Coverity Scan vs Infer: What are the differences?

1. Static Analysis Approach: Coverity Scan uses a static analysis technique that focuses on identifying defects through code analysis, while Infer uses a formal verification approach that checks for null pointer dereference, resource leaks, and concurrency issues.
2. Support for Programming Languages: Coverity Scan supports a wide range of programming languages such as C, C++, Java, and C#, while Infer is mainly focused on analyzing programs written in C, Java, and Objective-C.
3. Tool Integration: Coverity Scan integrates seamlessly with various build systems and development environments, making it easier to incorporate into existing development workflows, whereas Infer requires more manual effort in setting up and integrating with the development environment.
4. Customizability: Coverity Scan is known for its comprehensive set of customizable rules and configurations that developers can use to tailor the analysis to their specific needs, while Infer provides fewer customization options but focuses on deep analysis of specific types of defects.
5. Scalability: Coverity Scan is suitable for large-scale projects with complex codebases due to its ability to handle extensive code analysis, whereas Infer is more lightweight and suitable for smaller projects or specific modules within larger codebases.
6. Community Support: Coverity Scan has a larger user community and more extensive documentation available, making it easier to find resources and solutions to common issues, while Infer has a smaller but dedicated user base with focused support for specific types of defects.

In Summary, Coverity Scan and Infer differ in their static analysis approach, language support, tool integration, customizability, scalability, and community support.