C# vs Rust
If you are interested in building command line tools, network services, embedded systems, webAssembly, or systems programming, you should learn Rust.
Rust is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language that emphasizes performance, type safety, and concurrency.
On the other hand, C# is a modern, multiparadigm, object-oriented, and type-safe programming language. C# enables developers to build many types of secure and robust applications that run in .NET.
If you want to work on games, web applications, desktop applications, and augmented and virtual reality applications, you should learn C#.
In my experience, the syntax of C# is much closer to Java, Scala or Kotlin, while the syntax of Rust is similar to that of C and C++.
Comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn can be tricky, there are many factors to consider in order to choose the right programming language for the job you want to do.
Popularity, opportunities, types of projects, salaries, resources, learning curve, etc. are some of the factors that many people consider when comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn.
Here are some of the comparisons and considerations you should make when choosing to learn a new programming language.
C# VS RUST POPULARITY
Comparing the popularity of programming languages is not an easy task because each programming language is different and they all seek to solve different problems.
Plus, other programming languages have been around for a longer time than others, giving them more time to be tried and tested, so, bear that in mind.
If you want to learn a programming language solely for its popularity among developers, you should learn C# over Rust.
Generally, C# is more popular than Rust. The TIOBE index 2023 ranks C# as the 4th most popular programming language while Rust is ranked as the 19th most popular programming language.
According to a Stack Overflow survey of 2022, C# is the 7th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 29.72% of professional developers.
On the other hand, Rust is the 15th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 8.80% of professional developers.
It is worth noting that, Rust is more loved by developers than C#. Rust has been the most loved programming language for seven years straight.
As of 2022, Rust is loved by 86.73% of developers versus 13.27% of developers who dreaded it.
On the other hand, C# is loved by 63.39% of developers versus 36.61% of developers who dreaded it.
Ultimately, if your choice of which programming language to learn depends on popularity, you should learn C#.
Also check Rust for Game Development
C# VS RUST SALARY
Another popular criterion that many people use to compare programming languages and as an incentive to learn a new programming language is salary.
Salaries for developers differ from one company to the other and from one country to the other.
Experience is another factor that comes into play as far as salaries are concerned. The more experience you have with a certain technology or programming language, the more likely you are of getting a higher salary.
Generally, Rust developers get higher salaries than C# developers.
According to a Stack Overflow survey of top-paying programming languages, Rust developers get an average salary of $87,047 per year.
On the other hand, C# developers get an average salary of $69,516 per year about $17,000 less than Rust developers.
So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a language, you should learn Rust over C#, because you are more likely to get a higher salary as a Rust developer than as a C# developer.
C# VS RUST WHICH ONE IS EASIER
Both C# and Rust are relatively easy languages to work with, they both have an easy-to-understand syntax that is also simple to write.
If you are coming from a Java or Kotlin background, you will find C# very easy to work with. If you are a complete beginner, C# will be a little bit easier than Rust to get started with.
Rust can be quite challenging, especially for complete beginners. Some Rust concepts like ownership and borrowing add a little bit of complexity to the language.
But if you are familiar with systems programming, you will find Rust very easy and straightforward.
Especially when you are targeting low-resource devices, Rust will give you low-level control without giving up high-level conveniences, this makes it a little bit easy to work on systems.
The good news is that there are plenty of helpful resources for both Rust and C# to help you learn the languages.
The Rust and C# communities are very active and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.
C# VS RUST PERFORMANCE
If you plan on working on applications where top-notch performance is critical, you should learn Rust over C#.
Rust is a high-performance language, it emphasizes performance, type safety, and concurrency.
Rust has great and unique features that give it great performance and makes it suitable for building command line tools, network services, embedded systems, and more.
One of the best features of Rust is how it handles memory.
While developers have to manually handle memory management in languages like C++ or use a garbage collector with languages like C#, Go, Java, Scala, Kotlin, etc. Rust takes a unique approach;
Developers can still handle memory without shooting themselves in the foot with a concept of ownership and borrowing. This makes it easy and quick to build reliable and efficient software.
Since Rust does not perform garbage collection, it is often faster than other memory-safe languages like C#.
FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
C#
C# runs on the .NET, which gives C# a lot of features and functionality. The .NET also includes extensive libraries, these libraries support many different workloads.
C# code compiles to CLR (Common Language Runtime) which provides a lot of advantages to .NET developers.
C# has many amazing features that make it suitable for game development, full-stack web development, desktop app development, machine learning, and Augmented and Virtual Reality app development.
C# has the ability to utilize Language Integrated Query (LINQ) through the .NET Framework. This allows a developer to work with data from any source.
It also has asynchronous operations that provide syntax for building distributed systems.
Other popular C# features that make C# applications secure and robust include Nullable Types, Garbage Collection, Lambda Expressions, Exception Handling, etc.
C# is used by many companies such as Stack Overflow, Forza Horizon, Microsoft, UPS, Tencent, Alaska Airlines, BBC, Just Giving, FreshDirect, BBVA, LightSail, Astro Reality, VQ Communications, GoDaddy, Raygun, and many others.
Also check What is C# used for?
RUST
Rust has great unique features that make it suitable for building command line tools, network services, embedded systems, and more. One of the best features of Rust is how it handles memory.
Rust can power performance-critical services, run on embedded devices, and easily integrate with other languages.
Rust can interface with other programming languages such as C and C++, it has a foreign function interface that can be used to call code written in C from Rust and to call Rust code from C.
Rust also has a library called CXX that can be used to call C++ code from Rust and to call Rust Code from C++.
There are many companies using Rust, some of the popular ones include Dropbox, Firefox, Cloudflare, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Discord, Mozilla, NPM, etc.
SHOULD I LEARN C# OR RUST
Once you have compared the languages and evaluated all the factors, you can choose which programming language to learn depending on the factors that are on your side and what you want to build.
If you want to work on games, web applications, desktop applications, and augmented and virtual reality apps, machine learning, you should learn C# over Rust.
If you are interested in a high-performance language that can help you in developing systems quickly, working on command line tools, network services, embedded systems, and webAssembly, you should learn Rust over C#.
