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Simian Similarity Analyzer
Los Angeles, California, United States
What it is
Simian Similarity Analyzer scans files and identifies repeated blocks of code across codebases. It works with human-readable material such as source code, markup, stylesheets, Markdown, and plain text, and its listed languages include Java, C, C++, C#, COBOL, Python, Ruby, PHP, JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, XML, CSS, Sass, Less, Visual Basic, and Groovy. Simian runs on the Java Virtual Machine; its generated JAR runs on JDK 8 or newer. It can run locally, from scripts, or in a build pipeline, and the repository documents a Gradle integration example. Results are plain text by default, with XML, YAML, and editor-friendly formats also available. Options include a duplicate-line threshold, include and exclude patterns, language selection, and controls for ignoring identifiers, strings, numbers, and other differences. The maker reports a JDK test that processed over 2.4 million lines and found more than 140,000 duplicate lines in under five seconds, with results varying by hardware, operating system, and options. It is free and open source under Apache License 2.0. Quandary Peak Research is a Los Angeles-based consulting group; support is directed to Stack Overflow.
For and against
For
- Scans source code, markup, stylesheets, Markdown, and plain text
- Runs locally, in scripts, or in build pipelines
- Supports plain text, XML, YAML, and editor-friendly results
- Free and open source under Apache License 2.0
Against
- Requires the Java Virtual Machine
- Generated JAR requires JDK 8 or newer
- No IDE integration is listed
- Support is directed to Stack Overflow
The verdict
Simian provides configurable duplicate-code scanning across many human-readable file types and can be incorporated into build workflows. Its Java runtime requirement and lack of listed IDE integration are worth noting before choosing it.
Who it suits
Simian suits developers who want to locate duplicated text in repositories and run scans locally, from scripts, or in a build pipeline. It may be useful where configurable file selection and output formats are important.
Plans and prices
Simian Similarity Analyzer
Open source · Apache License 2.0
Read 30 Sep 2026 · simian.quandarypeak.com
On the record
- Build integration
- The repository documents Gradle integration, including an example task that runs Simian against project source files.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Configuration
- Options include a configurable duplicate-line threshold, file include and exclude patterns, language selection, and controls for ignoring identifiers, strings, numbers, and other differences.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Contributions
- The maker welcomes feedback and contributions on GitHub.simian.quandarypeak.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- File types
- The maker says Simian analyzes human-readable files, including source code, markup, stylesheets, Markdown, and plain text.simian.quandarypeak.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- License
- Simian Similarity Analyzer is licensed under the Apache Software License, Version 2.0.simian.quandarypeak.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Maker
- Quandary Peak Research is described on its about page as a Los Angeles-based consulting group.quandarypeak.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Output formats
- Results are plain text by default, with XML, YAML, and editor-friendly formats also supported.simian.quandarypeak.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Performance
- The maker reports a JDK test analyzing over 2.4 million lines and finding more than 140,000 duplicate lines in under five seconds, with results varying by hardware, operating system, and options.simian.quandarypeak.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Simian scans source files and reports duplicated blocks of code across codebases.simian.quandarypeak.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Runtime
- Simian runs on the Java Virtual Machine and the repository says its generated JAR runs on JDK 8 or newer.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Support
- The maker directs users to Stack Overflow for help with Simian.simian.quandarypeak.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Supported languages
- Listed languages include Java, C, C++, C#, COBOL, Python, Ruby, PHP, JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, XML, CSS, Sass, Less, Visual Basic, and Groovy.github.com · read 30 Sep 2026
- Usage
- The maker says it can be run locally, from scripts, or as part of a build pipeline.simian.quandarypeak.com · read 30 Sep 2026
