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Clozure Common Lisp VS Allegro CL

Compare Clozure Common Lisp VS Allegro CL and see what are their differences

Clozure Common Lisp logo Clozure Common Lisp

Clozure CL (often called CCL for short) is a free Common Lisp implementation with a long history.

Allegro CL logo Allegro CL

Leading commercial Enterprise Development Tools and dynamic object-oriented Common Lisp development tools including Allegro CL with AllegroCache, an Object Database that provides Object Persistence in Lisp, native to the Lisp langauge.
  • Clozure Common Lisp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-04-15
  • Allegro CL Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17

Clozure Common Lisp features and specs

  • High Performance
    Clozure Common Lisp is known for its high performance, especially in numeric computations and complex applications, due to its efficient compiler and runtime system.
  • Cross-platform Support
    CCL runs on multiple platforms including macOS, Linux, and Windows, facilitating development across different operating systems.
  • Dynamic Typing and Flexibility
    CCL, like other Lisp dialects, offers dynamic typing and flexibility which allows developers to write code that can be easily modified and extended.
  • Interactivity
    CCL provides a powerful interactive development environment with a Read-Eval-Print Loop (REPL), allowing developers to test and debug code on the fly.
  • Compatibility with Common Lisp
    Being a comprehensive implementation of Common Lisp, CCL supports a wide range of Lisp features, making it compatible with existing Common Lisp codebases.
  • Active Community
    CCL has an active community that contributes to its development and support, resulting in a wealth of libraries and resources.

Possible disadvantages of Clozure Common Lisp

  • Limited GUI Libraries
    Clozure Common Lisp's support for graphical user interfaces is limited compared to other platforms, which may require additional effort for developing desktop applications.
  • Smaller User Base
    Compared to more mainstream languages like Python or Java, CCL has a smaller user base, which may result in less community support and fewer third-party libraries.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    As with many Lisp dialects, CCL can have a steep learning curve for developers unfamiliar with Lisp syntax and concepts.
  • Less Documentation
    Although there is documentation available, it may not be as extensive or detailed as that for more widely-used languages, potentially hindering new users.
  • Interoperability Challenges
    While CCL can interoperate with C and other languages, setting this up can be complex and may pose challenges for developers needing seamless integration.

Allegro CL features and specs

  • Performance
    Allegro CL is known for its high-performance execution, making it well-suited for complex applications that require efficient computation.
  • Rich Development Environment
    It offers a comprehensive IDE with features like a graphical debugger, advanced code analysis tools, and an interface builder that enhances productivity.
  • Advanced Features
    Allegro CL includes sophisticated features such as an object-oriented database, multi-threading capability, and a robust set of libraries.
  • Dynamic Language
    As a Lisp dialect, it supports dynamic typing, interactive development, and excellent support for iterative and agile software development methodologies.
  • Customer Support
    Franz Inc. provides robust support, including maintenance and professional services, which can be beneficial for enterprises.

Possible disadvantages of Allegro CL

  • Cost
    Allegro CL is a commercial product, which can be expensive compared to free or open-source alternatives, potentially limiting accessibility for hobbyists or small startups.
  • Niche Market
    The use of Lisp and particularly Allegro CL within industry is relatively niche, meaning fewer community resources and third-party integrations compared to more mainstream languages.
  • Learning Curve
    Lisp languages, including Allegro CL, can have a steep learning curve, especially for programmers accustomed to more conventional programming languages.
  • Portability
    While Allegro CL supports various platforms, certain applications or dependencies might not port as seamlessly as with more ubiquitous languages or systems.
  • Modern Language Features
    Although Allegro CL is powerful, it might lack some of the syntactic sugar and modern conveniences found in newer programming languages, potentially affecting developer convenience.

Clozure Common Lisp videos

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Allegro CL videos

New features in Allegro CL's Common Graphics and the IDE

More videos:

  • Review - Yamaha Allegro Clarinet 550AL Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Clozure Common Lisp and Allegro CL)
Programming Language
55 55%
45% 45
IDE
47 47%
53% 53
OOP
45 45%
55% 55
Text Editors
51 51%
49% 49

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Clozure Common Lisp should be more popular than Allegro CL. It has been mentiond 6 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.

Clozure Common Lisp mentions (6)

  • Graphics Livecoding in Common Lisp
    Unfortunately CCL is Intel only on macOS. (macOS is not on the the main page https://ccl.clozure.com) Otherwise this is the one I would use as it has good Cocoa interoperability. - Source: Hacker News / 11 days ago
  • The IDEs we had 30 years ago and we lost
    The descendant of CCL runs on modern Intel Macs. (It also runs on Linux and Windows but without the IDE.) The modern IDE is quite a bit different from the original. In particular, it no longer has the interface builder. But it's still pretty good. It is now called Clozure Common Lisp (so the acronym is still CCL) and you can find it here: https://ccl.clozure.com/ If you want to run the original that is a bit... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • The Saga of the Closure Compiler, and Why TypeScript Won
    Just for fun there is also Clozure Common Lisp. https://ccl.clozure.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Consuming HTTP endpoint using Common Lisp
    I have decided it is time to have some fun and use Common Lisp to create algorithm representation that deals with parallel execution. For this I decided to use Clozure common lisp, put basic Qucklisp there and load some libraries to do this. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Corman Lisp development environment for MS Windows
    CCL also supports windows: https://ccl.clozure.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
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Allegro CL mentions (1)

  • We need to talk about parentheses
    Sure, mainly I mean like, "Lisp's feature X enabled us to do thing Y that we couldn't do in other languages which let us make baller software Z". I think other languages arguably have this stuff: C/C++/Rust have direct hardware access and speed, JavaScript has the browser, etc. It's a little hard for me to pick out exactly what makes Allegro CL [0] good at the AI thing. They do say you can also write rules in... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Clozure Common Lisp and Allegro CL, you can also consider the following products

Steel Bank Common Lisp - Steel Bank Common Lisp (SBCL) is a high performance Common Lisp compiler.

CMU Common Lisp - CMUCL is a high-performance, free Common Lisp implementation.

Hy - Hy is a wonderful dialect of Lisp that’s embedded in Python.

CLISP - CLISP is a portable ANSI Common Lisp implementation and development environment by Bruno Haible.

ManKai Common Lisp - ManKai Common Lisp (MKCL) aims to be a full implementation of the Common Lisp language in...

Armed Bear Common Lisp - Armed Bear Common Lisp (ABCL) is a full implementation of the Common Lisp language featuring both...