~/Golang Versus C Comparison

Sep 14, 2022

Golang Go and C are both widely used programming languages, but they differ in design, use cases, and syntax.

Performance
C offers low-level memory control and minimal abstraction, making it faster for system-level tasks. Go is fast but includes garbage collection, adding slight overhead.

Syntax
Go syntax is concise and modern, with built-in features like concurrency via goroutines.

Example C hello world:

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#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
    printf("Hello, world\n");
    return 0;
}

Example Go hello world:

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package main
import "fmt"
func main() {
    fmt.Println("Hello, world")
}

Memory Safety
Go includes memory safety features and a garbage collector. C requires manual memory management using functions like malloc and free.

Concurrency
Go supports native lightweight threads called goroutines, simplifying concurrent programming. C relies on POSIX threads or third party libraries.

Portability
C is highly portable and can run on almost any hardware. Go also compiles to multiple platforms, but C still has wider support in low level or embedded environments.

Use Cases
C is used for system programming, operating systems, device drivers, and embedded systems. Go is popular for cloud services, web servers, and concurrent applications.

Summary
Use C for maximum performance or low-level hardware access. Use Go for networking, server-side work, easy concurrency, and rapid development. For more details, see the official Golang FAQ.