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C++ VS Zig

Compare C++ VS Zig and see what are their differences

C++ logo C++

Has imperative, object-oriented and generic programming features, while also providing the facilities for low level memory manipulation

Zig logo Zig

Zig is a general-purpose programming language designed for robustness, optimality, and maintainability.
  • C++ Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-01

We recommend LibHunt C++ for discovery and comparisons of trending C++ projects.

  • Zig Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-19

We recommend LibHunt Zig for discovery and comparisons of trending Zig projects.

C++ features and specs

  • Performance
    C++ is known for its high performance which is critical in resource-constrained applications such as gaming, real-time systems, and simulations.
  • Control
    C++ offers fine-grained control over system resources such as memory and CPU, allowing for efficient and optimized code.
  • Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
    C++ supports OOP, which helps in organizing complex software projects through classes and objects, encouraging code reusability and modularity.
  • Standard Template Library (STL)
    C++ includes the Standard Template Library (STL) that provides a set of common classes and algorithms, enhancing productivity and reducing the need for writing boilerplate code.
  • Backward Compatibility
    C++ is largely compatible with C, offering the flexibility to use C libraries and code, making it easier to integrate with existing C systems.
  • Rich Community and Ecosystem
    The large and active C++ community provides extensive resources, libraries, and frameworks that can aid in development and problem-solving.

Possible disadvantages of C++

  • Complexity
    C++ is a complex language with many features that can be difficult to master, leading to a steep learning curve for beginners.
  • Manual Memory Management
    C++ requires manual management of memory which can lead to errors such as memory leaks and segmentation faults if not handled correctly.
  • Lack of Modern Features
    While C++ has been updated over the years, it still lacks some modern programming features available in newer languages, which can limit productivity and ease of use.
  • Maintenance
    Maintaining C++ code can be challenging and time-consuming due to its complex syntax and potential for low-level operations.
  • Slower Compilation
    C++ programs often have slower compile times compared to those written in some other high-level languages, which can slow down the development process.
  • Portability Issues
    Despite being a general-purpose language, C++ code can face portability issues across different platforms due to compiler differences and system-specific dependencies.

Zig features and specs

  • Performance
    Zig aims to offer high performance comparable to C or C++, allowing it to be suitable for system-level programming.
  • Safety
    It includes modern safety features like optional type checking, bounds checking, and panic handling without a garbage collector.
  • Interoperability
    Zig has excellent interoperability with C, including the ability to directly include C headers and compile C code.
  • Build System
    Zig comes with an integrated build system that simplifies project configuration and management.
  • Cross-compilation
    The language has built-in support for cross-compilation, making it easier to develop for different target environments.
  • Simplicity
    Zig aims for simplicity and explicitness in its design, making code easy to read and understand.

Possible disadvantages of Zig

  • Maturity
    Zig is still relatively new and under active development, which means it may not yet have as many libraries or tools as more established languages.
  • Community
    The community is growing but still small compared to languages like C, C++, or Rust, which may make finding resources or support more challenging.
  • Learning Curve
    Newcomers to system programming or those used to managed languages might find Zig's low-level features and manual memory management challenging.
  • Ecosystem
    While growing, Zig does not yet have as rich an ecosystem of third-party libraries and frameworks as more established languages.
  • Documentation
    Though improving, the documentation is not as comprehensive as more mature languages, which can slow down the learning and development process.

C++ videos

C++ Programming | In One Video

More videos:

  • Review - C++ Programming
  • Tutorial - C++ Tutorial for Beginners - Full Course

Zig videos

UNHYPE: CRAZY COLLAB Braindead x REEBOK ZIG Kinetica II REVIEW

More videos:

  • Review - Reebok ZIG Kinetica REVIEW [Conor McGregor Shoes] - Durable Everyday Training Sneakers
  • Review - Zig Dynamica - Full Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to C++ and Zig)
Programming Language
44 44%
56% 56
OOP
45 45%
55% 55
Generic Programming Language
Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Zig should be more popular than C++. It has been mentiond 155 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

C++ mentions (56)

  • Distributed Systems: Challenges, Experiences and Tips
    About 4 months ago (approximately the last time I wrote something here), I opted to embark on a graduate school journey at Stony Brook University, Computer Science (if you have a remote position — Technical Writer and/or Software Engineer position — at a non-USA company, don't hesitate to reach out). Was it the best decision to make considering less pay (if any), more theoretical undertakings and assumptions, and... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Any opinion about tutorialspoint? Getting apparently wrong results
    Full of wrong and/or incomplete information. I prefer cplusplus.com when I need to look up some library details. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Learning DSA from scratch : The Ultimate Guide
    For C++ I would suggest using cplusplus.com. Fantastic resource to use. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Things that i should know before gettting into Data Structures and Algorithms??
    C++ was far from my first language. I took Modula-2 and FORTRAN in school. I knew about pointers, linked lists, etc before writing my first line of C++. I think the best way to learn is just to work on projects that interest you. Get familiar with online resources. I like cplusplus.com and cppreference.com (can get a little verbose). I'm also a big fan of w3schools.com. They have a good C++ tutorial for beginners. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Help
    I second this. cplusplus.com will pop up on your searches, I just blocked it. Loaded with ads and slow, and almost always less thorough than cppreference. I found geeksforgeeks OK when learning algorithms - not so much the language itself though. Source: almost 2 years ago
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Zig mentions (155)

  • RawWeb Updates: SimHash and Meilisearch
    For local testing, just run cargo build --release. But cross-platform compilation is much more complicated. Fortunately, the Zig toolchain greatly simplifies C cross-compilation, eliminating the need for musl libc! - Source: dev.to / 9 days ago
  • F8 – an 8 bit architecture designed for C and memory efficiency [video]
    Https://ziglang.org/ is a solid future C-replacement, IMHO. There's pretty much no downsides and all upsides from a C hacker's perspective. It just hasn't reached 1.0 yet! - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Rust Kernel Policy
    But the situation for Rust-C++ interop is also worse than for Rust-C interop. Why else would Google spend maybe $1 million on improving it in 2024? https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/05/google_rust_donation/ Many years after Rust got support in Mozilla for usage with Firefox written in C++. >My sibling is also correct, language decisions were made in order to keep FFI zero overhead. Yet overhead is only one piece... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Ask HN: What are some software projects with impressive websites?
    I am looking for some inspiration at websites for software projects that do a very good of job explaining their product right from the get go. Things like programming language or database home pages/docs or open source projects with good git READMEs. Though I've never used it, I think https://ziglang.org/ is a great example as it explains what makes the language unique, gives a code example right at the beginning,... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • TIL: Ghostty — a new and quite promising terminal emulator
    At the same time, in the internal Slack of the company I work for, my colleague asked the security team whether we have any policies about the apps, as they'd like to start using Ghostty as their terminal emulator. I took a look at it, and it immediately caught my attention: a fresh look, a zero-config setup, platform-native UI (discovered in details in the “Ghostty Is Native—So What?” post by Gregory Anders) and... - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing C++ and Zig, you can also consider the following products

Python - Python is a clear and powerful object-oriented programming language, comparable to Perl, Ruby, Scheme, or Java.

Nim (programming language) - The Nim programming language is a concise, fast programming language that compiles to C, C++ and JavaScript.

Go Programming Language - Go, also called golang, is a programming language initially developed at Google in 2007 by Robert...

V (programming language) - Simple, fast, safe, compiled language for developing maintainable software.

Java - A concurrent, class-based, object-oriented, language specifically designed to have as few implementation dependencies as possible

D (Programming Language) - D is a language with C-like syntax and static typing.