Best Programming Languages List: 2024 Review

July 11, 2024

Paavo Pauklin

Choosing the best-fit programming language for your company, industry, and project is overwhelming. Even worse, picking the wrong one can stop you from growing as a business. It can result in costly fixes and even put your brand reputation at risk.
Of course, there’s no one right answer. As you weigh your options, you’ll need to look at the nitty-gritty of top programming languages. The more informed you are, the more accurate your selection process will be.

Here, our experts have analyzed the best programming languages for distinct scenarios. We hope you can narrow your list and find the ideal language for your business case.

Before discussing the best programming languages for different companies, industries, and devices, let’s explore the programming languages that Netcorp offers. Our expertise covers various technologies, ensuring we can meet your unique project needs. Here are key programming languages we offer:

Most Popular Programming Languages for 5 Types of Companies

Let’s take a closer look at the list of programming languages for diverse companies. Although every business is unique, here are common traits for different business models.

Startups

Startups are keen to do more for less. With limited resources, they tend to choose efficient and readable languages. At the same time, they need scalability to build up features over time.

JavaScript for Startups. It’s ideal for startups because it involves less overhead. It also can easily be integrated with existing tech stacks and frameworks such as Node.js.
Python for Startups. Python is known for its simplicity and adaptability, especially for ramping up an MVP. It’s also great as a cross-platform language. Plus, it has robust resources available, including libraries and community forums.
Ruby for Startups. Ruby is one of the most time-efficient languages. It’s also well-equipped with “gems” (community resources), making it ideal for rapidly launching and scaling up a product.
Java for Startups. Java is the best general-purpose language, and it is easily adjustable to your requirements. It also has cross-platform capabilities to keep coding efficient for your startup.

SaaS Companies

By nature, SaaS companies are customer-facing which means that performance is everything. In this case, languages must support visually appealing, accessible, high-speed apps. The typical SaaS subscription model also makes it key to handle ongoing maintenance. It should also allow you to scale and integrate with existing infrastructure.

JavaScript for SaaS Companies. JavaScript is a tried-and-true, high-performing option. It enables extended functions, mainly when used jointly with TypeScript. It also offers rich interfaces to attract customers.
Python for SaaS Companies. Python makes stunning interfaces without all the overhead. It’s versatile and well-supported for you to scale and maintain into the future.
Java for SaaS Companies. Java is an excellent pick for achieving high performance. It’s also robust, secure, and platform-independent and can code across systems.
PHP for SaaS Companies. PHP is highly adaptable and connectable, making it perfect for scaling up features with your existing infrastructure.

Fintechs

The #1 concern for fintech is typically security and data protection. These institutions must both comply with privacy regulations and keep data secure. The most popular programming languages for fintech are dependable, available for multiple devices, and easy to maintain for customers.

Python for Fintechs. Python is ace at building robust and dependable apps. It’s also highly efficient in real-time and is portable across devices.
Java for Fintechs. Java is one of the most secure programming languages out there. In addition, it offers rapid processing and platform independence for exceptional customer experiences.
C++ for Fintechs. C++ offers superb performance, security, and memory management, making it an excellent option for feature-rich and data-intensive fintech apps.
SQL for Fintechs. SQL is highly secure and has a suite of versatile integrations. With it, your app can run seamlessly even in complex environments.

Scaleups

As the name suggests, scaleups are focused on high growth. The best programming languages for these companies must enable efficient coding. Ideally, these apps can be developed in stages and integrated with popular tools. Given the focus on brand, scaleups also require high performance and product quality. The most popular coding languages for scaleups include:

Go for Scaleups. Go is a fast, minimalist language that’s ideal for efficient development. It’s also scalable-friendly for large-scale projects. It has a great capacity for concurrency and compatibility with other tools.
Java is ideal for Scaleups: Due to its simplicity and code reusability, it’s easy to add features for business growth. Java also has expansive potential for memory management.
Python for Scaleups. Python speeds up development time, as it’s highly readable, versatile, and compatible. Plus, it offers robust open-source frameworks and tools.
Kotlin for Scaleups. Kotlin is a concise language with useful integrations and coroutines. These traits enable asynchronous tasks and enhance development efficiency.

Mobile-First Companies

Mobile-first companies prioritize first-rate UX, including visually attractive and minimalist features. After all, mobile customers will want engaging design and content on their phones. In addition, scalability and cross-platform capabilities are essential for boosting development over time.

Swift for Mobile-First Companies. Swift has clear syntax, enabling coders to create clean UX. It also has powerful built-in features to scale up your app over time.
Kotlin for Mobile-First Companies. Kotlin is preferred for Android development due to its high readability and interoperability. It also supports high code quality across multiple platforms.
JavaScript for Mobile-First Companies. JavaScript supports rich interfaces and allows you to extend functions over time. It's especially useful in combination with React Native. At the same time, it’s highly interoperable and platform-independent.
Dart for Mobile-First Companies. When used via the Flutter framework, Dart is a powerful language. It's efficient, multi-platform and high-performing. It’s great for customer-facing apps, as it’s stable and high-performing.

Best Programming Languages for 9 Industries

The best programming languages will also range widely depending on your field. Let’s review the list of programming languages for different industries.

Healthcare

The healthcare industry requires top programming languages that are user-friendly, accessible, and confidential. Institutions often need top security to protect data and comply with HIPAA. Moreover, the most used programming languages for healthcare should have unparalleled UX. This is essential to ensure accuracy of use and integration with medical tech.

Python for Healthcare. With high compatibility and portability, Python is ideal for working with medical systems. It can also handle large volumes of data, such as healthcare info.
R for Healthcare. R is known for its exceptional graphics and data handling, making it a top choice for healthcare data and statistics tasks.
Java for Healthcare. Highly secure and robust, Java is a multi-purpose language. It’s versatile for different medical needs.
C++ for Healthcare. C++ provides industry-best speeds and hardware-first compatibility, making it primarily helpful in working with medical devices.

Manufacturing and Engineering

Manufacturing programming languages are focused on supporting automation and real-time processes. As a result, they often tend to be versatile, speedy, and secure. Interoperability is another big issue for manufacturing. That's why this field requires compatibility with specific machinery and hardware. Finally, top-ranked programming languages should support world-class data analysis.

C for Manufacturing. Speed and efficiency are C's defining traits. Moreover, it’s practical, flexible, and easy to debug, making it a great candidate for manufacturing.
C++ for Manufacturing. C++ sets the industry standard for great hardware compatibility. It’s also incredibly efficient, rapid, and portable.
MATLAB for Manufacturing. MATLAB is an easy-to-use language that is device—and platform-independent. It’s great for large data sets and manufacturing hardware requirements.

Entertainment and Media

The best programming languages for entertainment will be customer-oriented, allowing for high-definition visuals. Real-time performance is a major factor, too, which necessitates great memory management. Since the media industry is device-independent, these languages are also highly adaptable.

C# for Entertainment. C# enables highly customized coding across platforms. You can build feature-rich entertainment apps that perform well and are portable.
JavaScript for Entertainment. JavaScript helps craft visually appealing interfaces, as well as best-in-class performance. It’s also platform-independent and compatible with practical tools.
Python for Entertainment. Python is well-equipped to build beautiful, portable, and high-performing entertainment apps. It’s a simple yet powerful language that can adapt to even the most complex systems.
Java for Entertainment. Java's robust nature makes it perfect for entertainment. It has excellent memory management, platform independence, and security.

Education Technology (EdTech)

EdTech is all about video-first displays and interactive features. That’s why top development languages for EdTech should focus on real-time performance. Since learners are involved, it’s also a good idea to have appealing UX and accessibility. Moreover, these most used programming languages should protect educational data.

Java for EdTech. Java is a versatile language that enables stellar performance and customization for EdTech. It’s also highly secure and cross-platform.
Python for EdTech. Python supports building attractive interfaces with high-level performance. What’s more, it can handle large data volumes without sacrificing speed.
JavaScript for EdTech. JavaScript is ideal for creating rich EdTech interfaces. It’s also quick, high-performing, and compatible with key tools to extend function.
Swift for EdTech. Swift is a reliable, high-performing language. It enables intuitive interfaces that appeal to learners.

Government and Public Sector

Overall, top development languages for the public sector empower enterprise-level performance. Government apps must be highly reliable, data-driven, and compatible with current systems. Public sector databases tend to be massive. This means you'll need languages that can handle them quickly and efficiently. Most importantly, they should be easy to maintain over time.

Java for Government. Java is one of the most robust options for handling large-scale public sector apps. It achieves great performance, memory management, and security.
Python for Government. Given its adaptability, Python is great for scaling and maintaining your app. It’s also efficient and compatible with numerous tools.
C# for Government. C# has industry-best security, making it an excellent choice for the public sector. It also can handle scaling up to enterprise-sized apps.
SQL for Government. SQL boasts of high-level security, even with data-intensive systems. Additionally, it has built-in features and compatibility to stay as efficient as possible.

Hospitality and Travel

The hospitality industry relies on high-performing apps. These apps must handle diverse tasks, such as booking, inventory, customer service, and more. For this reason, tourism languages should be customer-first, offering speed and UX. Additionally, compatibility with third-party tools is vital. This is especially key to connecting API feeds for real-time pricing or inventory.

JavaScript for Hospitality. JavaScript is a powerful and versatile option for handling tourism’s demanding tasks. It offers great performance, customization, and compatibility.
PHP for Hospitality. PHP is quite flexible and can handle diverse tasks in the hospitality industry. It’s also easy to integrate with your current tooling.
Python for Hospitality. Python is easily adaptable to your hospitality tasks and systems. It’s fast, efficient, and integration-friendly. It also has extensive libraries to ramp up full function.
Java for Hospitality. Java is easily customizable to your diverse hospitality needs. It’s known for stable performance and a suite of easy-to-implement integrations.

Ecommerce

Ecommerce programming languages enable secure and scalable features. Key areas (such as inventory and payments) must be available in real time. They must integrate with third-party tools as well. At the same time, these shops should have fantastic performance and interactivity. Finally, you’ll also want to capture customer data to process and store for analysis.

JavaScript for Ecommerce. JavaScript is a multi-purpose language ideal for scaling up large ecommerce apps. It’s got the performance, personalization, and integrations to develop world-class stores.
PHP for Ecommerce. The flexible nature of PHP makes it a great option for e-commerce’s demands. It emphasizes performance, security, and compatibility.
Python for Ecommerce. Python is extremely scalable for e-commerce. It’s cross-platform and has a wealth of notable frameworks and libraries available. This language is also secure, customizable, and feature-rich for robust stores.
Java for Ecommerce. Java is a strong choice due to its versatility and platform-independence. Additionally, it comes with a wealth of frameworks and integrations to enhance performance.

Automotive Industry

Automotive programming languages are versatile and can cover diverse technical responsibilities. For example, this industry may involve navigation, diagnostics, engine management, and beyond. As you can imagine, reliable performance is vital and directly related to safety. These languages are compatible with firmware and offer deep testing features.

C++ for the Automotive Industry. C++ is a tried-and-true option for the automotive industry's hardware requirements. Overall, it’s efficient, portable, and secure.
Python for the Automotive Industry. Python is well-suited for the automotive industry as it’s secure and test-driven. It’s also ready to integrate with hardware and third-party platforms.
Java for the Automotive Industry. Java is a dependable and secure language that can be adjusted to your automotive needs. It’s also robust and offers built-in testing tools such as JUnit.
MATLAB for the Automotive Industry. MATLAB is a reliable language with many “toolkits” to program diverse tasks. It’s ideal for the automotive industry's versatile nature and performance needs.

Telecommunications

Telecommunications is defined by the need for real-time speeds within complex systems. That’s why the best programming languages should boost performance and versatility. Key technical areas include automation, data analytics, and computer vision. Moreover, security is essential to setting up safe networks and customer data.

C++ for Telecommunications. Known for its speeds, C++ is a good fit for telecommunications. It’s also high-performing and secure for large data ecosystems.
Erlang for Telecommunications. Explicitly designed for telecommunications, Erlang is an excellent option. It’s high-performing, error-resistant, and concurrent.
Java for Telecommunications. Java provides the reliability, versatility, and security that involved telecom systems require.
Python for Telecommunications. In addition to first-rate performance and security, Python is highly customizable for telecommunications. For example, you can use Python to set up automations and extend functions long-term.

Best Programming Languages for 7 Types of Products

Finally, you should consider the best programming languages for your product or device. We’ll analyze ideal options for your business below.

Best Web Development Programming Languages

Web development will vary significantly according to your exact needs. Yet, a few characteristics are likely to come up for all projects. For example, versatile, readable, and scalable languages are in high demand. Depending on the timeline, the speed and efficiency of development may also be a major factor. Don’t forget that customer security and data will also be high on the list. Some of the most used web languages include:

JavaScript for Web Development. JavaScript is a go-to language for the web. It offers flexibility, performance, and security.
TypeScript for Web Development. Typescript is ideal for web development. It offers readability, reliability, and error-catching mechanisms. It’s especially beneficial for large projects that scale over time.
Python for Web Development. Python is a one-stop shop for web development. It’s simple, versatile, efficient, and has many resources to speed up coding.
PHP for Web Development. PHP is a versatile choice for any developer’s toolbox. It’s high-performing, compatible, and scalable.

Best Desktop Applications Programming Languages

Desktop applications are ideal for creating feature-rich, large-scale experiences. Top-ranked programming languages enable this through powerful processing, speed, and efficiency. These popular development languages are also portable for diverse system architectures.

C# for Desktop Applications. C# is the language of choice for large-scale products such as desktop apps. It is known for its speed, security, and portability.
Java for Desktop Applications. Java is great for scaling up desktop apps, as it's efficient, secure, and portable. It also offers first-rate frameworks for building beautiful interfaces.
C++ for Desktop Applications. C++ is the best choice for desktops due to its efficiency, speed, and portability. It also has the potential for seamless feature expansion.
Python for Desktop Applications. Python offers speed and performance, making it ideal for scaling up complex desktop apps with appealing interfaces.

Best Embedded System Programming Languages

Embedded systems bring together the best of computer hardware and software. They're used to build products such as digital cameras, cars, medical devices, and more. Typically, these languages prioritize real-time efficiency, as these devices tend to be resource-constrained.
As a result, languages will support rapid processing, clear readability, and easy-to-implement integrations. These products also necessitate best-in-class security as they leverage the cloud. The most popular coding languages for embedded systems include:

C for Embedded Systems. C is the industry benchmark for efficiency, which is at the top of embedded systems' minds. It’s also close to hardware and has powerful built-in functions.
C++ for Embedded Systems. C++ meets the in-demand requirements for embedded systems, including speed, efficiency, and security. Its memory management is especially advantageous for these systems' resource-limited nature.
Rust for Embedded Systems. Rust is a secure language with high levels of concurrency and memory. It’s excellent for elevating performance under limited resource scenarios.
Assembly for Embedded Systems. Assembly is known for its industry-leading efficiency. It allows for rapid processing and seamless compatibility with hardware.

Best Game Development Programming Languages

Users expect games to have complex graphics without the extra lag time. That’s why gaming programming languages emphasize speed within complex and data-rich systems. High performance is #1, as is compatibility and ease of maintenance. Plus, games have a large volume of code, which means reusability and cross-platform capabilities are at the top of my mind.

C++ for Game Development. C++ unlocks five-star performance, visuals, and UX for gaming. In particular, its speed, efficiency, and compatibility are central to building high-quality games.
C# for Game Development. C# is a go-to language for games that require high speeds and are data-intensive. It’s also cross-platform and efficient for scaling up.
JavaScript for Game Development. JavaScript is ideal for web games as it plays well with web tools. This language is rapid, versatile, and compatible with practical tools like Phaser.
Lua for Game Development. Lua is a versatile, fast, and lightweight choice that is easy to integrate with other gaming languages.

Best IoT Devices Programming Languages

IoT devices must have industry-best performance to integrate well with real-time sensors. This is particularly true given their limited resources. The best programming languages for IoT will enable efficient processing and hardware compatibility. Moreover, they will allow for robust security so data remains safe and encrypted.

Python for IoT Devices. Python boasts of industry-best efficiency, which is perfect for real-time IoT. It’s also superb at handling data and enabling robust testing.
C for IoT Devices. C elevates performance through best-in-class efficiency and speeds. It’s also hardware-friendly and flexible for your device setup.
JavaScript for IoT Devices. JavaScript has all the mainstays for IoT, including versatility, performance, and security. It also integrates seamlessly with hardware, other languages, and frameworks like Node.js.
Java for IoT Devices. Java supports the industry-best IoT on diverse devices. It includes airtight security, versatility, and platform independence.

Best Wearable Devices Programming Languages

Like embedded systems, wearable devices have similar priorities. Top development languages for wearables will support real-time performance, speed, efficiency, and compatibility. Wearables also need a modern user interface and features to please customers. Finally, security is a major concern as wearables typically connect to the cloud.

Swift for Wearable Devices. Swift is the best choice for real-time performance and speeds. It’s ideal for wearables because it’s highly readable, secure, and supports a clean UI.
Kotlin for Wearable Devices. Kotlin is a sleek, efficient language that’s readable and interoperable with Java. It’s a good option for achieving high-performing wearables.
C for Wearable Devices. C is a trusted option for efficiency and compatibility with hardware. It’s also highly portable and versatile to customize your wearables.
C++ for Wearable Devices. C++ offers efficient memory and speeds, enabling top performance for resource-limited devices such as wearables.

Best Cloud-Based Applications Programming Languages

Cloud-based apps depend on users accessing the internet. To that end, programming languages should unlock performance, security, and portability. They must also allow scalability and maintenance, as the cloud is business-critical.

Python for Cloud-Based Applications. Python is ideal for integrating with cloud ecosystems and tools. It’s also highly flexible and efficient for any number of cloud setups.
Java for Cloud-Based Applications. You can leverage Java to build and scale up complex cloud systems. It’s robust, secure, and platform-independent.
Go for Cloud-Based Applications. Go enables powerful performance for cloud-based apps. Its goroutines feature is great for scalable projects that must be maintained long-term.
JavaScript for Cloud-Based Applications. Through Node.js, JavaScript is an efficient way to build cloud apps. It's a rapid, robust, and scalable language.

Final Thoughts

In the end, the best programming language is the one that’s right for you. Here, we’ve deeply explored the top options for your company type, industry, and project. Now that you know the best programming languages out there, it’s time to make your decision.

If you’re still not sure which language is ideal for your business case, get in touch with us. Our experts at Netcorp are ready to get to know your needs and advise you on the best choices. At the same time, our elite teams are keen to support your business as you build new products or update legacy ones. We’re savvy in today’s most in-demand languages, including JavaScript, C++, React.js, and more.