diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 031caa0..b77eb71 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -52,9 +52,9 @@ repos:
     rev: v0.8.1
     hooks:
       - id: clang-format
-        args: [--style=file, --version=16] # Specifies version
+        args: [--style=file, --version=18] # Specifies version
       - id: clang-tidy
-        args: [--checks=.clang-tidy, --version=16]  # Specifies version
+        args: [--checks=.clang-tidy, --version=18]  # Specifies version
 ```
 
 > [!IMPORTANT]
@@ -66,10 +66,10 @@ repos:
   rev: v0.8.1
   hooks:
   -   id: clang-format
-      args: [--style=file, --version=16]
+      args: [--style=file, --version=18]
       files: ^(src|include)/.*\.(cpp|cc|cxx|h|hpp)$ # limit the scope
   -   id: clang-tidy
-      args: [--checks=.clang-tidy, --version=16]
+      args: [--checks=.clang-tidy, --version=18]
       files: ^(src|include)/.*\.(cpp|cc|cxx|h|hpp)$
 ```
 
diff --git a/cpp_linter_hooks/util.py b/cpp_linter_hooks/util.py
index 3a00041..2ee0c6d 100644
--- a/cpp_linter_hooks/util.py
+++ b/cpp_linter_hooks/util.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 
-DEFAULT_CLANG_VERSION = "16"
+DEFAULT_CLANG_VERSION = "18"  # Default version for clang tools, can be overridden
 
 
 def is_installed(tool_name: str, version: str) -> Optional[Path]:
diff --git a/tests/test_util.py b/tests/test_util.py
index 2901083..3d9e903 100644
--- a/tests/test_util.py
+++ b/tests/test_util.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from cpp_linter_hooks.util import ensure_installed, DEFAULT_CLANG_VERSION
 
 
-VERSIONS = [None, "16"]
+VERSIONS = [None, "18"]
 TOOLS = ["clang-format", "clang-tidy"]