Azure DevOps Tools
AI Code Reviewer
Amartya Jha
• 08 December 2024
It's 4 PM on Friday and your dev team just pushed a feature update and you are staring at a pull request with 30+ comments just trying to figure out that one conditional statement is a bug or just a coding choice. Sounds like a horror movie?
Code reviews are a pain. They suck most of the time and are necessary. You skip them, then incoming chaos to your dev pipeline. They don't have to be making your life this hard. The problem is not you or your team; it is the tools you are using (or not using).
If you are working with Azure DevOps, you have a solid base. In this blog post, we will show you 5 tools that don't just integrate with Azure DevOps but give some crazy powers that streamline your workflow.
If your team is already using Azure DevOps, then yes, you already have a strong foundation, but let's see what it does well and where it falls behind.
Its native feature does most of the basic code review part in a good way.
Pull Request Workflows: You can create pull requests directly in Azure Repos, making it easy to propose, discuss, and review changes.
Branch Policies: Set up mandatory reviews, linked work items, or build validations to ensure every code merge meets your standards.
Inline Comments: Discuss specific lines of code in context. This feature is perfect for back-and-forth discussions during reviews.
Approval Rules: Define who needs to sign off on changes before they can be merged.
These basic features work best for small teams and with straightforward requirements.
While Azure DevOps' built-in tools are pretty good, they do have some limitations. As your team scales up, you might start to notice some gaps:
Basic Static Analysis: Azure DevOps doesn’t provide deep static code analysis or advanced linting out of the box. This means critical issues like security vulnerabilities or performance problems are not trackable.
Limited Automation: While you can automate builds and tests. Automating complex review processes (like adding coding standards or scanning for vulnerabilities) often requires additional integrations.
Scalability Issues: For large teams with high volumes of pull requests, the native interface can feel clunky.
No advanced metrics, lack of security-focused reviews, and customization constraints. These are some limitations it has and that is why, to solve these problems and make everything simpler, let's see some good Azure DevOps code review tools below.
CodeAnt.ai is a powerful Azure code review tool that integrates smoothly with Azure DevOps. You'll find CodeAnt.ai readily available on the Azure DevOps Marketplace.
After setting up CodeAnt with Azure DevOps it scans pull requests for issues, suggests fixes, and highlights areas that need attention. It can also analyze past commits and pull request history to provide actionable insights.
AI-driven suggestions for code quality and style improvements.
Detects potential bugs early in the development cycle.
Insightful dashboards to track review trends and team productivity.
Supports 30+ programming languages like Python, Java, and JavaScript.
Starts with a 7-day free trial. Paid plans begin at $10/month/user and move up to $15 per user/month for code security and code quality platforms.
Mend.io, formerly WhiteSource, is all about securing your code. It is the best tool for identifying vulnerabilities in open-source dependencies and making sure your project is safe.
Mend.io integrates directly into Azure DevOps repositories and pipelines and scans for vulnerable dependencies whenever you push code.
Automatic open-source dependency scanning.
Real-time alerts for security vulnerabilities.
License compliance monitoring.
Direct fixes and patch suggestions.
Detailed reports are integrated into Azure DevOps dashboards.
Best for teams using a lot of open-source libraries who want to stay secure and compliant.
$1000/developer/year. You get access to Mend Renovate, Mend SCA, Mend Container, Mend SAST, and Mend AI.
Focused on dependency management, so it won’t help much with reviewing actual code logic or structure. Overwhelming interface for beginners.
ReviewBoard is a very lightweight code review tool that simplifies the review process and supports pre-commit reviews.
It works as a standalone platform and integrates with Azure DevOps with extensions. Devs can upload their changes for pre-commit or post-commit reviews and the tool organizes feedback into a clear format.
Pre-commit and post-commit review support.
Easy integration with Git and Azure Repos.
Threaded discussions for collaborative reviews.
Syntax highlighting for various programming languages.
API access for custom workflows.
Teams focused on collaborative discussions and pre-commit reviews.
Free if you want to host it yourself, with premium plans starting at $29/10 user/month and can go up to $499/mo/140 users.
Limited features compared to more advanced review tools. Can require extra setup for Azure DevOps workflows.
It is a unique tool that mixes security reviews into your pull request process. Helping you find vulnerabilities before they have hit production.
Pull Request (the tool) plugs into Azure Repos and works alongside your usual workflows. Every time a pull request is created, the tool scans and helps you with potential security vulnerabilities and provides actionable steps.
Automated security checks for every pull request.
Contextual feedback on fixing identified issues.
Prioritized vulnerability reporting so you know what to handle first.
Works natively with Azure DevOps Repos.
Detailed security insights to educate your team on secure coding practices.
Development teams that care about security as much as code quality.
Starts at $129 per user/month for the team plan, with custom pricing for enterprise solutions.
Focused only on security. Not for general code quality or bugs. Might need developer training.
It's an all-in-one tool for code quality. Spot bugs, clean up bad coding habits, flag security issues,a nd much more. It's a trusted name in the code review tool space.
SonarQube integrates with Azure DevOps Pipelines, so whenever you build your code, it helps you in analyzing. It stops the build if your code is not meeting the defined standards. So you are not only finding issues but also fixing them before merging.
Code quality checks: Tracks bugs, vulnerabilities, and even “code smells.”
Quality gates: Stops bad code from sneaking into your main branch.
Multi-language support: Works with over 25 languages, from Java to JavaScript.
Customizable rules: Set the standards your team cares about.
Azure-friendly setup: Integrates directly with Pipelines and supports cloud or self-hosted deployments.
Teams constantly shifting between complex projects with multiple contributors. Best where maintaining consistent quality is critical.
The cloud-based model, has a free plan and 14-day free trial with a team plan starting from $32/month for unlimited users. For a self-managed model, the Developer plan starts at $160/year, and custom enterprise and data center plans.
Steeper learning curve for first-time users, mainly when setting up rules and dashboards. Also doesn’t always pinpoint why something is a problem.
So these were some tools. If you are looking to check out more code review tools, you can check out these posts:
It is not always about getting things done but also ensuring that you are improving. Here are some metrics you should monitor:
The time it takes to complete a review once a pull request is submitted.
Why it matters: Slow reviews create bottlenecks. A long TTR might mean your team is overburdened or that pull requests are too big.
Tip: Tools like ReviewBoard or CodeAnt.ai can help streamline reviews and make feedback cycles faster.
The number of issues (bugs, vulnerabilities, or code smells) flagged during reviews.
Why it matters: If too few defects are found, reviewers might not be digging deep enough—or maybe the code is actually perfect!
Tip: SonarQube can automatically flag deeper issues, complementing manual reviews.
The percentage of code changes that go through a formal review process.
Why it matters: Unreviewed code is a risk—period. Aim for 100% coverage, but balance it with speed.
Tip: Use Azure DevOps’ built-in reporting to check if every pull request is reviewed.
The percentage of code that needs rework after a review.
Why it matters: High rework ratios might mean unclear coding guidelines or a lack of pre-review quality checks.
Tip: Tools like Mend.io help catch dependency issues early.
How many team members are actively involved in reviews?
Why it matters: Code quality improves with diverse perspectives. If the same person is doing all the reviews, it’s a red flag.
Tip: Rotate reviewers or assign ownership using tools like ReviewBoard to avoid burnout.
The tools mentioned above are not just fancy add-ons; they are powerful tools for maintaining quality and keeping your process smooth. All the mentioned above have some kind of free trial; test it out and see what works best for you as the needs of each development team are different.
The metrics mentioned above will give you a clear picture of where you and your team stand, whether they are they good or need improvement. Best code review practice doesn't just prevent mistakes but also helps your team approach writing better code and maintaining better code.
Happy testing, writing, and reviewing.
