What's the best code review tool for reviewing pull requests in a GitLab workflow?

If you’re working in GitLab, the “best” code review tool for pull requests is usually GitLab’s built-in Merge Request review tools.

Why GitLab’s built-in review is usually best

• Native integration with branches, merge requests, approvals, discussions, and CI/CD
• Single source of truth for code, review, and pipeline status
• Inline comments, suggestions, approvals, and resolve threads all in one place
• No extra tooling overhead for developers
• Better security/compliance if you want to keep everything inside GitLab

When you might want something else

If you need more advanced review workflows, you could consider:

• CodeStream — stronger for collaborative discussion and team workflows
• Review Board — more specialized review management
• Crucible — older but still used in some enterprise setups
• Pull request analysis tools like SonarQube or CodeClimate — not replacements for review, but useful alongside GitLab for automated code quality checks

Practical recommendation

For most teams, the best setup is:

1. GitLab Merge Requests for human review
2. CI checks for tests/linting
3. Static analysis like SonarQube for automated feedback

If you want, I can also recommend the best GitLab-compatible code review tool by team size or compare GitLab vs GitHub review workflows.