You may be wondering how Python is different from other languages. Over decades, Python has been known as one of the most popular options for simple and efficient programming. As of 2024, every second IT expert claims at least basic knowledge in Python development, and this trend will doubtfully change in the future.
However, thanks to the increased prevalence of and reliance on computing solutions and electronic devices, many decent alternatives evolved and are already widely used across many industries.
Therefore, the question arises: is Python still over other languages, or can it be replaced with a more functional and efficient option?
So, briefly answering the question “How is Python different from other languages?”, it is worth saying that Python is an interpreted and dynamically typed language. The code of this programming language does not need to be compiled before running, and this makes it one of the best. Python is incredibly approachable for newcomers. It’s an ideal choice for beginners due to its straightforward and easily comprehensible syntax. With just a handful of lines of code, we can craft intuitive Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) and Graphical Game Interfaces (GGIs).
In this article, Uvik’s software development experts will make a comprehensive review of Python vs other languages used today, highlighting the key features and differences of each.
At the end of our discussion, you’ll be able to clearly evaluate the potential of all the programming options described, yet define the right solution that perfectly fits your project requirements and business objectives.
Regardless of the project you want to launch, Uvik is ready to provide professional assistance across diverse technologies, including Python, Golang, React JS, React Native, DevOps, and more. Discover how to outsource Python development to Uvik here!
What Makes Python Different From Other Languages
Before we start diving into a detailed comparison of Python with other languages, let’s discuss the phenomenon of this language’s popularity through the most recent statistics.
There is no secret that Python has been building its authority in the programming industry for decades: its simplicity and ease of use made it one of the primary options for entering the IT industry. According to Finextra research, nearly 40% of all Python users are aged 21-29 years, with an additional 10% belonging to the 18-20 years cohort.
What is more, as of 2020, one out of three Python users claims less than one year of coding experience, which is mainly explained due to the coding simplicity and accessibility, enhanced by the pandemic and the emerging demand in Python development.
The BLS projects an increasing demand for software development specialists for 2020-2030 (over 22%), which encourages more and more people of different ages and industry expertise to enter this industry. And, one of the core benefits of Python over other languages is that it is completely beginner-friendly, so ideally fits this purpose!
Another fact worth discussing is that nearly 1.3% of all the websites on the Internet were built with Python as a server-side programming language. Some of the famous websites built with Python include Instagram, Netflix, Uber, Dropbox, Google, and more.
As you can see, despite its simplicity, Python programming is used by the world’s renowned corporations. But is it really a good option for your business? Keep on reading to get this discovered!
Reasons to Choose Python Over Other Languages
Python language features a variety of benefits for many businesses across different industries. First, this language has an adequate learning curve, thus requiring minimum effort to get started. Additionally, its syntax is extremely easy and understandable, which enables more productive teamwork across different departments.
Particular attention should be paid to the libraries and frameworks offered for Python. Its libraries can greatly simplify the development process and help to write a stable, bug-free code applicable for:
- Machine learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Data Science
- Data Visualization
- Data Analysis
- System Development
- Natural Language Processing
Python also features dozens of functional frameworks, including Django, Flask, Pyramid, Twisted, Falcon, and many others. Such a large selection of development tools adds to the simplicity and convenience of code writing, allowing to significantly reduce and optimize the development workflow.
These advantages have made the Python programming language one of the top options for product development across a diverse number of businesses and world-class companies, including YouTube, Google, Spotify, IBM, NASA, and many others.
These are the most notable advantages that make Python a top choice for basically any business today. However, in order to understand all the charms of Python, it’s essential to understand Python compared to other languages.
Python vs Java: Which One Is Better?
If you’ve already done research about Python development, you’ve probably come across its commonly used alternative – the Java programming language. So, what is the difference between Java and Python? In terms of product development, these options do have some similarities, as they both adopt the “everything is an object” design, have great cross-platform support, and use immutable strings and deep standard libraries.
Because of that, both options have decent community support: according to Statista, nearly 33.27% of developers use Java as the main language. As for Python, in 2022 it’s been used by almost every second developer (48.07%)!
For sure, both Python and Java languages have their merits and their flaws. Compared to Java, Python has simpler syntax and requires fewer code lines to do anything, improving the programming time and resource efficiency. Additionally, Python features an extensive range of third-party libraries that can come in handy for many purposes. For instance, it covers web development, ML and AI, various data-based processes, and more.
But, Java is still popular in the tech world due to its advanced performance and better compatibility for app development. So, which one will be more efficient for your business
To help you define which programming language you should actually choose, we have outlined the key features of each in a comprehensive table below.
What’s Better: Python vs Other Languages
Nevertheless, Java is not the only option to mind: there are at least a dozen of various alternatives to choose from. So, let’s now review how Python differs from other languages by comparing it to its most similar options in the programming world.
Which Language Is Better – Python or R?
The first language in our comparison list is the R programming language. Unlike Python, this alternative is used for statistical modeling, deep learning, and data science. Instead, Python itself can be also applied to web application development, data visualization, AI, and ML projects.
While Python is more general-purpose and features clear, easy-to-understand syntax, R’s functionality is designed more for application in the statistics field, thus providing more specific benefits for data visualization and other related processes.
When talking about the strong sides of each language, Python will be preferable, as it features:
- A diverse selection of development processes, including AI, ML, web development, and more
- A large data science community
- Effortless general programming and process automation
However, the R language can turn out a more effective solution compared to Python if you are looking for:
- Training and evaluating machine learning and deep learning algorithms
- Easy data manipulation, data visualization, and data analysis
- The more specific approach to data wrangling
Which Language Is Better – Python or C++?
Knowing how popular Python is compared to other languages, we cannot miss its close competitor – the C++ programming language. Though it features a comparatively higher learning curve and fewer libraries than Python, it is still used by over 22% of developers across the globe, as of the 2022 data.
Nevertheless, C++ is an excellent alternative for cross-platform projects! Mainly, that’s because of Python’s following disadvantages: performance speed and desktop-based development only.
When it comes to choosing Python or C++, Python will be a better option because of the following factors:
- Higher development speed and rapid prototyping due to the seamless learning curve
- Double nature, since Python can act both as a scripting and general purpose language
- Efficient memory management die to the in-built garbage collection system
However, you should probably consider C++ instead of Python if your project requires:
- Higher performance speed
- The use of higher-level language and lower-level language
- Structure-based coding
Which Language Is Better – Python or JavaScript?
- CPU-intensive processes, when it’s required to create an algorithm or model aimed at solving a specific problem
- Back-end and server-side scripting
- AI and ML solutions, data analytics, data processing, data visualization, and other related processes, mainly due to the ease of maintenance (compared to JavaScript)
Nevertheless, there are some aspects where Python yields to JavaScript:
- Input/Output (I/O), responsible for the communication between hardware and system (due to Python’s speed)
- Front-end development
- Web development, where the compatible with JS language Node.js environment provides better efficiency
Which Language Is Better – Python or C#?
Though it’s quite difficult to compare these two languages in terms of performance and functionality, both options can be decent for software development. It’s worth mentioning that along with web development, the C# language is also applicable for building mobile apps, which Python though can’t be used for.
Moreover, though these languages seem quite similar at first, you will need to choose one language over the other, as it’s impossible to use both of them simultaneously in most cases.
If you need to choose between Python or C# for the project development, the first option will be preferable if you’re searching for:
- Beginner-friendly development and easy syntax
- Coding extensibility and flexibility
- Enhanced programming workflow thanks to the dynamic nature of a language and variety of libraries
C# though will better fit for:
- Larger, long-term projects
- Faster performance
- Desktop & mobile web and app development
Which Language Is Better – Python or PHP?
PHP is a programming language that works exceptionally well for out-of-the-box web development but is less popular compared to Python due to its structure specifics. First of all, it has low readability and is much slower in terms of debugging, which hits its performance and productivity in development.
At the same time, when choosing between PHP or Python for most of the modern solutions, such as AI or ML, the last one will be more preferable and functional.
Getting Python will be an excellent idea in the following aspects:
- When you need an accessible, readable, and flexible language that features an extensive global community
- The project requires rapid development and easy debugging
- Your project is based on Data Science, AI, or Machine Learning technologies
Choosing PHP language instead can work well if:
- There’s enough experience in development
- The project is based on web development or backend
- You need to access a global talent pool
Which Language Is Better – Python or Ruby?
In terms of Python or Ruby comparison, the languages mainly differ in the purposes of use. Simply put, Ruby is prioritized for its speed and focus on flexibility and innovation, which makes it an excellent option for AI solutions, and script creation. This language features various solutions for web development and can be used for quick feature embracement.
Python, however, will be a better fit for startups, MVPs, and quick programming, as it requires little to no experience in development.
Other reasons to choose Python over Ruby are:
- Code readability, according to which it can be freely used by beginners
- Extensive usage in data analysis and IoT systems
- Dedicated statistical and deep learning libraries that enhance the development workflow
As of Ruby, it can better fit the projects that require:
- Extreme flexibility & Innovations, make this language highly valued among advanced developers
- Rapid development cycle
- Speed up development with metaprogramming
Which Language Is Better – Python or Go?
Though Go language is comparatively new to the programming industry, it can be a decent alternative to old-school Python. Their most notable advantages in development are the simplicity and ability to be combined within a single project. If you need to pick up Python or Go, Python will probably win in the aspects of:
- A larger selection of third-party development tools, including libraries, frameworks, and other useful resources
- Bigger community and, therefore, larger support during the development
- Better code readability, since Python has extremely easy and understandable syntax
On the contrary, developers suggest using Golang in cases if required:
- Higher performance, as Go language, runs up to 30 times faster compared to Python
- Better scalability, which directly benefits the programming efficiency
- Concurrency support
Which Language Is Better – Python or Perl?
Perl, originally standing for “Practical Extraction and Report Language”, is a programming language that operates in the same spaces as Python, Ruby, and PHP. It was a forerunner of open-source coding for multi-function and platform support, the role of which is now taken by Python.
Though both languages look quite similar, one of the most notable advantages of Python over Perl is its readability and functionality. Perl is mostly used for different aspects within the scope of data science.
Consider using Python over Pearl if your project requires the following:
- Simple and more defined code structure
- Seamless learning curve
- A wider range of development options
Instead, it’s worth using Perl if you or your team needs:
- Easy and short code processing
- Free of whitespaces syntax
- Support for simple tasks such as file scanning and report generations
Which Language Is Better – Python or Scala?
Finally, is the Scala language better than Python? It depends on the aspects that matter for your project specifically. While Scala has 10x faster performance compared to Python, it is much more difficult to learn and implement due to the limited libraries and supporting materials. Additionally, this language is more verbose, which adds to the complexity of its implementation and use.
What is more, unlike Python, Scala is basically produced as an object-oriented language, which has only started gaining advanced features in programming. Therefore, it’s not as effective and versatile in development as Python.
Python programming language can be an excellent option if you’re looking for:
- A functional boilerplate coding with an extensive number of third-party development tools
- Strong dynamic typing
- Built-in support for data types
But, you’ll surely want to consider using Scala for the cases when your project needs:
- A powerful concurrency support
- Faster performance and runtime speed
- Strong static typing
Python vs. Other Programming Languages
Now that you have learned the detailed comparison of the difference between Python and other programming languages for programming and software development.
In the table below, Uvik’s experts have briefly summarized the key differences between Python and other languages, covering nature, performance, code type, OS compatibility, library coverage, and the learning curve of each.
Well, based on the tables above, the difference between Python and other languages is obvious.
UVIK Experience in Python Development
With over a decade of experience in the development industry, Uvik features deep expertise across various technologies today, and Python programming is not an exception. Our Python developers have been delivering high-level solutions for different industries and markets, including marketing, logistics, IT, social media, and more.
Currently, Uvik company features a decent rating on Clutch (5.0 stars) and is listed in the top companies with deep expertise in IT outstaffing. Our portfolio includes a variety of Python-based projects, such as CommunityConnect Labs, VantagePoint, SimpleLegal, Dragon Force, and more, the detailed case studies of which are outlined in the Projects category on our website.
Should you have any questions concerning Python development, or already have a project to discuss – feel free to reach out to our experts. We’re always ready to meet different challenges in software development across various industries, as well as provide you with the most effective solution specifically for your business.
Final Thoughts
Having discovered how Python is different from other languages, you can now make a more informed decision on which option will better fit your project. Basically, Python is an excellent option for cross-platform development that is easy to use and understandable for different teams.
Its versatility and a large number of third-party development tools enable the creation of a stable code with minimum effort and resource input. Another aspect that makes Python different from other languages is its affordable development cost due to its high dominance in the IT market.
As a business owner, you know how challenging it is to evaluate the scripting potential of programming languages. With having a basic understanding and little to no knowledge of Python, it’s always useful to get a second opinion to decide whether it’s worth it.
Whatever project you come up with, Uvik’s experts are always focused on delivering the most efficient solutions for your business. So, once you need a consultation or get a deeper review of Python and other programming languages, contact us anytime!
