ReSharper Code Cleanup vs Roslyn Analyzers: Which should you use in .NET projects?

When managing code quality and enforcing style guidelines in modern .NET projects, developers often choose between ReSharper Code Cleanup and native C# Roslyn Analyzers with .editorconfig files. Both tools serve similar goals but differ significantly in ecosystem integration and execution.

Comparing ReSharper and Roslyn Analyzers

Consider the following key differences between both tools:

• Execution Context: Roslyn Analyzers run natively during MSBuild, making them ideal for CI/CD enforcement. ReSharper Code Cleanup traditionally runs within Visual Studio or via JetBrains command-line tools.
• Configuration: Roslyn relies heavily on standard .editorconfig files, whereas ReSharper uses layered .DotSettings files (though ReSharper can also read .editorconfig).
• Rule Depth: ReSharper offers hundreds of advanced structural inspections and quick-fixes beyond standard compiler-level analysis.

Example EditorConfig Rule setup

Here is an example of an .editorconfig entry that both Roslyn and modern ReSharper installations respect:

# Enforce var keyword usage for explicit types
[*.cs]
csharp_style_var_for_built_in_types = true:suggestion
csharp_style_var_when_type_is_apparent = true:suggestion

Recommendation

For most modern .NET teams, using Roslyn Analyzers with .editorconfig as the primary build-level baseline combined with ReSharper for local interactive refactoring yields the best experience.