NOTE Go or what is informally known as “GoLang” will be referred to by its official name “Go”. The name “Go” also emphasizes its simplicity and ease of use.

As software development continues to evolve, developers often find themselves faced with a crucial decision: choosing the right programming language for their projects. In this blog post, we’ll compare and contrast these three languages in terms of compile time, binary size, general performance, garbage collection, modern tooling differences, and which is best for new developers.

Compile Time

Go: One of Go’s standout features is its blazing-fast compile times. It excels in this area due to its simplicity and a focus on concurrent compilation. Even for large projects, Go compiles in a matter of seconds, making it a preferred choice for projects with tight development cycles. Go excels with average compile times of < 1 second even for large projects due to its simple design and concurrent compilation.[1]

Rust: Rust’s compile times are generally longer compared to Go, primarily because of its more advanced type system and borrow checker. However, the trade-off is robust memory safety. The Rust compiler ensures memory safety without relying on garbage collection, which makes the extra compilation time worthwhile for many developers.

C++: While modern C++ standards (C++11 and beyond) have introduced features to improve compilation speed, large codebases can still result in lengthy compile times. C++ provides fine-grained control over compilation, but this power can come at the cost of slower development feedback loops.

Binary Size

Go: Go is renowned for producing compact, statically-linked binaries. This is advantageous for applications where a small memory footprint is crucial, such as cloud-native microservices. Go’s runtime includes a garbage collector, which can increase binary size slightly, but it remains efficient.

Rust: Rust’s binaries are typically smaller than those produced by Go for smaller projects. However, the larger the project gets, the binary sizes become very comparable.

C++: C++ binaries can be quite large, especially when using libraries or features that introduce substantial runtime overhead. While C++ allows for low-level optimization to reduce binary size, developers need to carefully manage dependencies and compiler flags to achieve smaller executables.

Comparisons

General Performance

Go: Go is designed for excellent runtime performance. Its goroutine-based concurrency model is efficient and makes it easy to write concurrent programs. While it may not match the raw performance of C++ in certain scenarios, it’s often considered “fast enough” for many use cases. In practice this means a 0-30% reduction in speed as compared to Rust or C++.

Rust: Rust is known for its focus on performance and safety. It can achieve C++ levels of performance by providing low-level control over memory management without sacrificing safety. Rust’s ownership and borrowing system allow developers to write high-performance code with confidence.

C++: C++ is renowned for its performance and versatility. It’s a systems programming language that allows developers to optimize code for specific hardware and performance-critical applications. However, this level of control comes with a steeper learning curve and increased development complexity.

Garbage Collection

Go (Golang): Go employs a garbage collector, which simplifies memory management for developers. While garbage collection introduces a minimal runtime overhead, Go’s efficient design often offsets this impact. Developers can focus on writing code rather than managing memory. [2]

Rust: The Rust programming language relies on a strict ownership system, ensuring memory safety at compile-time. This approach eliminates the runtime overhead associated with garbage collection, making Rust suitable for systems programming and high-performance applications.

C++: C++ doesn’t include a built-in garbage collector, giving developers complete control over memory management. However, this control can lead to memory-related bugs if not managed carefully. Developers must manually allocate and deallocate memory, which can be error-prone and extra effort. [3]

Modern Tooling Differences

Go: Go comes with a comprehensive standard library and excellent tooling. Tools like go fmt for code formatting, go test for testing and coverage, and go mod for dependency management are integral to the Go ecosystem. Go’s tooling promotes consistency and efficiency.

Rust: Rust’s tooling has made significant strides in recent years. It boasts tools like Cargo for dependency management, building, and testing. Rust’s package manager, crates.io, offers a vast collection of libraries. The Rust community values robust tooling to ensure a smooth development experience.

C++: C++ tooling can vary significantly depending on the chosen compiler and build system. While modern build systems like CMake and tools like Clang and GCC have improved C++ development, it can be more challenging for newcomers to navigate.

Best for New Developers

Go stands out as the ultimate champion for general purpose developer tasks if performance is a key focus. Its simplicity, clean syntax, and thoughtful design make it an excellent starting point for beginners. The Go community places a strong emphasis on beginner-friendly practices and provides outstanding documentation and resources. Moreover, Go’s lightning-fast compilation times ensure that new developers receive quick feedback, enhancing the learning experience.

While Rust and C++ have their merits in terms of performance and control, they come with steeper learning curves and complexities that might overwhelm newcomers. Go, on the other hand, empowers new developers to dive right into coding, fostering a positive and productive environment for learning and building software.

In conclusion, for those starting their programming journey or looking for a language that promotes rapid skill development, Go is the undisputed choice. Its beginner-friendly nature, extensive resources, and efficient tooling make it the perfect language for new developers to embark on their coding adventures.