Top 10 best programming languages to learn in 2025

Choosing the best programming language to learn ultimately depends on your goals, as each has its strengths and ideal use cases.

Here are five of the most popular languages to learn this year:

1. Python – A highly versatile, beginner-friendly option that’s often used for AI software development, data science, and web development.
2. JavaScript – The backbone of web development, powering millions of interactive websites and dynamic web applications.
3. PHP – The server-side language powering WordPress and much of the web. It’s a great option for building content-driven sites, APIs, and scalable web apps (especially with frameworks like Laravel).
4. C++ – A powerful and flexible language for game development, high-performance applications, and embedded systems.
5. C# – Excellent for building Windows applications, developing games with Unity, and creating cross-platform mobile apps.

Whether you want to level up your skills, explore the growing field of AI-driven software development, or enhance your programming abilities in the wake of the vibe coding trend, continue reading to get a clear picture of which language to start with and how to prepare yourself to become a programmer.

1. Python

Being a high-level, general-purpose programming language, Python can be used for various tasks, from data analysis and visualization to web development, prototyping, and automation.

Python is popular among software developers since it works well as a scripting language. Moreover, it lets users implement different programming paradigms, including the object-oriented, imperative, procedural, and functional programming languages.

Furthermore, this language is open-source, enabling programmers to modify its source code to fit their needs.

Python is easier to learn than other languages thanks to its syntax familiarity with English. If you want to kickstart your career as a software developer or engineer, learning to code in Python can be a great starting point.

On top of all, Python developers are in high and growing demand. Choose from various job roles, such as a data scientist, a software engineer, and an artificial intelligence (AI) researcher.

If you’re interested to learn Python, check out our top list of web developer certifications to scale your programming career.

2. C#

C# is an object-oriented programming language – a model that organizes software design around objects.

C# is one of the top programming languages due to its fast performance and improved stability. This coding language is also easier to learn than its predecessors, C and C++, as it has a simple syntax and well-defined class hierarchy.

Starting off as Microsoft’s language for its .NET framework, C# is now compatible with Windows and Linux. Therefore, it’s arguably the best programming language to learn for developing GUI-based desktop applications.

Programmers can also use C# in various environments, including mobile and enterprise software. In other words, they can create Android and iOS apps and develop 2D and 3D games in Unity.

C# is in high demand as many web development companies continuously seek talented coders with C# expertise. Some of the best job roles for C# developers include software engineers and game or mobile app developers.

Best for	Beginners and intermediates.
Difficulty	Moderate.
Skill requirements	Basic knowledge of C and object-oriented programming language approach can smooth the learning process.
Use cases	Web applications. Mobile applications. Game and VR development. Linux and Mac applications.
Average .NET developer income	$99,117/year according to Indeed.
Cross-platform support	Cross-platform with .NET Core, enabling development for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Mobile and web apps development is also possible with frameworks like Xamarin and Blazor.
Pros	Fast compilation and execution times. Perfect for all types of Windows development. Safer than C and C++, as it doesn’t use pointers. Large .NET developer community. Vast frameworks.
Cons	Considerably steeper learning curve than other languages. Doesn’t translate well cross-platform as it’s dependent on the .NET environment.

3. C++

C++ is the enhanced version of C and one of the most popular programming languages in computer science. What’s more, versatility makes C++ the best programming language to learn.

Its fast and powerful nature lets developers create applications with excellent performance, like video games, graphics software, and web browsers.

It combines low and high-level language characteristics, making it excellent for system programming while allowing abstraction for smaller projects. Also, C++ is a multi-paradigm coding language, supporting OOP, generic, and imperative programming.

On a side note, learning C++ can be challenging for beginners as it has a more complex syntax than other programming languages.

In terms of job opportunities, C++ proficiency is necessary for many IT professionals, such as software developers and programming architects.

At present, C++ developer jobs are in high demand as it’s one of the most complex coding languages to learn. Make sure to highlight your programming language skills in your web developer resume to land the best offers.

Best for	Experienced coders.
Difficulty	Hard.
Skill requirements	Problem-solving, computer functions, and basic programming knowledge.
Use cases	Computer programs. Operating systems. Mobile app development. Video game development. Client and server-side application development. Machine learning.
Average C++ developer income	$131,060/year according to Indeed.
Cross-platform support	Supported on virtually all major operating systems, from Windows, macOS, and Linux to embedded systems, game consoles, and IoT devices.
Pros	Open-source. Highly versatile. Fast and powerful. Allows more control. Works well cross-device and cross-platform. Skills are easily transferable to other languages.
Cons	It can be challenging for beginners. Misuses of pointers can lead to errors. Its object-oriented structure is less efficient than other OOP-based programming languages. Lack of garbage collection.

4. JavaScript

According to a W3Tech survey, nearly 99% of websites use JavaScript for their client-side scripting, making it the most popular language for this purpose. That makes learning JavaScript on top of HTML and CSS highly beneficial if you want to focus on front-end web development.

This scripting language is often used to improve a webpage’s interactivity. It lets web developers add dynamic elements on their landing pages, such as animated graphics, clickable buttons, and mouseover effects. With JavaScript frameworks like React, developers can make front-end development faster and more efficient.

Given its role in building dynamic interactivity, JavaScript is also an excellent language for building web apps. Even better, developers can build full-stack applications and APIs with the same JavaScript language using Node.js. This makes JavaScript highly versatile, allowing you to handle both front-end and back-end development seamlessly.

JavaScript is a relatively easy language to learn, which makes it great for UI/UX designers, full-stack web developers, and software engineers. With Node.js or React in your toolkit, it’s the perfect choice if you want to become a versatile web developer capable of building both dynamic front-end interfaces and robust back-end systems – all with a single language.

Best for	Beginners.
Difficulty	Relatively easy.
Skill requirements	Basic coding skills and familiarity with HTML and CSS.
Use cases	Front-end web development. Game development. Web applications.
Average JavaScript developer income	$109,208/year according to Indeed.
Cross-platform support	Works in all modern browsers and across operating systems.
Pros	Open-source. Client-side JavaScript is incredibly fast as it doesn’t require compilation. Works well with other top programming languages. Great for boosting a website’s user experience and engagement.
Cons	Security issues. Unstable cross-browser performance.

5. PHP

One of the first back-end languages many web developers find essential to learn is PHP. On top of that, it is used by over 70% of all websites, according to a W3Tech survey.

Compared to other programming languages, PHP is easy to learn. Apart from having extensive resources available for beginners, PHP syntax is elementary.

Furthermore, this programming language offers excellent PHP frameworks for website and application development. Some of the best ones include Laravel, Symfony, and CodeIgniter.

In terms of job opportunities, PHP is an in-demand open-source programming language despite being one of the oldest in the industry. PHP programmers can use this language to write command-line scripts as well as server-side scripts and develop desktop applications.

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Best for	Beginners.
Difficulty	Very easy to learn.
Skill requirements	Basic coding skills, especially in CSS and HTML, can ease the learning process.
Use cases	Web development. Desktop applications. Computer programs.
Average PHP developer income	$81,383/year according to Indeed.
Cross-platform support	Runs on all major OS environments with a compatible web server.
Pros	Open-source. PHP 7 and higher is fast. Well-established for web development. Supports OOP and functional programming. Excellent community support.
Cons	Security issues. Creating a website using PHP is slower than using other programming languages. Fewer debugging tools.

6. Swift

Swift is among the more recent programming languages in today’s market. When it first launched, Swift was an alternative to Objective-C – the primary language for Apple products.

Developers shifted to Swift as it offers modern features, like concurrent programming and automatic memory management. Swift is also easier to write and faster than Objective-C.

As a result, Swift is the best programming language in Apple product development and one of the fastest-growing programming languages available.

If you’re interested in developing Apple products, consider choosing Swift as your first language to learn. Even better, learning Swift opens up opportunities to join Apple Developer Academies in Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

Best for	Beginners.
Difficulty	Easy to read and learn.
Skill requirements	None.
Use cases	Software development for macOS and iOS apps.
Average Swift developer income	$117,334/year for iOS developers according to Indeed.
Cross-platform support	Primarily designed for Apple platforms, but with Swift for Windows and Swift for Linux, developers can target multiple environments.
Pros	Open-source. 2.6x faster than Objective-C. Improved readability due to clean code. Interoperable with Objective-C. Less memory footprint.
Cons	Often considered as a young programming language despite its rapid development. Lack of support for older iOS versions.

7. Java

Java is a proprietary programming language owned by Oracle. It’s a high-level, general-purpose programming language, enabling coders to create all sorts of applications with ease.

Widely known to be a “write once, run anywhere” coding language, Java code can run smoothly in any operating system regardless of where it was written in the first place.

Java is an easy coding language due to its syntax familiarity with real-world tasks and object-oriented structure. On top of that, the new Java frameworks, including Spring and Hibernate, make it more convenient for developers to build applications.

From software engineering to back-end web development, data science, and big data, Java can do it all. Furthermore, it’s often used in financial services thanks to its robust security.

Java programmers can quickly pick up a new language due to its transferable skills. For that reason, Java can be the perfect first programming language to learn for any code enthusiast.

Besides, job demands for Java developers remain high. Choose from the various job roles, including a software engineer, a quality assurance analyst, a project manager, and a UX designer.

Best for	Beginners.
Difficulty	Considerably easy to learn.
Skill requirements	Basic programming knowledge.
Use cases	Mobile development. Application development. Desktop applications. Web applications. Game development. Machine learning and scientific computing.
Average Java developer income	$91,562/year according to Indeed.
Cross-platform support	Platform-independent thanks to the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), allowing code to run on Windows, macOS, Linux, and many other systems without modification.
Pros	Highly versatile. Easy to learn, write, compile, and debug. The new Java frameworks make developing Java programs faster. Various APIs for application development. Support multithreading.Improved security. Cross-platform compatibility.
Cons	Slow execution times. Memory-consuming.

8. Go

Go, or Golang was created for developing APIs, GUI-based desktop applications, and web applications. While it’s a young language, Go is one of the fastest-growing programming languages.

Concurrent programming is one of Go’s best features. It enables programmers to work with multicore CPUs and a massive codebase.

Combined with its excellent performance, Go concurrency makes it the perfect coding language to create algorithms, web servers, and data pipelines.

The good news is that Go’s concurrency is relatively simpler than other coding languages. With the lightweight Goroutines thread, programmers only need to add the go syntax to make a function run as a subprocess.

On top of all, Go has become one of the most popular programming languages to learn. Although it’s based on C’s discipline syntax, Go is easier to understand due to its simplicity.

Some of the best job roles for Go developers include software engineers, data scientists, back-end web developers, and AI researchers. Also, Go developers are highly paid and in higher demand than ever before.

Best for	Beginners to intermediates.
Difficulty	Easy to learn due to its clean code.
Skill requirements	It can be easier to learn if you have solid C or Java coding skills.
Use cases	Back-end web development. Web applications. Machine learning. System programming. Big data.
Average Go developer income	$121,951/year according to Indeed.
Cross-platform support	Compiles to native binaries for Windows, macOS, and Linux with minimal configuration.
Pros	Open-source. Quick execution times. Simple concurrency model. Improved security. Excellent testing support and static analytic tools.
Cons	Limited library support. Lack of generic functions. Not ideal for developing complex programs.

9. SQL

Structured Query Language (SQL) is the best programming language to learn if you’re interested in data science and statistical computing. It’s a domain-specific language that lets programmers query, manipulate, and analyze data stored in a relational database.

SQL is the third most-used language based on Stack Overflow’s statistics. In terms of job opportunities, companies from all industries may need SQL developers as they’re playing a vital role in database management.

Web developers use SQL to organize the website’s database and marketers to help evaluate their marketing campaigns. Furthermore, numerous database management systems use SQL, including MySQL and MariaDB.

Therefore, it’s fair to say that SQL developers are in high demand. Fortunately, learning SQL is extremely easy as its syntax uses common English words.

Best for	Beginners.
Difficulty	Easy to learn but can be difficult when creating advanced functions.
Skill requirements	None.
Use cases	Data science. Back-end database management. Business intelligence tools. Sales reports.
Average SQL developer income	$92,137/year according to Indeed.
Cross-platform support	Supported by all major relational database systems (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, and more) that run on multiple operating systems.
Pros	Faster query processing. Excellent portability. Robust security. Highly interactive. Large user community.
Cons	Not open source. Not the best programming language if you want to build applications.

10. Ruby

Ruby is another popular open-source programming language. It’s commonly used for web application development, but programmers can also use it for data analysis and prototyping.

As Ruby uses English-like syntax, learning this interpreted, general-purpose language takes less effort.

Additionally, the Ruby on Rails (RoR) framework brings many benefits, including improved web application security, low maintenance, and is suitable for full-stack development.

While many may think that Ruby is dead, this language has become one of the most stable options for website development. Therefore, if you want to scale your website and web app development skills, learning Ruby is the way to go.

Best for	Beginners.
Difficulty	Very easy to learn.
Skill requirements	None.
Use cases	Both front-end and back-end web development.
Average Ruby developer income	$124,312/year according to Indeed.
Cross-platform support	Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and supports deployment to most cloud platforms. Flexible for both development and production environments.
Pros	Open-source. Fast to write and easy to debug. Effective garbage collection. Large and active community. The Ruby on Rails framework is perfect for creating a website.
Cons	Slow. Less flexible. Multithreading issues.

How to choose which programming language to learn? 

There’s no one-size-fits-all choice when it comes to programming languages. The best option depends on your goals, the types of projects you want to build, and your preferred learning style. Here are a few tips to help you decide:

• Match the language to your purpose – Knowing what you want to build helps narrow down your options, as each programming language has its strength. For instance, if you want to focus on web development, JavaScript or Python are excellent starting points. Meanwhile, if you prefer building mobile apps, Java, Swift, or C# are the better options.
• Research the job market – Especially if you’re learning a programming language to build a career, it’s essential to check which languages are in high demand in your target field or region. That said, knowing how broad the supply is will also be beneficial in measuring the competition you’ll need to face.
• Consider the learning curve – The complexity of a language can impact how quickly you learn and how motivated you stay. Some, like Python, are more beginner-friendly and let you see results faster. Others, like C++, require more time and patience to master but offer powerful capabilities once you do.
• Evaluate community and resources – A strong community can be a game-changer, especially when starting. It means you’ll have access to tutorials, Q&A forums, open-source libraries, and other learning materials created by people who’ve been in your shoes. But if you choose a language with a smaller community, like Go or Swift, you’ll just need to lean more on official documentation and hands-on experimentation.
• Plan for scalability – If you see yourself working on projects that may grow in size or complexity, choose a language that can handle that growth without forcing you to start over. Scalable languages make it easy to add new features, manage larger datasets, or support more users without significant rewrites. For instance, Python is popular among startups since it lets them quickly build and expand a product with more advanced frameworks and libraries.

Just like learning a foreign language, mastering a programming language takes consistency and ongoing practice. So, make sure to begin with a clear goal, as it helps you create a defined learning path and set a realistic timeline to guide your progress.

How to become a programmer? 

Getting the most value from learning a programming language happens when you turn those skills into real-world projects. Follow these steps to become a programmer:

1. Master the basics of one language – Focus on understanding core programming concepts of the language you want to learn, such as variables, loops, conditionals, functions, and debugging. These are the building blocks you’ll use in every project. Remember not to rush this stage – practice regularly until you can write small programs without looking up every step.
2. Build small, practical projects – After following enough coding exercises, create actual projects that solve a specific problem or make your life easier. For example, a to-do list app, a basic calculator, or a simple data scraper. These hands-on experiences will help you connect theory to application while improving your logical thinking and problem-solving skills.
3. Build your web developer portfolio – As you create projects, showcase them in an organized online portfolio. Include screenshots, clear descriptions of the problem the project solves, and links to the source code (GitHub is a great platform for that). This not only tracks your progress but also serves as proof of your skills for potential employers or freelance clients.
4. Learn essential web development tools – Beyond coding itself, professional development work involves using the right tools efficiently. Get comfortable with code editors like Visual Studio Code, version control tools like Git and GitHub, package managers like npm (JavaScript) or pip (Python), and frameworks or libraries relevant to your chosen language. These skills will prepare you for real-world workflows.
5. Collaborate and contribute – Join coding communities, participate in hackathons, or contribute to open-source projects. Working with others helps you learn team-based development practices, such as using pull requests, writing maintainable code, and reviewing other people’s work. This kind of experience mirrors professional development environments and builds valuable networking connections.

The tech industry evolves rapidly, so make sure to always keep up with the new trends and development approaches after getting a hang of your chosen programming language. Make a habit of exploring new frameworks, programming paradigms, and emerging tools.

Additionally, follow industry blogs, take advanced courses, and experiment with trends like vibe coding that lets you use AI to generate code snippets on the fly. Also explore AI-assisted development tools like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT that can now write, refactor, and even debug code to make programming workflow even more effective.

Adapting to new technologies will keep your skills relevant and make you a more versatile programmer over time. With AI-driven software development becoming more common, mastering AI tools and integrating them into your workflow makes a valuable skill set you can offer.

Is it better to vibe-code than to learn programming? 

The short answer is no. While AI and vibe coding can speed up development, they are not a substitute for your knowledge and skills.

Learning a programming language gives you more than just the ability to write code – it sharpens problem-solving skills, improves debugging ability, and enhances your creative control over projects.

AI-written code can contain errors. If you have a solid grasp of the language, you’ll be able to spot and fix them quickly. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to troubleshoot code yourself or adapt solutions to fit your exact needs.

Vibe coding is a powerful approach, but it’s most effective when paired with strong fundamentals – proven by the fact that over 70% of newer websites are built using AI-generated code that humans later refine. So take your time learning the core concepts first so that you can turn AI from a crutch into an amplifier for your skills.

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