Elixir vs Python: What to Learn in 2023
Elixir is a dynamic, high-level, functional language for building scalable and maintainable applications. Elixir runs on the Erlang Virtual Machine, known for creating low-latency, distributed, and fault-tolerant systems.
If you want to work on web applications, real-time applications, fault-tolerant applications, embedded systems, and automation tools, you should learn Elixir.
On the other hand, Python is a general-purpose programming language that focuses on simplicity and readability.
Rather than building all of its functionality into its core, Python was designed to be highly extensible through modules.
Python is commonly used for web development, automation and testing tools, machine learning, and data science.
If you are interested in working on web development, machine learning, automation tools, and data science, you should learn Python.
Comparing programming languages and choosing which one to learn or use for your next project 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, type 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 or use.
Here are some of the comparisons and considerations you should make when choosing to learn a new programming language.
POPULARITY AND OPPORTUNITIES
Comparing the popularity of programming languages is not an easy task because each programming language is different.
Although the usage of many programming languages may intersect, different fields and projects may require the use of different programming languages.
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 or framework solely for its popularity among developers, you should learn Python over Elixir.
Generally, Python is more popular than Elixir. According to a Stack Overflow survey of 2022, Python is the 4th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 43.51% of professional developers.
On the other hand, Elixir is the 28th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 2.46% of professional developers according to the same survey.
It is worth noting that although Elixir is not as popular as Python, it has received a lot of love from the developer community, Elixir is the second most loved programming language of 2022.
As of 2022, Elixir is loved by 75.46% of developers versus 24.54% of developers who dreaded it. On the other hand, Python is loved by 67.34% of developers versus 32.66% of developers who dreaded it.
Ultimately, if your choice of which programming language to learn depends on popularity, you should learn Python.
SALARIES
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, Elixir developers get higher salaries than Python developers. According to a Stack Overflow survey of top-paying programming languages, Elixir developers get an average salary of $92,959 per year.
On the other hand, Python developers get an average salary of $71,105 per year, about $21,000 less than Elixir developers.
So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a language or framework, you should learn Elixir over Python, because you are more likely to get a higher salary as an Elixir developer than as a Python developer.
Here are some of the popular jobs you can get as a Python Developer.
BEGINNER FRIENDLINESS
Some programming languages can be learned more easily than others. Generally, Python is easier and more beginner-friendly than Elixir.
Python has an English-like, easy-to-understand syntax that makes it very easy to write code. Getting started with Python is much easier than with Elixir.
But if you are a fan of functional programming languages, you will pick up Elixir very quickly.
Functional programming promotes a coding style that helps developers write code that is short, concise, and maintainable. This makes writing Elixir code quick and straightforward.
The good news is that there are plenty of helpful resources for both Python and Elixir to help you learn the languages. The Python and Elixir communities are very active and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.
FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
Python has a large standard library that provides tools and features suited for many applications. It supports many standard protocols and formats like HTTP, MIME, and many others.
It also includes modules that can be used for relational database connection, unit testing, and manipulation of regular expressions.
Python has many amazing features, libraries, and packages that make it a popular choice for web development, scientific and numeric applications, system administration, GUI development, and more.
Python powers some of the complex applications developed by companies like Google, NASA, IBM, Microsoft, Meta, Cisco, Duolingo, Pinterest, Reddit, Pixar, Netflix, and many others.
On the other hand, Elixir runs on the Erlang VM, known for creating low-latency, distributed, and fault-tolerant systems. It is also designed to handle large data volumes.
These capabilities and Elixir tooling helps developers to be productive in several domains, such as telecommunications, web development, embedded software, data pipelines, and multimedia processing, across a wide range of industries.
To help developers build fault-tolerant systems, Elixir provides supervisors which describe how to restart parts of your system when things go wrong.
Elixir is also compatible with Erlang, this gives developers complete access to the Erlang ecosystem. An Elixir programmer can invoke any Erlang function with no runtime cost. This helps developers to build robust applications.
Elixir is used by many companies such as Mozilla, Pinterest, Xplane, Ramp, Brex, Discord, Heroku, FarmBot, Duffel, The Outline, Slab, Pepsico, Change.org, Bleacher Report, Inverse, Moz, Divvy, PagerDuty, and many others.
CONCLUSION
Once you have compared the languages and evaluated all the factors, you can choose which programming language to learn or use depending on the factors that are on your side and what you want to build.
If you want to work on web applications, real-time applications, fault-tolerant applications, embedded systems, automation tools, and potentially fetch a higher salary, you should learn Elixir.
If you want a popular language that you can learn easily, develop applications quickly, and work on machine learning, data science, automation tools, and web applications, you should learn Python over Elixir.
