Clojure vs Scala | Popularity, Salary, Performance, Features, and Applications
Scala and Clojure are both general-purpose programming languages that run on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
They both interoperate seamlessly with Java code, allowing them to take advantage of the existing Java libraries or systems.
if you want to work on server-side applications, cloud applications, web applications, IoT apps, and Data Science projects, you should learn Clojure over Scala.
Clojure is a robust, dynamic, general-purpose, and functional dialect of the Lisp programming language on the Java platform.
On the other hand, if you are interested in a multi-paradigm language that you can use for web development, big data processing, machine learning, text processing, and server-side programming, you should learn Scala over Clojure.
Scala is a strong statically typed general-purpose programming language, it supports both object-oriented programming and functional programming.
Scala was designed to address most of the criticism of Java.
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.
CLOJURE VS SCALA 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 Scala over Clojure.
Generally, Scala is more popular than Clojure. As of August 2023, the TIOBE INDEX ranks Scala as the 31st most popular programming language while Clojure does not appear in the top 50 popular programming languages.
According to a Stack Overflow survey of 2023, Scala is the 27th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 2.77% of developers.
On the other hand, Clojure is the 35th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 1.28% of developers according to the same survey.
It is worth noting that Clojure is admired by a lot of developers than Scala. As of 2023, Clojure is admired by 68.51% of developers while Scala is admired by 52.27% of developers.
Ultimately, if your choice of which programming language to learn depends on popularity, you should learn Scala over Clojure.
CLOJURE VS SCALA 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 to get a higher salary.
Generally, Scala developers get higher salaries than Clojure developers. Scala is among some of the highly-paid programming languages.
Glassdoor reported that in the United States, Scala Developers with 1 – 3 years of experience get a total pay of $134,302 per year.
On the other hand, Clojure developers with the same experience get a total of $95,269 per year, about $39,000 less than Scala developers
So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a language, you should learn Scala over Clojure, because you are more likely to get a higher salary as a Scala developer than as a Clojure developer.
Here are 10 Programming Languages that Pay more than $90,000
CLOJURE OR SCALA WHICH ONE IS EASIER
Scala is generally considered to be easier to learn than Clojure. Developers with a background in mainstream languages find Scala easier to approach due to its syntax similarities.
Clojure’s syntax is based on Lisp, which might seem unusual if you’re coming from languages with more traditional syntax.
However, once you grasp the Lisp-style syntax and its inherent simplicity, it can become quite elegant to work with.
If you are coming from a Lisp background, you will find Clojure easier to work with.
The good news is that there are plenty of helpful resources for both Scala and Clojure to help you learn the languages.
The Scala and Clojure communities are very active and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.
SCALA VS CLOSURE PERFORMANCE
Both Scala and Clojure are compiled languages that run on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), which means they can achieve high performance due to the optimizations provided by the JVM’s Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler.
However, Scala is generally faster than Clojure. Scala provides tools for fine-grained control over performance, which can be beneficial in certain situations.
On the other hand, Clojure’s excellent concurrency support can make it a better choice for tasks that require parallel processing.
Clojure’s emphasis on functional programming, immutability, and persistent data structures can sometimes lead to more predictable and consistent performance in multi-threaded or concurrent scenarios.
This is due to the avoidance of shared mutable state, which can help prevent certain types of performance bottlenecks.
CLOJURE VS SCALA FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
CLOJURE
Clojure combines the approachability and interactive development of a scripting language with an efficient and robust infrastructure for multithreaded programming.
Clojure provides tools for managing concurrent and parallel execution, making it easier to write programs that take advantage of modern multicore processors.
Clojure runs on the JVM, which means it can leverage Java libraries and frameworks seamlessly. This makes it easy to reuse existing Java code and integrate with the Java ecosystem.
Clojure is used by many companies such as Walmart, Nubank, Puppet, Chartbeat, MailOnline, BeanStalk, Atlassion, Base2, Kidblog, Greenius, Lendup, Zimpler, Gojek, Pisano, Freshcode, French Digital Administration, and many others.
SCALA
Scala provides language interoperability with Java, meaning that libraries written in Java can be called or referenced directly in Scala code and libraries written in Scala can be referenced in Java.
This provides a lot of advantages and features for both Scala and Java developers.
Scala’s standard library includes support for futures and promises for asynchronous programming.
Scala also comes with built-in support for data-parallel operations on collections to improve performance.
Actors can also be used for concurrency and distribution.
There are many popular companies using Scala, some of them include Twitter, Wix, Viber, Decathlon.fr, Coursera, Linkedin, Duolingo, Apple, The Guardian, and many others.
IS CLOJURE BETTER THAN SCALA
Clojure is better than Scala in projects that involve heavy concurrency and parallelism, Clojure’s focus on immutable data structures and its concurrency primitives can make it an excellent choice.
Clojure is also better than Scala for Data-Centric Applications. Clojure has gained popularity in areas such as data science, analytics, and processing large datasets due to its data manipulation capabilities and efficient concurrency support.
On the other hand, Scala is better than Clojure when you need a strong type system and the ability to catch errors at compile time, Scala’s type system is quite powerful and can help ensure code quality.
Scala is also better than Clojure for Larger and more complex projects. Scala’s expressiveness and support for both functional and object-oriented programming can make it suitable for larger, more complex projects.
SHOULD I LEARN SCALA OR CLOJURE
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 a popular, high-paying language that you can use for web development, big data processing, machine learning, text processing, and server-side programming, you should learn Scala over Clojure.
If you are interested in a Lisp dialect that you can use to work on server-side applications, cloud applications, web applications, IoT apps, and Data Science projects, you should learn Clojure over Scala.