings classified Fixed / Still Open / New, old comments collapsed | Reviews new pushes; no finding-state tracking |
| Cross-repo intelligence | Anti-pattern tracking across all repos, hot file analysis, resolution velocity | Repo analytics on Team plan; no cross-repo patterns |
| Custom rules | Custom Agent Builder + .diffwise.yml config-as-code | .sourcery.yaml guidelines |
| Pricing model | Flat-rate: $19/mo managed or $9/mo BYOK (OpenRouter) — not per-seat | Per-seat: $12-24/seat/mo |
| Free tier (private repos) | 50 reviews/mo, 3 repos, free forever, no credit card | None (public repos only) |
| Code storage | Zero — diff processed in memory, discarded after review | Vendor-managed |
| Platforms | GitHub | GitHub, GitLab |
Where Sourcery shines
- Cheapest paid entry point ($12/seat/mo)
- Deep Python expertise; solid JS/TS
- Refactoring suggestions, not just bug flags
- Free Pro-level reviews for open source
Where Sourcery falls short
- Overzealous style/refactoring suggestions until tuned
- Strongest in Python and JS/TS; other languages shallower
- No free tier for private repos
- GitHub and GitLab only
Why teams choose Diffwise
- Specialists, not a generalist. 40+ agents each scoped to one concern: a security agent hunting injection and auth bypass, a performance agent hunting N+1 queries, language agents that activate per file type.
- Re-reviews that respect your time. On every push, findings are classified Fixed, Still Open, or New. No re-reading walls of repeated comments.
- Cross-repo intelligence. Anti-patterns tracked across your whole org, hot file analysis, and resolution velocity metrics in one dashboard.
- Flat pricing. $19/mo managed or $9/mo BYOK, whether you have 3 engineers or 30. Free tier: 50 reviews/month, 3 repos, no credit card.
- Zero code storage. The diff is processed in memory and discarded.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between Diffwise and Sourcery?
Diffwise reviews every pull request with 40+ specialist agents running in parallel and tracks anti-patterns across all your repositories, with flat-rate pricing ($19/mo managed, $9/mo BYOK). Sourcery: AI code reviewer grown out of a Python refactoring engine, posting instant PR reviews with refactoring-oriented suggestions on GitHub and GitLab.
Is Diffwise cheaper than Sourcery?
Diffwise is flat-rate ($19/mo managed or $9/mo with your own OpenRouter key) regardless of team size, with a free tier of 50 reviews/month on 3 repos. Sourcery pricing: Free for public repos; Pro from $12/seat/mo; Team $24/seat/mo with security scanning; no free plan for private repos.
When is Sourcery the better choice?
You're a Python-heavy team that values refactoring suggestions above multi-domain review coverage.
Does Diffwise store my code?
No. Diffwise processes the diff in memory and discards it after the review. Zero bytes of code are persisted; only findings are stored for tracking.