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Top Alternatives to C (programming language)

Looking for C (programming language) alternatives? We've curated 12 top alternatives that offer similar functionality. Whether you need options, free plans, or open source solutions, explore our comprehensive list to find the perfect fit for your needs.

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C++

C++

Open Source

C++ is a powerful, general-purpose programming language renowned for its performance and flexibility. It supports procedural, object-oriented, generic, and functional programming paradigms, making it suitable for a wide range of applications from system software to video games.

Key Features

  • Exceptional performance and efficiency due to low-level control.
  • Supports multiple programming paradigms for flexibility.
  • Comprehensive and highly optimized standard library.

vs C (programming language)

Exceptional performance and efficiency due to low-level control. compared to C (programming language)
C#

C#

Open Source

C# is a versatile, modern, object-oriented programming language from Microsoft. It's widely used for developing Windows applications, web services, mobile apps, and games, offering a balance of power and ease of use.

Key Features

  • Strong object-oriented features.
  • Extensive and well-designed .NET class library.
  • Excellent tooling and IDE support (especially Visual Studio).

vs C (programming language)

Strong object-oriented features. compared to C (programming language)
Lua

Lua

Open Source

Lua is a powerful, fast, and lightweight scripting language designed for embedding in applications. It's known for its simplicity, portability, and efficiency, making it ideal for a wide range of uses from embedded systems to game development and configuration.

Key Features

  • Extremely lightweight and fast
  • Easy to embed into other applications
  • Simple and easy-to-learn syntax

vs C (programming language)

Extremely lightweight and fast compared to C (programming language)
Perl

Perl

Open Source

Perl is a highly-capable, feature-rich programming language with over 30 years of development. Widely used for text processing, web development, and systems administration, it is known for its power and flexibility.

Key Features

  • Excellent text processing capabilities with powerful regular expressions.
  • Large and comprehensive module repository (CPAN).
  • Strong integration with the operating system shell.

vs C (programming language)

Excellent text processing capabilities with powerful regular expressions. compared to C (programming language)
Rust

Rust

Open Source

Rust is a multi-paradigm, general-purpose programming language designed for performance and safety, especially safe concurrency. It's ideal for systems programming and performance-critical applications.

Key Features

  • Guaranteed memory safety without garbage collection.
  • Excellent performance, comparable to C/C++.
  • Fearless concurrency due to language design.

vs C (programming language)

Guaranteed memory safety without garbage collection. compared to C (programming language)
Haxe

Haxe

Open Source

Haxe is a versatile open-source programming language and compiler that lets developers write code once and deploy it across numerous platforms, including web (JavaScript, Node.js), mobile (iOS, Android), desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux), servers, and even game consoles.

Key Features

  • Develop for multiple platforms from a single codebase.
  • Strong static typing improves code reliability.
  • Powerful macro system for advanced code generation.

vs C (programming language)

Develop for multiple platforms from a single codebase. compared to C (programming language)
Objective-C

Objective-C

Open Source

Objective-C was a robust, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language primarily used for Apple's macOS and iOS operating systems. It combined C's power with Smalltalk's dynamic messaging capabilities.

Key Features

  • Excellent integration with macOS and iOS frameworks.
  • Powerful object-oriented features.
  • Seamless interoperability with C code.

vs C (programming language)

Excellent integration with macOS and iOS frameworks. compared to C (programming language)
Apple Swift

Apple Swift

Open Source

Swift is a powerful and intuitive compiled programming language from Apple, building on the best of C and Objective-C without the constraints of C compatibility. It's designed for safety, performance, and modern software design patterns, enabling developers to create apps for iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and beyond.

Key Features

  • Enhanced safety features reduce runtime errors.
  • Excellent performance due to compilation to native code.
  • Clean and expressive syntax improves readability and maintainability.

vs C (programming language)

Enhanced safety features reduce runtime errors. compared to C (programming language)
Tcl

Tcl

Open Source

Tcl (Tool Command Language) is a dynamic, high-level scripting language ideal for rapid application development, scripting, and automation, particularly strong in graphical user interfaces.

Key Features

  • Easy to learn and use, especially for scripting.
  • Integrated and powerful Tk toolkit for GUI development.
  • Excellent cross-platform compatibility.

vs C (programming language)

Easy to learn and use, especially for scripting. compared to C (programming language)
REBOL

REBOL

Free

REBOL is a lightweight, cross-platform language designed for data exchange, networking, and distributed computing. It's known for its expressive syntax and focus on dialects for various tasks, making it suitable for scripting and building domain-specific applications.

Key Features

  • Highly portable across various operating systems and architectures.
  • Expressive and concise syntax for rapid development.
  • Excellent for data parsing, manipulation, and exchange.

vs C (programming language)

Highly portable across various operating systems and architectures. compared to C (programming language)
Nim (programming language)

Nim is a modern, statically typed, compiled programming language emphasizing efficiency, expressiveness, and flexibility. It draws inspiration from languages like Python, Pascal, and C++, making it approachable for developers while offering low-level control for systems programming.

Key Features

  • Excellent performance due to compilation to native code.
  • Clean and expressive syntax enhances readability and productivity.
  • Strong static typing catches errors early.

vs C (programming language)

Excellent performance due to compilation to native code. compared to C (programming language)
Squirrel (programming language)

Squirrel is a high-level, imperative and object-oriented programming language designed for embedding in applications.

Key Features

  • Excellent for embedding in C++ applications with a clean API.
  • Lightweight and has a small memory footprint.
  • Generally good performance due to bytecode compilation.

vs C (programming language)

Excellent for embedding in C++ applications with a clean API. compared to C (programming language)

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