Crucible vs Fisheye: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the key differences between Crucible and Fisheye, two popular code review tools. Crucible and Fisheye are both developed by Atlassian, but they serve different purposes and have distinct features that make them suitable for different use cases.

1. Integration with Version Control Systems: One of the major differences between Crucible and Fisheye is their integration with version control systems. While Fisheye is primarily a repository browser that provides a unified view of multiple repositories, Crucible is a code review tool that integrates with version control systems to facilitate collaborative code reviews. This means that Crucible not only allows users to browse code but also provides a structured workflow for code reviews.

2. Code Review Workflow: Crucible offers a rich and customizable code review workflow that allows users to define their own review process. It supports pre-commit and post-commit reviews, making it flexible for different development workflows. On the other hand, Fisheye does not have a built-in code review workflow and mainly focuses on providing code browsing and search capabilities.

3. Commenting and Collaboration: Crucible provides advanced commenting and collaboration features to streamline the code review process. It allows reviewers to leave comments directly on code lines, which ensures that discussions are tied to the relevant code portions. In contrast, Fisheye does not have these built-in commenting and collaboration features, as it primarily focuses on providing an overview of code repositories.

4. Metrics and Reporting: While Crucible offers detailed metrics and reporting capabilities to track code review progress and identify bottlenecks, Fisheye does not have these features. Crucible provides statistics such as lines of code reviewed, review completion time, and review participant statistics. This helps teams analyze their code review process and make data-driven improvements.

5. Integration with Other Atlassian Products: Crucible seamlessly integrates with other Atlassian products, such as JIRA and Bitbucket. This allows for a smooth workflow from issue tracking to code review and merge. Fisheye, on the other hand, is not integrated with these products and mainly serves as a standalone repository browser.

6. Search and Filtering Capabilities: Fisheye provides powerful search and filtering capabilities that allow users to quickly find and navigate through code repositories. It supports searching code, commits, authors, and more. Crucible, on the other hand, does not have these extensive search and filtering capabilities as its primary focus is on code review rather than code exploration.

In summary, Crucible is a dedicated code review tool with advanced commenting, collaboration, and reporting features, while Fisheye is primarily a repository browser with powerful search and filtering capabilities. Crucible's integration with version control systems and other Atlassian products makes it a comprehensive solution for streamlined code reviews within the development workflow. Fisheye, on the other hand, provides a centralized view of code repositories, making it useful for code exploration and search.