Nim vs Zig | Popularity, Salary, Performance, Features, and Applications
Zig and Nim are modern, compiled system programming languages that are easy to work with than C or C++.
If you are interested in embedded, hard-realtime systems, web development, game development, developing Graphical User Interfaces, you should learn Nim over Zig.
Nim is a statically typed compiled, high-level systems programming language. It combines successful concepts from mature languages like Python, Ada, and Modula.
On the other hand, if you want to work on real-time software, operating system kernels, embedded devices, low-latency servers, you should learn Zig over Nim.
Zig is a general-purpose programming language and toolchain for maintaining robust, optimal, and reusable software.
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:
NIM VS ZIG POPULARITY
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 solely for its popularity among developers, you should learn Zig over Nim.
Generally, Zig is more popular than Nim. According to a Stack Overflow survey of 2023, Zig is the 41st most commonly used programming language, it is used by 0.83% of developers.
On the other hand, Nim is the 48th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 0.38% of developers according to the same survey.
Zig is also admired by a lot of developers than Nim. As of 2023, Zig is admired by 71.33% of developers while Nim is admired by 53.78% of developers.
Ultimately, if your choice of which programming language to learn depends on popularity, you should learn Zig over Nim.
NIM VS ZIG 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, Zig developers get higher salaries than Nim developers. Actually, Zig developers are the highest-paid developers of 2023.
The 2023 Stack Overflow survey of top-paying programming languages revealed that Zig developers get a median salary of $103,611 per year.
On the other hand, Nim developers get a median salary of $80,000 per year, about $23,600 less than Zig developers.
So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a programming language, you should learn Zig over Nim, because you are more likely to get a higher salary as a Zig developer than as a Nim developer.
Here are 10 Programming Languages that Pay more than $90,000
IS NIM EASIER THAN ZIG
Yes, Nim is generally easier than Zig. Although both Nim and Zig are easier languages to work with, Nim is relatively easier than Zig. Nim has an English-like syntax that is similar to Python.
The Nim syntax is easily understood and results in code that can be modified very effectively. This makes it very easy to pick up Nim even for complete beginners.
Zig is also an easier language to work with. It is a small language with an easy to learn syntax. Zig’s entire syntax is specified with a 500-line PEG grammar file.
The good news is that there are plenty of helpful resources for both Zig and Nim to help you learn the languages.
The Zig and Nim communities are very active and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.
NIM VS ZIG PERFORMANCE
Zig and Nim are both statically typed compiled languages that are designed for performance.
However, there are some key differences between the two languages that can affect their performance.
Zig provides low-level control over memory and resources without sacrificing safety.
This allows developers to write highly optimized code tailored to their specific use cases, resulting in efficient execution.
Zig has 4 build modes that can be mixed and matched to increase performance and safety. These build modes are Debug, ReleaseFast, ReleaseSafe, and ReleaseSmall.
Zig also uses undefined behavior as a razor sharp tool for both bug prevention and performance enhancement.
Further, Zig uses a modern concept known as optional types or smart pointers. This results in very low or zero overhead.
On the other hand, Nim has modern concepts like zero-overhead iterators and compile-time evaluation of user-defined functions which lead to extremely performant code.
Nim also offers multiple garbage collection strategies, including manual memory management, reference counting, and more advanced garbage collection techniques.
This flexibility allows you to choose the most suitable approach for your performance needs.
Nim provides a high level of control over memory management and allows you to work at a low level when needed.
This can be useful for tasks that require fine-tuning memory usage and performance, such as systems programming or building high-performance libraries.
NIM VS ZIG FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS
NIM
Nim was designed to be efficient, expressive, and elegant. It supports foreign function interface with languages like C, C++, Objective-C, and JavaScript.
It also supports compiling to those same languages as intermediate representations.
Nim generates native dependency-free executables, not dependent on a virtual machine, which are small and can be easily redistribution.
The Nim compiler and the generated executables support all major platforms like Windows, Linux, BSD, and macOS.
ZIG
Zig was designed with the intention to be a C programming language replacement. It is intended to be a better solution to the sorts of tasks that are currently solved with C.
It provides interoperability with C, which makes it easy to use existing C libraries in Zig. Zig can also be used as a C compiler
Zig was designed with the goals of being even smaller and simpler to program in while also offering modern features, new optimizations, and a variety of safety mechanisms.
It has no hidden control flow, no hidden memory allocations, no preprocessor, and no macros. With Zig, Call any function at compile-time and manipulate types as values without runtime overhead.
Zig has many features that make it suitable for low-level programming, some of the notable ones include notably packed structs arbitrary-width integers, and multiple pointer types.
SHOULD I LEARN NIM OR ZIG
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 a high-paying language that you can use to work on real-time software, operating system kernels, embedded devices, low-latency servers, etc. you should learn Zig over Nim.
If you want an easy-to-use language for embedded, hard-realtime systems, web development, game development, developing Graphical User Interfaces, you should learn Nim over Zig.
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