Which Programming Language?

June 9, 2026

Language wars are everywhere. Rust vs Zig, Python vs Go, JavaScript vs everything. Everyone has a favorite, and everyone thinks theirs is the best.

But the fight itself is the wrong frame.

Languages aren't rivals. They were each built to solve something specific. Comparing them by who "wins" misses the whole point.

Take Rust and Zig. People treat them like they're competing for the same throne, but they're not even pointing at the same problem. Rust is a direct answer to C++ — same performance territory, but with memory safety baked into the language design. The compiler works in your favor. Zig, on the other hand, is about radical simplicity — no hidden abstractions between you and the machine. That's a C conversation, not a C++ one.

Same logic applies to Python vs JavaScript — but for what, exactly? Data science? You can use JavaScript. But Python's ecosystem — the libraries, the tooling, the community — was built exactly for that problem. Meanwhile JavaScript owns the browser. That's its domain.

So what happens when you actually have to choose?

Think about critical software — the kind where a failure costs money or lives. I'd reach for Rust over C++ there. Not because Rust is "better", but because memory safety is enforced by design. The language is literally built for that constraint. That said, if the project is deep in C++ libraries, Rust might actually get in the way. Sometimes C++ is just the right fit.

On the other end: want to ship a SaaS MVP? JavaScript, Ruby, PHP — pick whatever you already know best. The goal there is simple: build it and build it fast. Want to build a database engine from scratch? C, Zig, Rust, or C++. Different problem, different answer.

Every language was created for a reason. That reason is your compass.

If you're thinking about what to learn next, start there — what do you want to build? The right language follows from that answer. And sometimes there's no single correct answer, just the best fit for the scenario in front of you.

That said, Rust is obviously the best language ever. Don't tell anyone I said that. 🤓