Kotlin vs Python in 2023

If you are interested in working on web development, machine learning, automation tools, and data science, you should learn Python.

Python 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.

On the other hand, if you want to work on web frontend, server-side applications, multiplatform mobile apps, and Android applications, you should learn Kotlin.

Kotlin is designed to interoperate fully with Java, and the JVM version of Kotlin’s standard library depends on the Java Class Library.

Choosing which programming language to learn can be trick, there are many factors to consider when learning a new technology or programming language.

Popularity, opportunities, types of projects, salaries, resources, learning curve, etc. are some of the factors that many people consider when choosing to learn a programming language or a framework.

KOTLIN VS PYTHON POPULARITY

If you want to learn a programming language or framework solely for its popularity among developers, you should learn Python.

Python is a very popular choice for web development, data science, machine learning, automation tools, etc. While Kotlin is popular for server-side applications, web frontends, Android applications, etc.

Generally, Python is more popular than Kotlin. As of May 2023, The TIOBE index ranks Python as the most popular programming language while Kotlin is ranked 33rd.

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, Kotlin is the 14th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 9.92% of professional developers. But it is worth noting that Kotlin is a newer language compared to Python.

Further, more developers love Python than Kotlin within their respective communities. Python is loved by 67.34% of developers versus 32.66% of developers who dreaded it.

Kotlin on the other hand is loved by 63.29% of developers versus 36.71% of developers who dreaded it.

So, if your choice of which programming language to learn depends on popularity, you should learn Python over Kotlin.

Plus, there are more opportunities for Python Developers than Kotlin developers because Python is used by many companies and startups than Kotlin.

However, because Python is very popular and commonly used by many companies, there is going to be more competition for Python opportunities than for Kotlin opportunities.

In this regard, a Kotlin developer may get a job easily because of less competition.

Here are some jobs that you can get as a Python Developer.

KOTLIN VS PYTHON SALARY

Another popular criterion that many people use 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, Python developers get higher salaries than Kotlin developers. According to a Stack Overflow survey of Top Paying Technologies, Python Developers get an average salary of $71,105 per year while Kotlin developers get $69,318 per year.

Glassdoor reported that in the United States, Python developers with 1 – 3 years of experience get a Total salary of $99,211 per year.

On the other hand, Kotlin developers with 1 – 3 years of experience get a total salary of $98,405, just slightly less than Python developers.

So, if the salary is your major incentive for learning a language or framework, you should learn Python over Kotlin because you are more likely to get a higher salary as a Python developer than as a Kotlin developer.

KOTLIN VS PYTHON WHICH ONE IS EASIER

Some programming languages can be learned more easily than others. If you want a programming language that you can easily pick up and develop different types of applications, you should learn Python.

Both Python and Kotlin are beginner-friendly languages and you will not struggle much with learning either of them, but Python is easier than Kotlin.

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 Kotlin.

The good news is that there are many helpful resources for both Kotlin and Python to help you learn the languages. The Kotlin and Python 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.

Kotlin is a modern programming language that makes it very easy to write server-side applications and develop Android apps.

In 2017, Google announced that the Kotlin programming language is now its preferred language for Android app developers.

Another great feature of Kotlin is its interoperability with other languages like Java. This makes it easy to call JVM frameworks and libraries in a Kotlin codebase and vice-versa without issues.

As a result, developers can add more functionality to their Kotlin projects seamlessly using Java libraries and frameworks.

Kotlin powers some of the complex applications developed by companies like Google, Atlassian, Corda, Amazon, JetBrains, Pinterest, Under, Netflix, Duolingo, OLX, Evernote, Coursera, Gradle, Spring, and many others.

PYTHON VS KOTLIN PERFORMANCE

Kotlin generally provides better performance than Python. Kotlin is compiled to bytecode. Bytecode is a form of machine code that can be executed directly by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

Kotlin is a statically-typed language that runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) or can be compiled to native code using Kotlin Native.

The JVM provides advanced optimizations and just-in-time (JIT) compilation, which can result in efficient execution.

When Kotlin code is compiled to native code, it can achieve performance comparable to other compiled languages.

On the other hand, Python is interpreted. Python code is executed by a Python interpreter, which interprets the code line by line at runtime.

This interpretation process can introduce overhead and result in slower execution speeds compared to languages that are compiled to machine code.

That being said, the performance difference between Kotlin and Python can vary depending on the specific use case and the optimizations applied.

Python offers numerous libraries and frameworks for scientific computing, such as NumPy and SciPy, which leverage highly optimized code written in languages like C and Fortran, providing fast execution for numerical computations.

SHOULD I LEARN KOTLIN OR PYTHON

Once you have 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 language that you can learn easily, develop applications quickly, get a higher salary, and work on machine learning, data science, and web development applications, you should learn Python over Kotlin.

If you want a language that can help you work on Android applications, server-side applications, web frontends, and multiplatform mobile applications, you should learn Kotlin over Python.