Rust vs Go: detailed comparison guide | Idea Usher

The Best Programming Language: Rust vs.Go

Do you have a large team where some members praise Go while others want to work with Rust? These are new programming languages, And they are better than classic languages like Python and C++. Though not as popular.

But you have limited time to decide which language to use for better results. You must be wondering which one is the best. You are at the right place. Please understand that the engineers built and optimized Rust and Go for different projects. Rust wins the match; in others, Go is the champion. 

Despite all the online fuss, there is no Rust vs.Go. Don’t ask which language to choose. Ask which programming language your project demands. If you are a student, it is better to learn a little bit of both languages. You will need this knowledge in the long run.

1. How Both Rust and Go Are Better Than the Conventional Programming Languages?

Gain insights regarding Rust vs. Go, to begin with.

Jack Mott has to say about how Rust and Go are better than the classics like C++, C#, and Java.  

We can debate what an ‘object-oriented’ language is, but it’s fair to say that the object-oriented programming style that C++, Java, or C# users would expect is not present in Go or Rust.”

—Jack Mott

Both Rust and Go have automated the manual things in C. You can focus more on solving the problems rather than worrying about where to place the brackets. Here’s how.      

While using C, the first thing you consider is where to put the brackets. Both Go and Rust has standard formatting tools, making them hassle-free. They rewrite the code for you; go uses gofmt, and Rust uses the rustfmt formatting tool.

If you are a python developer, you have to solve a problem, but that’s not it. You can also approach it in a certain way.      

Interpreted languages force you as a programmer to make only certain specific approaches. The focus of these languages is that you have to solve your problem no matter the method.

2. How Go and Rust Both Are Similar?

Languages like C++ are too complex to use. With time, any language has to advance to be more usable in the newer emerging fields. But with more advancement come more complexities. The engineers built Go and Rust to beat just that. You get the efficiency of C++ plus the ease of Python. But they are faster than Python or Perl. 

Have a look at the similarities and the Rust vs. Go differences.

1. Both Rust and Go are open-source programming languages.

An open-source language means you are free to modify the language the way you want. Such software is not under any license. While the source code maintains its integrity, it can freely distribute the program. 

2. Rust and Go have standard builds and dependency management tools.

Dependency management is a bunch of processes that involve the automation of installations. It updates configuration, library deletion, and the packages and tools. These serve as the program’s basis. 

3. The program is a single binary file. So, no need for distribution to interpreters and dependencies along with the program.

A binary file is a kind of file. A program or a hardware processor interprets the contents of this file. And this processor already knows how to format it. 

1. Rust and Go ensure memory safety.
2. They are compiled languages. Your programs become executable machine codes.
3. You can use them to develop modern software like microservices or mobile apps.
4. You may use either to build a pipeline. 

3. Introducing Go and Its Advantages

Understanding Go will help you understand Rust vs Go.

Google made it and always has the support of Google. Youtube, Google Chrome, etc., use it. You can compare it to Python because of its simple syntax. And this language is statically typed, which allows it to detect errors better.

You may add go syntax to any program that will run as a subprocess. And may call this process and feature using goroutines. The concurrency of Go lets you distribute work across various CPUs. It is a very efficient language.

When to Use Go?

1. You want your program to be readable and straightforward. Go is minimalist.
2. Ease of writing code matters, and you prefer an easy syntax.
3. You are looking for flexibility in web development
4. You are looking for a higher speed.
5. If you are going to scale your project often.
6. You need a concurrent platform.
7. You hate to be restricted by platforms.
8. You want to detect unused variables.

4. Introducing Rust and Its Advantages

Understanding Rust will also let you understand Rust vs Go.

Rust is a secure application. And it does not allow the programmer to make memory-based mistakes. If you know the syntax of C++, then Rust is similar. But C++ has a garbage collection system, and it uses a borrow checker.

Rust is for a large programming project, and you may also make many small programs over a long period. Rust examines every variable to ensure safety. 

Rust is a middle-level language. Meaning it is a compromise between a high-level language and a low-level language.  

When to use Rust?

1. You prefer better performance even if you have to compromise with speed.
2. When you want to get fine-grained control over the thread.
3. If you want to have a secure memory, even if you have to compromise with simplicity.
4. In case you want better run speed.
5. You prefer a faster run time.
6. You don’t want platforms to limit you.
7. When you prefer to have a predictable run time.
8. You want better patterns and syntaxes.
9. If you want a unique ownership feature.

5. How Rust and Go Are Dissimilar: Rust Vs. Go

Let us listen to what the experts have to say about the differences between Rust and Go. 

Rust is a low-level statically-typed multi-paradigm programming language focused on safety and performance.” — Giants Dreimanis. 

“Go is an open-source programming language that makes it easy to build simple, reliable, and efficient software.” —Golang.org

Rust and Go are different when it comes to syntax and style. 

1. Go vs Rust Speed

Rust is faster than Go when it comes to efficiency and speed. But Go is faster in compiling, and the run time is more rapid for Rust.

Go is faster when it comes to compiling and developing, and Rust is faster when it comes to executing.

When you have large data volumes or CPU-intensive operations like executing complex algorithms, then Rust is faster, and it is more closed for anything that requires stellar performance.

In Go, the priority is to compile a lot of code fast, and efficiency is the secondary concern. That is great for enterprise software development or distributed systems. And it helps to scale efficiently and go for thousands of developers collaborating.

Rust gives the programmer absolute control over the hardware. You could continually optimize Rust to get the optimal speed out of your particular hardware. So prefer it if the rate of execution is your primary concern.

2. Simplicity Rust vs. Go

Go is more straightforward than Rust.

In Rust, there are complex concepts like ownership and borrowing.

Codebase maintenance is more straightforward in Rust.

The power of goroutines is greater in Go, and it is easier for a developer to scale up or down using Go compared to Rust.

3. Learning Curve Golang or Rust

Where to use Go and where to use Rust?

The learning curve of Go goes steeper than that of Rust, and is popular for its simplicity while Rust for more sophisticated tools.

But Rust has a stronger developer community, which helps those who are new to using the language.

4. Error Avoidance Rust Vs Go

Rust will never let you compile a buggy program, and it is better to avoid errors.

5. Different Fields of Use Go Vs Rust

Where to use Go and where to use Rust?

If you are working on OS, file system, game engine, etc., then Rust is tailor-made for you.

Is Go your programming language? Yes, if you are working on Big data, machine learning, and editing huge files.

6. Memory Safety Rust Vs Go

Which one is safer? Where to use Go and where to use Rust?

 Rust is the best when it comes to memory safety. It has concurrency paradigms, and they help you avoid those common errors which cost you your safety.

You will never face a buffer overflow or a race condition. 

7. Concurrency Golang or Rust

Go is popular for its goroutines. Rust has native async/await syntax. So Go is the language if your priority is concurrency. You have to consider this, especially if you are a developer.

8.  Popular Softwares Using Go and Rust

Here are some popular software used daily that use Rust:

1. Dropbox

Which companies use Rust? Where to use Go and where to use Rust?

It is a cloud service. You can store large amounts of your data securely using this. It depends on Rust for many core-file usage systems, and Rust makes it even more efficient. 

2. Yelp

You might have used Yelp to get reviews and recommendations of restaurants, and it uses Rust. Why did Yelp choose Rust? It gives the speed of C but provides the safety that C cannot offer. 

3. firefox

It uses Rust as well. You may wonder why it’s crucial when Chrome is more popular. But if you use Firefox a lot, then you know why. Firefox gives a better experience when you are working with multiple tabs simultaneously. 

Here are some popular software that uses the Go programing language: 

Which companies use Go? Where to use Go and where to use Rust?

1. Our favorite software Google Chrome uses Go. 
2. Our favorite place to watch videos, Youtube, uses Go.
3. Google Earth and many other Google products use Go. 
4. Twitch

If you play many video games, you are familiar with Twitch. It does live streams, and Gamers share their gameplay videos on this platform. Go allowed Twitch to improve garbage collection. Then there is better memory management, and now Twitch users have a better experience. 

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5. Soundcloud

This live stream music. Why did Soundcloud choose Go? Go can debug a code before executing it. We call it Static analysis.  

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9. Disadvantages of Both Go and Rust                   

Why you may not want to use go:

1. You do not get away with managing memory manually.
2. It is too easy to use. You may get a superficial feeling while using it.
3. It is a relatively new language. There aren’t many libraries for it.
4. It has some low-level features. One such example is pointer-arithmetic.
5. The tools are limited.
6. You run into a difficult situation if you make a mistake using Go.

Why you may not want to use rust:

1. It is slower than F#
2. It leads to recursion leak memory.
3. No efficient garbage collection system.
4. You cannot use cent percent functional data structures.
5. It does not allow monkey-patching comparable to Python or Perl.
6. This is a relatively new language. You may have a problem using the syntax and learning the language.
7. The compilation is slow.
8. Rust is too obsessed with memory safety. You must be an expert on how it allocates memory and write your code accordingly.

So, what does your project demand when it comes to Rust vs.Go?

Read more: Cordova versus Flutter: Which one is better for your mobile app?

Final Wordings

The two languages are not competitors. Both Rust and Go will be in use for a long time now, and only they target different types of jobs. This blog was an attempt to help you make informed decisions. But you have to understand your needs to choose your favorite language.

Some Go fans applaud its simplicity and speed, and they criticize Rust. But the truest need not be the loudest. There is no need to make a fuss about Go vs. Rust. But it is necessary to have some idea about both. You will need both in your tech expertise and career.

What are the essential skills of a software developer? Design, architecture, and the ability to collaborate. New languages gain popularity while the old ones go obsolete.

While you are here, you may want to contact our experts for a consultation.