Top 10 Most Popular Programming Languages

Aleksandra M. -

Nowadays, being a developer is like being a rockstar. Everyone wants to see what you came up with and hear your professional opinion. Developers maybe don't have groupies (or do they?) but they still have fun - doing the job in multiple, most popular programming languages.
On the more serious side, the market is constantly in a demand for programmers. The ones that are devoted wrote thousands of code lines and are not afraid to try new programming languages. The trends are constantly changing, especially thanks to IoT (Internet of Things) technology. However, the funny thing is that, according to Spectrum IEEE, no new languages made into the most popular programming languages list in the past 2 years.
If you are thinking about hiring a few engineers, you have to know what to look for.

Most popular programming languages

If you are someone who wants to learn more about programming languages before you read the rest of this post, make sure to answer a few questions:

  • Why do you wanna learn programming languages?
  • How much time are you willing to put in learning?
  • Do you prefer backend or frontend?

There are so many languages to choose from and we bring you top 10 most popular programming languages, in alphabetical order:

C

This is a general-purpose language, which is quite old - over 40 years old. It serves as a builder for devices, apps, and even 3D movies. In Serbia, this is the language that is primarily taught in college, because it is a great language to start with. C has more of an academic base and a lot of most popular programming languages are based on it. Also, this is an open-source language.

C++

C and C++ are connected. If you are familiar with the previously mentioned one, you'll get a head start with C++.
There are so many benefits of using C++:

  • it's fast,
  • it allows you to use different programming styles,
  • it is object-oriented.

C++ is used for making softwares, games and browsers. For example, Adobe products like Photoshop and Illustrator are C++ based products.

C#

It is pronounced C-sharp (not C hashtag) and you'll thank me later. This programme is similar to Java, they almost go together hand in hand. C# is mostly used for developing Microsoft apps, but can be used for Android and iOS apps with the help of Xamarin. According to Jake Widman, from newrelic.com, programmers use the most JavaScript, Python, and C# and actually like them.

Java

Would it really be a top 10 most popular programming languages list if we didn't mention Java? Probably not.
According to GitHub and its Popularity of Programming Languages list, Java maintains championship as a still the most in-demanding programming language.
Java is most connected to Android apps (as a part of backend team), but it can serve well for creating video games, softwares and web apps.
LinkedIn, Amazon and eBay use Java.

JavaScript

Don't make a mistake, this programming language is not related in any way with the previously mentioned Java. In the Stack Overflow survey conducted last year, JavaScript appeared as the most used language by the programmers.
This is definitely one of the most popular programming languages and it has been here for a long time, since 1995. Now, you can find JavaScript all over the web. It is considered to be a part of the frontend team but can be a part of the backend.

Objective C

So many Cs, I know. This is the last one. Objective C is one of the popular programming languages that is general-purpose and object-oriented. It is formed for developing apps on iOS and OS X and its base is C. This means that objective C has syntax and flow control statements just like C and some other syntax for classes and methods. However, this programme's future is questionable since Swift (check the Honorable mention part) is taking charge.
In 2017, this most popular programming language celebrates his 33rd birthday.

PHP

There is no way you haven't heard about PHP. If you are looking to be a backend developer, don't skip this programming language, since it is often used by junior developers. One of the biggest advantages of PHP is that it is open-source and easy - embed code within HTML and that's it.
PHP is a part of Content Management System for WordPress.

Python

Don't worry, Python won't grab you with his teeth and eat you up. Actually, it is probably the easiest programming language outhere and the most popular, because of the IoT trend.
Let's just say that Instagram and Pinterest are built on this language. The main reason why this is one of the most popular programming languages because it is so simple to use. Also, Python has so many frameworks that you can use it for anything.

Ruby

Oh, our loved one. We deal with creating web apps on Ruby, precisely Ruby on Rails (using Rails framework).
According to blog.newrelic.com, there were 2,136 jobs posted for Ruby developers and that was in November 2016.
If you want to know why we decided to use Ruby, check our previous blog post.

SQL

SQL stands for Standard Query Languages, but it always reminded me of the word school. Since you can't actually find this language on the GitHub most popular list, we questioned whether it was still popular and it is. According to stackyfi.com, it achieved a number of 85% of search volume in this month.
SQL is the most popular programming language that is never used alone and it serves a purpose of being great if you have huge databases.

Honorable mention

Since this list is pretty short, we had to have an honorable mention and acknowledge Apple for trying (and succeeding) - the Swift. Not Taylor Swift.
If you want to be an iOS developer any time soon, this is a must. Swift was released in 2014, and its popularity goes up each day.

Final thoughts

Tip of the day for developer newbies: One of the greatest tips we can give you is don't go overboard. If you want to do backend, you don't have to learn all of the most popular programming languages in that field, start with one. Do the research, find what you are interested in and what the company you would like to apply for.

Tip of the day for CEOs: Of course you want to hire a good developer. It is up to you to decide whether to go with the full-stack developer or with one that is an expert in a couple of fields. Sometimes it's better to hire a developer that knows two or three things, while for the other task you need a person that will see a problem from multiple different points. Tasks require adjustments.

As the Grand Master Yoda says: "Do. Or do not. There is no try."

'Till next time!