Most Popular Programming Languages

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If you’re new to the field of software development, the toughest part of learning programming is deciding where to begin. There are hundreds of programming languages in widespread use, each with its own complexities and idiosyncrasies.

The good news is that as you begin your journey as a software developer, you’ll start to discover which programming language will be most suitable for you, your interests, and your career goals.

In the list below, we go over the best and most in-demand programming languages for many of the most common use cases including web development, mobile development, game development, and more.

We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. JavaScript (also known as NodeJS) is a popular language among developers who need to work on server-side and client-side programming. It is compatible with several other programming languages, allowing you to create animations, set up buttons, and manage multimedia.

1. JavaScript

It’s impossible to be a software developer these days without using JavaScript in some way. According to Stack Overflow's 2020 Developer Survey, JavaScript is the most popular language among developers for the eighth year in a row. Nearly 70 percent of survey respondents reported that they had used JavaScript in the past year.

Along with HTML and CSS, JavaScript is essential to front-end web development. A majority of the web’s most popular sites, from Facebook and Twitter to Gmail and YouTube, rely on JavaScript to create interactive web pages and dynamically display content to users.

Although JavaScript is primarily a front-end language run on the browser, it can also be used on the server-side through Node.js to build scalable network applications. Node.js is compatible with Linux, SunOS, Mac OS X, and Windows.

Because JavaScript has a forgiving, flexible syntax and works across all major browsers, it is one of the friendliest programming languages for beginners.

In the video below, learn why we chose to focus our curriculum on Javascript back in 2012 and why our founders continue to stick with the programming language for 2021 and beyond.

2. Swift

If you’re interested in Apple products and mobile app development, Swift is a good place to start. First announced by Apple in 2014, Swift is a relatively new programming language used to develop iOS and macOS applications.

Most popular programming languages

Swift has been optimized for performance and built from the ground up to match the realities of modern iOS development. Not only does iOS run on every iPhone and iPad, but it’s also the basis for other operating systems such as watchOS (for Apple Watches) and tvOS (for Apple TVs). In addition, Apple isn't going anywhere as a tech industry leader, and iOS apps continue to be the most profitable in the mobile app marketplace.

3. Scala

If you’re familiar with Java—a classic programming language in its own right—it’s worth checking out its modern cousin, Scala. Scala combines the best features of Java (such as its Object-Oriented Structure and its lightning-fast JVM runtime environment) with a modern twist.

As a functional programming language, Scala allows engineers to elevate the quality of their code to resemble pure math. Scala allows for concurrent programming, allowing complex procedures to be executed in parallel. Furthermore, it is a strongly typed language. Engineers can create and customize their own data types, allowing them to have the peace of mind knowing entire swaths of bugs are impossible at runtime.

4. Go

One of the core languages favored by Google, Go is the little language that could. As a low-level language, Go is ideal for engineers who want to enter the field of systems programming. It encompasses much of the same functionality of C and C++ without the difficult syntax and steep learning curve. It’s the perfect language for building web servers, data pipelines, and even machine-learning packages.

As a compiled language, Go runs “close to the metal,” allowing for a blazing-fast runtime. It’s an open-source language, and ambitious developers can see their personal contributions adopted and enjoyed by programmers worldwide.

5. Python

Python is perhaps the most user-friendly programming language of any on this list. It’s often said that Python’s syntax is clear, intuitive, and almost English-like, which, like Java, makes it a popular choice for beginners.

Also like Java, Python has a variety of applications that make it a versatile, powerful option when choosing the best programming language for your use case. If you’re interested in back-end web development, for example, then the open-source Django framework, written in Python, is popular, easy to learn, and feature-rich. Django has been used in the development of some popular sites like Mozilla, Instagram, and Spotify.

Python also has packages such as NumPy and SciPy that are commonly used in the fields of scientific computing, mathematics, and engineering. Other Python libraries such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, and OpenCV are used to build programs in data science, machine learning, image processing, and computer vision. Python's science and data applications make it a great choice for the academically inclined.

6. Elm

One of the youngest languages on our list, what began as a Harvard student’s thesis has now grown to become a point of passion for front-end developers around the world.

Elm compiles to JavaScript, making it ideal for building fast-executing UIs with zero errors at runtime. Elm is a functional programming language, allowing developers to create client-side interfaces without the declarative trappings of HTML and CSS.

Furthermore, the Elm web architecture was the intellectual inspiration for Redux, the state-management library taught here at Fullstack.

7. Ruby

Ruby is another scripting language that’s commonly used for web development. In particular, it’s used as the basis for the popular Ruby on Rails web application framework.

Beginners often gravitate toward Ruby because it has a reputation for having one of the friendliest and most helpful user communities. The Ruby community even has an unofficial saying, “Matz is nice and so we are nice,” encouraging members to model their kind and considerate behavior on Ruby’s chief inventor Yukihiro Matsumoto. Firegestures.

In addition to the active community and its straightforward syntax, Ruby is also a good language to pick up thanks to its association with great tech businesses. Twitter, Airbnb, Bloomberg, Shopify, and countless other startups have all built their websites using Ruby on Rails at some point.

8. C#

Like C++, C# (pronounced C Sharp) is a general-purpose, object-oriented language built on the foundations of C. It was originally designed by Microsoft as part of its .NET framework for building Windows applications.

C# uses a syntax that’s similar to other C-derived languages such as C++, so it’s easy to pick up if you’re coming from another language in the C family. C# is not only the go-to for Microsoft app development, but it’s also the language mobile developers use to build cross-platform apps on the Xamarin platform.

Additionally, anyone who is interested in VR development should consider learning C#. C# is the recommended language for building 3D and 2D video games using the popular Unity game engine, which produces one-third of the top games on the market.

9. Rust

Rust is a bit of an upstart among the other languages on this list, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a valuable language to learn. Stack Overflow’s 2020 Developer Survey found that Rust was the most loved programming language among developers for the fifth year in a row, with 86.1 percent of Rust developers saying that they want to continue working with it.

Developed by the Mozilla Corporation, Rust, like C and C++, is intended primarily for low-level systems programming. What Rust adds to the mix, however, is an emphasis on speed and security. Rust emphasizes writing “safe code” by preventing programs from accessing parts of memory that they shouldn’t, which can cause unexpected behavior and system crashes.

The advantages of Rust mean that other big tech companies, such as Dropbox and Coursera, are already starting to use it internally. While it may be a bit more difficult to master than other beginner languages, Rust programming skills are likely to pay off handsomely, as the language's popularity will only continue to rise in the near future.

It’s Code Time

When deciding which programming language to learn, it’s important not to get caught up in flashy trends and popularity contests. The best programming languages to learn in 2021 are likely the same ones that were best to learn in 2017 and 2018, and that will continue to be true for the next several years as well.

Although the field of computer programming changes rapidly, the languages that we’ve discussed above have a great deal of staying power. By learning one or more of these languages, you’ll be in an excellent position not only for this year but in the years to come.

When beginning your journey into coding, only you can answer the question of the best programming language to learn. Make your selection based on your interests and the type of software development you want to get into. Here is a quick summary of the different possibilities that we’ve discussed:

  • Front-end web development: JavaScript
  • Back-end web development: JavaScript, Java, Python, PHP, Ruby
  • Mobile development: Swift, Java, C#
  • Game development: C++, C#
  • Desktop applications: Java, C++, Python
  • Systems programming: C, Rust
Most Popular Programming Languages

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Nowadays, there are about 700 programming languages and even a bigger amount of frameworks. Some of them slowly degrade, some are a step away from extinction, and some are still growing. We’ve done all the hard work for you analyzing current trends on the market, and narrowed down the list so that you can easily pick the most scalable technology that suits your needs best. Keep reading this post to find out top programming languages and frameworks for software application development for the next 5 years. The choice in favor of any technology from our list will guarantee you a top-notch application that won’t face maintenance, scalability or service issues.

Before considering which technology to choose for your software, please take into consideration the following criteria:

  • A large set of tooling support. Code quality is a key issue in software development. It’s important to remember that the quality of the code depends on the development tools required for the effective coding and productivity of the software team.
  • Big developers community. Make sure that the chosen programming language or framework has a strong community. It will provide the necessary support to your product at any development stage.
  • Scalability. Of course, you want to see your application grow in size and complexity, and scalability will allow you to add new components without damaging its performance.
  • Third-party integrations. Assure that the technology you picked supports third-party API integration, so you can enhance your application with new features and functionality if necessary.

The Top Programming Languages for Web Application Development

Our Choice for Web App Development Language #1: Ruby

Since its release in 1995, Ruby gained a lot of devoted coders. It is a dynamic, open-source programming language focused on simplifying programming work. Interesting fact: Yukihiro Matsumoto, Ruby’s chief designer, in his interview once said: “The goal of Ruby is to make programmers happy”. Ruby was created to increase developers’ productivity and was ranked as the 9th most popular programming language by Stack Overflow in 2019.

Source: StackOverflow Developer Survey, 2019

Ruby is also included in 2019 top 10 languages by GitHub repositories contributions.

Source: Octoverse report

Key Ruby features:

  • Ruby combines a variety of beneficial features: object-oriented, functional, dynamic, concise, and garbage-collected.
  • The language has a vibrant and growing community and is used by big companies such as Twitter, Github, and Airbnb.
  • Ruby is a completely free and extremely flexible programming language as it allows developers to easily alter its parts.

One of the main reasons behind Ruby’s popularity is its server-side open-source web application framework Ruby on Rails. It has an excellent ecosystem full of tools and support necessary for developers.

Leobit’s software engineers used Ruby for multiple highly successful projects, including a shopping e-commerce platform that now has more than 1 million active users and 5+ million app downloads with 5.00 stars ranking in AppStore and Play Market.

E-commerce marketing solution created by Leobit

Our Choice for Web App Development Language #2: PHP

It seems that PHP is losing popularity, but it is not true according to PHP usage statistics. W3Techs, an extensive and reliable web technology survey, reports that PHP is used by 78,9% of all websites with a known server-side programming language. PHP stands for Hypertext Preprocessor and was developed in 1995. Originally it was created as a set of Common Gateway Interface binaries with the main purpose of developing dynamic web apps. Free mario game for pc. However, it kept on evolving and eventually became a fully-fledged programming language.

Key PHP features:

  • PHP is used for server-side web development. It is a highly effective programming language when it comes to creating web applications promptly.
  • PHP assures dynamic software development and has debugging functionality, that’s why the majority of content management systems and websites are written in PHP. Facebook can be considered the most prominent example of a website developed with PHP.
  • Owing to PHP being used by giant companies such as Facebook and WordPress led to the existence of great tooling support for this programming language.

When speaking about the popularity of PHP, it’s worth mentioning that PHP made it the top 10 on the list of most popular programming languages in 2019 according to the results of the Stack Overflow’s annual survey conducted among 90,000 developers worldwide.

Source: StackOverflow Developer Survey, 2019

Also, Octoverse annual report provided by GitHub listed PHP at the 4th position by repository contributions.

Source: Octoverse report

Leobit’s team has vast expertise in using PHP for web application development. One example of Leobit’s PHP projects is a real estate portal for the US market. The developed platform provides users with great workload mobility, increased performance, and 3rd party integrations that shows additional data about the property.

Real estate portal for the US market

Most popular programming languages reddit

Our Choice for Web App Development Language #3: Python

Python is the fastest-growing first-class programming language for backend development. Its rise in recent years can be explained with the emergence of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Big Data, and Robotics, as Python is the most preferred language for developing applications based on these trending technologies.

Key Python features: Spotify player macbook air.

  • Python is a highly efficient cross-platform language with portable code. So if you want to run Python code on different platforms such as Linux, Windows, Unix, and Mac, there is no need to change it.
  • Python is a dynamic, high level, free open source and interpreted programming language. It supports object-oriented programming as well as procedural oriented programming.
  • It is a developer-friendly language that can be easily mastered in just a few days. It also has a large standard library and a very active community.

The popularity of Python is not going to slow down. According to Github’s PYPL rating, Python is the most in-demand programming language for 2020.

Source: PYPL

Stack Overflow’s Annual Developer Survey conducted among 90,000 developers worldwide listed Python as the 2nd most loved and 4th most popular language in 2019.

Source: StackOverflow Developer Survey, 2019

A lot of today’s most famous websites were built using this language, including Instagram, YouTube, Google, Spotify, Netflix, Uber, Dropbox, Pinterest, and Reddit. What other proof of Python’s popularity is needed? Leobit’s engineers also have a profound experience in creating web applications using this language. Our Python developers created a solution, called NewsDetect, that collects and analyzes thousands of articles every day from different platforms and defines news tonality: positive, negative or neutral. It also allows to monitor trends in the media world and track statistics about daily changes in news tonality. This web application was built with Python on top of the Django web framework and is unique on the Ukrainian market.

The Top Programming Languages for Mobile Application Development

Our Choice for iOS Mobile App Development: Swift

Swift is a multi-paradigm, general-purpose, compiled programming language developed mainly as an alternative to Objective-C in the development of native iOS and Mac OS apps. It is a relatively young language released in 2014 by Apple Inc. However, Swift already can be considered the primary programming language for iOS application development that is going to displace its predecessor, Objective-C, in the near future.

Key Swift features:

  • Swift was built to be fast. Using LLVM as its compiler framework, Swift code is transformed into optimized native code that gets the most out of modern hardware.
  • Swift has a concise, simple, and clean syntax that is similar to the English language. That’s why it is easier to write and maintain.
  • Swift is a programming language with a serious safeguard that increases readability and reduces errors in code.

Talking about the popularity of Swift, it’s worth mentioning that Swift got listed on the 6th position in a category of the most loved programming languages according to the 2019 Stack Overflow’s annual survey.

Source: StackOverflow Developer Survey, 2019

Also, Swift made it Top 10 on the list of popular ranking website PYPL. Taking into consideration how young Swift is, this is definitely an achievement.

Source: PYPL

As Leobit specializes in web and mobile application development services, we built many iOS apps. An innovative real-time marketing solution is an example of the application our team built with Swift.

IOS app for finding local flash deals developed by Leobit

Our Choice for Android Mobile App Development: Kotlin

Kotlin was developed by JetBrains as a language that would displace Java in Android application development. Kotlin completed its mission and was announced by Google as a priority language for Android development in 2019. Kotlin is much simpler than Java, and, at the same time, it is more productive thanks to its clean and concise code. Kotlin also outperforms Java in Android application development as it was built specifically for Android, whereas Java is a general-purpose language.

Key Kotlin features:

  • Kotlin runs on Java Virtual Machine and is fully interoperable with Java, so you can use the existing huge ecosystem of Java libraries.
  • It compiles into JavaScript that makes Kotlin suitable for front-end and back-end development.
  • Kotlin is maintained by JetBrains and Open Source community, that’s why it is provided with excellent tooling support.

Kotlin is the most promising programming language for mobile development, which can be explained with the constantly increasing number of Android users worldwide. Only in the United States, this figure reached 124.4 million users in 2019 according to Statista report. Stack Overflow survey featured Kotlin as the 4th most loved programming language among developers.

Source: StackOverflow Developer Survey, 2019

Also, the Octoverse annual report provided by GitHub recognized Kotlin as the 4th fastest-growing programming language existing today.

Source: Octoverse report

Leobit’s experts have a great experience with using Kotlin for Android application development. For example, the Android fitness application developed by Leobit’s team engages users in walking and is a part of the Norwegian public healthcare initiative.

Web, iOS and Android interactive walking app created by Leobit

The Top Frameworks for Web Application Development

Our Choice for Web App Development Framework #1: .NET Core

.NET Core is a high performing cross-platform framework released and maintained by Microsoft. It is written in C# programming language and helps to build robust web applications. .NET Core is a modern replacement of .NET Framework with some new additional and enhanced features. It is a good choice for those who want to develop modern applications that can be deployed in a cloud environment.

Key .NET Core features:

  • Thanks to its modularity, .NET Core is an extremely lightweight and one of the fastest web application frameworks available on the market.
  • .NET applications are supported by Microsoft that makes them safe, reliable, and fully compatible with all Microsoft products.
  • As .NET Core is a cross-platform framework, it can be executed on any operating system. It is also open-source, which means that every developer can contribute to the investigation and improvement of your project.

.NET Core should be on your top consideration list as it is the third most commonly used framework 2019 in the list provided by Stack Overflow. What is more, 77.2% of developers voted for .NET Core placing it in the first position in a category of the most-loved non-web frameworks.

Source: StackOverflow Developer Survey, 2019

A great example of an application powered with .NET Core framework is indoor and outdoor cycling solution developed by Leobit. The application helped our customer’s company to enter the global market and grow end product users by 10 times.

Web-based data analysis tool developed by Leobit

Our Choice for Web App Development Framework #2: Angular

Angular is one of the most promising front-end web application platforms. It was developed by Google to build scalable and high performing web applications. The first version of Angular was released in 2010. The framework is written in JavaScript and designed with a particular purpose to simplify the process of creating user interfaces and overcome the restrictions of other existing technologies in one integrated package.

Key Angular features:

  • Angular is based on a paradigm of declarative programming that allows writing the logic of a computation without describing its control flow thus making the web development less complicated.
  • Angular is platform-independent that means it can be implemented in different environments: browser, server, web, and mobile devices.
  • Angular’s feature of two-way data binding provides automatic data updating as soon as changes are made.

The ecosystem of Angular is thriving. It has an incredible amount of libraries and one of the biggest community of supporters on Github. Angular made the Top 3 on the list of 2019 most popular web frameworks by Stack Overflow. So it definitely should be on your web development framework’s list.

Source: StackOverflow Developer Survey, 2019

Using the Angular framework for front-end application development, Leobit’s experts created a customizable web CRM. This unique development solution allowed the customer to save $350,000 within the first 6 months after the implementation.

A web CRM for enterprises developed by Leobit

You can also check one of Leobit’s previous posts on why Angular + .NET Core combination is an optimal technology stack for your next web app development project.

If you already made up your mind or still need advice about choosing a language or framework, feel free to share with us your project details and our experts will promptly help you to pick the best-fitting tech stack.