What Is the Best Programming Language to Learn?

So you want to be a developer? Now’s a great time to learn programming. The salaries are high, the job demand is growing, and a new and exciting coding language tops the popularity rankings every year.

But which is the best programming language to learn? If you’re new to this, there are many choices to pick from, making it difficult to know where to start.

Programming languages are continually evolving—while one dies, it gets replaced by the new big thing. If you time it well, you stand to earn a lot of money. Or you can go with the tried and tested languages that have stood the test of time.

All of it is enough to make your head spin. Which programming language is best to learn? Which give the highest salaries? Are they easier to start learning? This list will guide you through everything you need to know about picking the best programming language to learn.

Let’s explore!

What Are the Different Types of Programming Languages?

Every programming language is different. While each programming language has its unique syntax, how it’s written, run, and compiled can change everything.

Many developers prefer to work with certain types of languages. It’s also a lot easier to migrate between similar languages, so the first programming language you learn matters.

So what are the different types of programming languages? There’s a difference between scripting and programming languages? Let’s take a look.

• Programming languages can be just about anything, but they’re often best for software development as they can be used on various platforms and tend to be compiled rather than interpreted. Most programming languages are intended for software development, to develop programs you download and run on your device.
• Scripting languages are just the opposite. They’re often interpreted, which means their code runs on the fly rather than going through a compiling process inside a program. Web development languages are often scripting languages.
• Markup languages aren’t precisely programming languages, but they’re used for web development. These are human-readable tags used to format a document.
• Web development languages are specialized for creating websites, either in the frontend or backend.
• Frontend (or client-side) languages change a website in the user’s browser. For instance, clicking something on the website and producing an animation would result from frontend programming like CSS, HTML5, and JavaScript. It’s usually a combination of all the above languages.
• Backend (or server-side) languages change a site from the server or application layer. For example, submitting form data, or changing something in the database, is backend programming.

You should also note that many people just use “programming languages” to refer to all coding languages as a whole. A scripting language is a specialized programming language, but not all programming languages are scripting languages.

Not all languages below are programming languages in the strictest sense, but they’re all used for coding.

It’s time to dive in!

HTML and CSS

Though HTML and CSS aren’t technically programming languages, HTML5 and CSS3 are the ideal places to start if you want to be a front-end web developer. This duo makes up the building blocks of any webpage, with HTML structuring a page’s content, and CSS styling and modifying that structure.

HTML and CSS are a great jumping-off point for any young developer. While HTML is an easy-to-learn markup language, CSS will challenge you a bit more, but it’s not incredibly difficult to pick up either.

JavaScript

Though HTML and CSS are must-haves for frontend web developers, JavaScript is overwhelmingly popular. While HTML structures and CSS styles, JavaScript adds advanced client-side functions to a webpage.

Unlike HTML and CSS, JavaScript is a real programming and scripting language. It means you can do far more with it, but it’s also a bit harder to learn. Still, if you want to develop more than just a flat page, you almost definitely need to know JavaScript.

PHP

PHP is the language of choice for massive projects, most notably WordPress itself. It once divided the developer community due to being outdated and slow, and many still hold onto the belief that it isn’t worth the time to learn.

However, PHP has come back into style since PHP 5.x with a swath of improvements to speed and structure. According to W3Techs, 79% of the websites they surveyed use PHP.

One thing is clear—it’s a powerful way to code server-side applications, and compared to other scripting languages, it’s effortless to learn. Its popularity among new programmers and the plethora of open source projects like WordPress means there’s plenty of learning resources too.

Dozens of popular PHP frameworks such as Laravel exist, which can make your job coding with PHP even easier. With the launch of PHP 8.0, PHP is trying to break away from being just a backend scripting language to being a general-purpose programming language.

SQL

Many say that SQL is not technically a programming language, as you can’t use it the same way as a general-purpose language like C++ or JavaScript. But however you define it, it’s a critical web development tool like any other.

SQL’s primary purpose is to interface with a website’s database. A variety of database management systems like MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, and PostgreSQL exist to help you deal with it, but all of them use the SQL language.

C++

The original C language is still used today, but most modern developers have switched to C++. The general-purpose programming language is best known for being versatile; you can use it to make applications of all sorts.

Computer programs, mobile apps, video games, operating systems, entire browsers, even web development to some extent–if you can think of something, C++ can make it. And it will run it fast.

C#

While C++ is a direct expansion of C, C# is simply inspired. Like C++, C# is known to be a more modern, more versatile version of the original, outdated language. So what’s the difference between the two?

For one, C# is a lot easier to learn. It’s simpler and less complex but can still be used to create a variety of different applications. It’s also a lot better for web development than C++. It is quite popular for game development and sits in the middle of the highest-salary languages.

Which one of these two should you pick? It depends. C++ is better if you need raw power. C# is simpler and easier to work with, but it’s still a versatile solution.

Swift

As far as iOS and macOS development go, Swift is the gold standard. It’s modern, fast, and security-focused. All that has caused it to explode in popularity. Developers love to program with it as it is effortless to write in, so it’s managed to monopolize iOS development.

If you plan to develop programs or apps for Apple devices, Swift is a great programming language to get started.

Kotlin

If Swift is the language of choice for iOS development, then Kotlin is the primary language for Android. It doesn’t aim to be unique or groundbreaking, but instead draws inspiration from the languages you already know—that’s what makes it so loved by developers.

It’s also totally interoperable with Java, which makes it a direct replacement. But unlike Java, which is falling in popularity somewhat, Kotlin is only growing, and it’s a competitive language to learn.

Rust

Rust is an almost universally loved programming language. In many ways, it’s similar to C++. It’s designed to be robust and fast, and you can use it in various projects.

Designed by Graydon Hoare at Mozilla Research, Rust was explicitly made to solve many problems that come with other languages. So if you’re struggling with older technologies like Java and C++, Rust might be the perfect successor.

Python

Python’s surge of popularity seemed to come out of nowhere, but it’s taken over almost all development fields. Currently, it’s the second most popular coding language on GitHub (after JavaScript). From powering server backend to machine learning software, Python can do it all.

It has almost everything you could ask for in a programming language: versatility, speed, and efficiency. Plus, it’s super easy to learn.

If potential and popularity alone are enough to get you motivated, Python is the one to choose. There’s no shortage of demand for it right now.

If you want to find out more about how to learn Python, read our post on the best Python tutorials.

Ruby

Ruby is all about simplicity. Its elegant syntax is easy to work with and designed to be as painless as possible, and it works in both front and backend development. Ruby language is practically written in English, so it’s elementary to learn its syntax.

But don’t be fooled by the appearance of simplicity. Ruby may not be a language of raw power, but it gets the job done well.

Java

Java feels like the grandfather of all coding languages, but it’s not even as old as C++ in reality. Though many consider it outdated, it’s still used worldwide and on all sorts of devices.

Python is overtaking it, and while Java is generally declining in popularity, it certainly isn’t dead. There are thousands of jobs for Java backend developers, and demand remains high, making it a reliable choice.

Scala

Much like Kotlin, Scala was created to replace Java and its many issues. It’s a powerful, multi-purpose language, but it’s much more concise. Though you can use it for the same systems as Java, it’s mostly used for big data processing and machine learning.

While it’s not exploding with the same popularity as other languages, there’s a lot of potential in this one.

Go

Last is Go, a Java and C++ alternative designed by Google. Performance is what it does best, eliminating the considerable compile times that afflict many other languages. It’s concurrent, working in the background as it performs multiple functions at once.

However, unless maximum speed is your only goal, other languages can better accomplish much of what Go does. It’s not always clear what exactly you should use Go for. Still, developers like it, and its popularity continues to grow. For instance, MailHog, the open source email testing tool that powers DevKinsta’s local email testing feature, is built with the Go programming language.

Which Programming Language Is the Best?

There’s no clear answer on which coding language is best. Each has its pros and cons and shines in different situations. But when it comes to specific categories, there are a few clear winners. These are the best languages for:

• Beginners: For the absolute easiest languages to learn, even if you have no experience at all, start with HTML/CSS, Go, Ruby, PHP, or Python.
• Web developers: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are a necessity for frontend developers. Backend developers should look into Ruby, Python, PHP, and Go. And, of course, SQL for database management.
• Software developers: C++ is undoubtedly the most powerful. But don’t overlook Rust, Python, Scala, or C#. It all depends on the software you’re building.
• Mobile developers: Swift is best for iOS, and Kotlin for Android. But general-purpose languages like C++ and Java can work well too.
• High salary: Swift, Rust, Scala, Kotlin, and Go all help you earn about $100k/year, with Scala and Go generating the highest salaries. Also, check out our developer salaries for various positions.
• Popularity: Python is highly popular, and considering its versatility, it stands to stay at the top for a long time. JavaScript, Java, C#, and C++ are also quite popular themselves.
• Flexibility: C++ might be the giant in flexibility, but Rust, Java, Scala, Kotlin, and Python all work well cross-platform and in various situations.

Summary

Picking a single programming language from a list isn’t an easy task. But if you know what you want to do and where to start, it’s much easier to sort that list down into a few of the best candidates. That’s true whether you want the “hottest” language, the one with the best salary, or just those that are easiest to learn.

Learning how to program will net you one of the most flexible jobs you can get, allowing you to work remotely and choose whatever technologies you prefer. While no one programming language is the best of them all, a push in the right direction can help you choose the right one.

Get coding!

Did we miss out on any other programming language? We’d love to hear your opinion in the comment section below. Check out Kinsta’s career page for programming and tech-related job opportunities. 

Brenda Barron

Brenda Barron is a journalist and copywriter from California. She contributes to sites like WPMU DEV, Envato, and Torque.

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