Scala vs Kotlin

SCALA VS KOTLIN

If you are interested in web development, big data processing, machine learning, text processing, and server-side programming, you should learn Scala.

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.

Scala stats

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 a cross-platform, statically typed, general-purpose programming language with type inference. It is designed to interoperate fully with Java.

Kotlin stats

Both Scala and Kotlin are designed to interoperate fully with 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.

SCALA VS KOTLIN 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 Kotlin over Scala.

Generally, Kotlin is more popular than Scala. The TIOBE index 2023 ranks Kotlin as the 35th most popular programming language while Scala is ranked as the 38th most popular programming language.

According to a Stack Overflow survey of 2022, Kotlin is the 15th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 9.16% of developers.

On the other hand, Scala is the 26th most commonly used programming language, it is used by 2.97% of professional developers according to the same survey.

Further, Kotlin is more loved by developers than Scala. As of 2022, Kotlin is loved by 63.29% of developers versus 36.71% of developers who dreaded it.

On the other hand, Scala is loved by 50.30% of developers versus 49.70% of developers who dreaded it.

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

SCALA VS KOTLIN 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, Scala developers get higher salaries than Kotlin developers. According to a Stack Overflow survey of top-paying programming languages, Scala developers get an average salary of $92,780 per year.

On the other hand, Kotlin developers get an average salary of $69,318 per year, about $23,000 less than Scala developers.

Glassdoor reported that in the United States, Scala developers with 1 – 3 years of experience get an estimated total salary of $132,413 per year.

On the other hand, Kotlin developers with 1 – 3 years of experience get an estimated total salary of $98,405 per year.

Kotlin vs Scala Salary

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

Here are 10 Programming Languages that Pay more than $90,000

SCALA VS KOTLIN WHICH ONE IS EASIER

Both Scala and Kotlin 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 background, you will find Scala and Kotlin very easy to work with. If you are a complete beginner, Kotlin will be a little bit easier than Scala.

If you are interested in Android applications and mobile apps, Kotlin will be the easiest language to work with.

If you are interested in big data processing, Scala will be the easiest language to work with.

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

The Kotlin and Scala communities are very active and helpful, in case you get stuck with something.

SCALA VS KOTLIN PERFORMANCE

Scala and Kotlin are similar in their design and usage, however, Kotlin is more performant than Scala in many cases.

Kotlin has a simpler syntax compared to Scala, which makes it easier for the compiler to optimize the code. This can lead to faster execution times and smaller memory usage.

Further, Kotlin’s standard library is smaller than Scala’s, which means that there is less overhead in loading and using the libraries. This can result in faster startup times and less memory usage.

It’s worth noting that Scala also has performance optimization techniques that can make it faster than Kotlin in certain scenarios.

FEATURES AND APPLICATIONS

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.

KOTLIN

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.

SHOULD I LEARN SCALA OR KOTLIN

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 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 Kotlin.

If you are interested in a popular language that can help you work on Android applications, server-side applications, web frontends, and multiplatform mobile applications, you should learn Kotlin over Scala.