The easiest programming languages are:
- JavaScript
- Ruby
- Python
- Java
- C/C++
Coding can be challenging. For this reason, many beginning programmers benefit from starting out with one of the easier programming languages.
This guide is all about the easiest programming languages to learn. While it might not be best to attempt to master these languages on your own, you can build a solid foundation in programming before attending a coding bootcamp.
When you first begin learning to program, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There are so many different programming languages, and each has its own purpose, from creating simple web pages to complex computer programs. Even experts have to spend time carefully evaluating which to use for a particular task, so you’re not alone!
With that said, if you’re interested in learning more about the 17 easiest coding languages, you’re in the right place!
What are the Easiest Programming Languages to Learn?
Let’s take a look at 17 of the the easiest coding languages to learn in 2020:
- HTML
1. HTML
Although HTML isn’t technically a programming language, learning how to create an HTML page is often the first step in learning how to program.
You might recognize “HTML” as part of a link to a website or in your browser’s address bar. It stands for Hypertext Markup Language. HTML was originally designed to help people format their text documents so they can be presented to readers in a cleaner way.
With HTML, you build documents with building blocks named elements. For example, the element that contains the main content of an HTML page is named the “body” element, while inside the body element you often will see multiple “paragraph” elements represented by a “<p>” that indicate to the browser where each paragraph resides.
RELATED READING: HTML
To be as effective and efficient as possible when writing HTML, it’s helpful to have an editor that does some of the work for you. Check out our complete list of the Best HTML Editors to find an option that suits your preferences.
2. CSS
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are most commonly used to define how a webpage should look when viewed by a browser. For example, you can set the text color or background color of certain elements with CSS.
However, you can also define animations and when they should be shown to the user, decide when to hide or show certain content, and precisely control the positioning of the elements of the page. Used properly, CSS can improve the look, readability, and functionality of a website.
In fact, the article you’re reading right now is built with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
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When you start landing web development interviews, it’s crucial that you be prepared to answer some Common CSS Interview Questions, since any prospective employer will expect you to have mastered the technology.
3. JavaScript
JavaScript (JS) is commonly used in combination with HTML and CSS to implement client-side functionality through small “scripts.” This is why it’s often referred to as a “scripting language.”
This functionality includes actions like showing more details when a user clicks on a certain button or enhancing a text field to show the user if her password satisfies certain security requirements.
But it also includes more complex behavior, like securely sending and retrieving information to another server. Using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript together in this way is often referred to as front end development.
However, just because JavaScript is usually used to manipulate HTML elements or provide UI functionality doesn’t mean that those are its only functions. JavaScript is still powerful enough to accomplish tasks like implementing a search algorithm, analyzing data provided by a user, or solving mathematical equations. There are even game engines built with JavaScript that can have impressive results!
Furthermore, JavaScript isn’t limited to implementing client-side functionality. Projects like Node.js allow developers to create standard server-side functionality with JavaScript. With Javascript, you can be an effective developer on the front end and the back end.
JavaScript demonstrates that just because a programming language is typically used in a certain way, this may not be its only use. While many people think of JavaScript as a simple scripting language, there isn’t any limit to what you can do with it (or any programming language, for that matter).
RELATED READING: JAVASCRIPT
If you’re just getting started with JS, the most important thing you can do to improve your skills is to get lots of practice. For great opportunities to put your new coding skills to work, take a look at our comprehensive list of the Best JavaScript Coding Challenges Online.
4. Python
Python is an easy, general-purpose coding language designed with readability in mind. As one of the easiest programming languages, it’s often used as an introductory language for college students beginning their Computer Science study.
Typical uses of Python include implementing back end functionality for websites through libraries like Django and analyzing data. Python can also be used as a scripting language as a part of a larger program. Still, its popularity and longevity mean Python has been used for just about everything.
If you want to start creating your first program with Python, you’ll want to download and install a development environment on your computer. For this reason, Python can be a little more difficult to get started with than JavaScript.
RELATED READING: PYTHON
There are limitless online resources for learning Python, but if you’re the type that prefers something a bit more traditional, be sure to check out our full list of the Best Python Books that will get you up to speed with this in-demand language.
5. Ruby
Ruby is a programming language with a focus on simplicity and productivity. The Ruby on Rails framework makes it easy to use Ruby to create and provide web applications to users.
Ruby is often compared to Python, as the two languages have common use cases. Similar to Python, Ruby is a capable scripting language and can be used for analyzing data. However, Ruby has increasingly been used for web development.
Still, you can reasonably choose to learn Ruby as your first programming language. It has a friendly community with tons of great, free resources for the beginning programmer, including many excellent books on Ruby programming.
Learn to Program is an online book that uses Ruby to teach you the basics of writing a program. For a more whimsical, illustrated experience of learning the same concepts, you can instead read Why’s (Poignant) Guide to Ruby.
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If you plan on specializing in this language, make sure you’re prepared to answer some of the Most Common Ruby Interview Questions to impress your prospective employers.
6. Java
Java is many developers’ first exposure to the principles of Object-Oriented design. As one of the easiest coding languages to learn, it’s commonly used to teach college students the basics of design patterns and software engineering.
Another general-purpose programming language, Java is one of the most popular for enterprise development, perhaps due to its straightforward nature, stability, and large community of developers.
As an example, one important project that makes use of Java is the Android Software Developer Kit (SDK). This project allows developers to create applications that function on devices that use the Android Operating System. Netflix is another example of Java’s power, as the language was used to build the foundation of Netflix’s streaming service.
For someone just starting out with programming, it might feel a little overwhelming to learn Java. Compared to Python, Java is a bit more involved, while still requiring you to set up your own development environment. Still, once you get started working in Java, you shouldn’t run into too many surprises.
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Curious how Java stacks up against other programming languages? Take a look at some of our posts comparing Java with the competition:
7. PHP
PHP stands for PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor and is another general-purpose programming language. However, its actual use is largely to provide the back end server functionality that is essential to many important websites today.
PHP’s makes it easy for developers to retrieve and store data in databases while also processing and replying to users’ requests. PHP is also considered one of the easiest programming languages due to how seamlessly its responses can be presented to a user’s browser through HTML.
Some notable projects and services that use PHP include Facebook, Tumblr, and WordPress. With these in mind, it’s easy to see how important and influential PHP has remained even with many newer programming languages trying to dislodge it from its place in back end web development.
Creating your first PHP program is as easy as embedding PHP code into an HTML page and uploading the file to a server that can process it. Thus, learning PHP is very easy.
Laracast’s “The PHP Practitioner” video series is a fantastic free resource for beginners to build a fundamental understanding of web development and basic PHP programming concepts.
8. C/C++
C and C++ are both important lower-level programming languages that are especially useful in the context of creating systems that require a high level of performance.
C++ can be thought of as an extension to the C programming language, adding features like object-oriented programming. Still, there are many similarities between C and C++, especially for someone looking for an easy programming language to learn.
These languages are often referred to as low-level languages because they leave a lot of memory management to the programmer. They also allow you to use pointers to work with data structures to manipulate the information involved with your task.
While all programming languages require you to be exact with what you’re telling the computer to do, this is especially apparent in C or C++. If you’re not careful when working with these languages, you can accidentally access an incorrect portion of memory, causing unexpected behavior.
Some important projects that use these languages include the Linux Kernel, which is written in C, and Adobe’s Photoshop software, which is written in C++.
A programmer skilled in these languages will be in high demand and invaluable to an organization that creates programs in which performance is very important.
For someone just starting out, C and C++ can be intimidating because of the added complexity of the way you manage and interact with the programs’ memory. At the same time, however, beginning your journey with one of these lower-level languages can prepare you to understand more nuanced topics.
RELATED READING: C/C++
Get prepared for technical interviews by studying these Top C++ Interview Questions.
9. C#
C# is a general-purpose language developed by Microsoft. It is especially suited for building programs for Windows environments and creating web applications in combination with the .NET Framework.
While C# offers support for many programming styles, it’s often used in an object-oriented way like Java. Its syntax has many similarities with Java’s as well, so a programmer skilled in either of these languages shouldn’t have much difficulty transitioning between them.
I’d rate learning C# as having an “average” difficulty among the easiest programming languages here. While you do have to set up and run a compiler to build your programs, you likely won’t find any issues with reading and understanding the syntax for the typical program.
Moreover, given how large the C# community is, you should be able to easily find answers to any questions you have either by using a search engine or reviewing tutorials about the type of problem you are working on.
Perhaps one of the most recognizable projects that uses C# is the Unity game engine, which allows game developers to build a game that’s compatible with multiple platforms at once. If you’re interested in a game development career, you might want to consider starting with a Unity tutorial. A tutorial will help you become familiar with C#’s syntax and pick up the essential concepts of making your own game.
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If you’re interested in game development, be sure to check out our guide to the Best 2D Game Engines to get started creating your own games.
10. R
R is a programming language focused on data analysis and data visualization. With this in mind, it might not be the best language to start with if you’re looking to acquire skills and knowledge of the problems you’ll experience as a programmer.
Like Python, R is commonly used to perform statistical analysis of data, as well as build web applications or write scripts to accomplish various tasks. If you’re just starting out with programming, becoming familiar with a general-purpose language like Python instead of R may result in more tangible benefits in the long run.
Still, if you’re considering becoming a data scientist or simply love working with statistics, you’ll certainly want to consider learning R. This is especially true if you’re interest in the bioinformatics sector, as jobs in this field will commonly require knowledge of the R programming language.
12. Go
Go is a general-purpose programming language developed by Google around 2007 with syntax and use-cases similar to C and C++. Its goals were to simplify the syntax and general complexity of these and other languages to make it one of the easiest programming languages to learn.
Go is often used to implement components of larger projects where execution speed is important; for example, in 2014 Dropbox used Go to improve the performance of its back end systems, especially with regard to accessing their database.
If Go sounds like the language for you, there’s a great, free book by Caleb Doxsey that will guide you through setting up your Go programming environment, show you how to compile your first Go program, and teach you essential programming concepts: An Introduction to Programming in Go.
13. Rust
Rust is another general-purpose programming language based on C and C++. Rust is built by Mozilla, the developers of the popular web browser Firefox, which first appeared around 2010.
Compared to Go, which tries to make things as simple as possible, Rust is very strict on how you interact with memory. This approach minimizes the possibility of bugs or vulnerabilities in programs while maintaining a high level of performance.
As a result, Rust is an increasingly popular choice for building systems where safety and security is essential. For example, developers planning an Operating System or an HTTP server will greatly benefit from these restrictions. These measures ensure that the different processes executed only have access to the data and memory that they’re supposed to.
One great demonstration of how Rust is used can be found in the Firefox browser itself. It was used to improve the efficiency of the CSS engine while simultaneously reducing the number of potential security vulnerabilities.
Even though Rust is especially appropriate for dealing with this kind of system-level programming, it’s not unheard of for people to start their programming journey with Rust. If the security focus of Rust sounds intriguing, you’ll want to either start with “A Gentle Introduction to Rust” or The Rust Programming Language.
14. Swift
Apple developed Swift specifically for use within its own technological ecosystem. This includes macOS and iOS, the operating systems that devices like MacBooks and iPhones use.
If you’re interested in building programs or mobile apps for these environments, you’ll certainly want to look into learning this language.
It’s worth mentioning that if you have an iPad, Apple created a free application called Swift Playgrounds that guides beginning coders through Swift programming. Even if you have zero programming experience, Swift Playgrounds will help you to quickly learn coding fundamentals and become confident in your ability to learn more complex concepts.
If you’d prefer a little more directed guidance with your first foray into programming, Swift Playgrounds will be an especially useful resource that will leave you with skills applicable to any programming field.
14. Erlang
Erlang is a functional, general-purpose programming language. It made its first appearance in 1986, and it focuses on concurrent programming. This means that its features and restrictions are ideal for building systems where multiple, distinct processes need to run simultaneously while still being able to easily communicate with each other.
Unlike many of the other programming languages on this list that support multiple programming styles, you can only program Erlang in a functional manner. Functional programming emphasizes the use of mathematical functions to accomplish tasks. This type of programming usually reduces the reliance on an external state or data. Ultimately, it is easier to debug and more likely to be executed safely alongside other processes.
This can be difficult to wrap your mind around if you’re still picking up the basics of programming, as it’s more common to start learning in an imperative style. In comparison, a program in an imperative style makes it easy to access and modify external information that is shared throughout the program’s execution.
15. Elixir
Elixir is an extension of Erlang, but it adds its own syntax and tooling that has especially been used to build scalable web services.
Discord is one of the most recognizable projects and uses Elixir to support more than five million concurrent users while processing millions of events per second. Pinterest used Elixir to improve the performance of its API service.
With that being said, it might make sense to start with Erlang or Elixir as a first language if you’re willing learn functional programming concepts. Elixir is also useful if you’re interested in designing systems that provide services where scaling to heavy demand is important.
A great resource for the first-time programmer interested in starting with Elixir is Joy of Elixir. It makes few assumptions about what you’re already familiar with and has a playful tone to help you work through the book.
16. Scala
Scala builds on a foundation laid by Java. It brings a focus on functional programming and concise, flexible syntax.
Its additions can make it easier for expert developers to solve problems more efficiently, but these features and flexibility can confuse beginners on how to complete tasks.
Scala is commonly used to implement back end functionality. Twitter first picked up the language for performance reasons in 2009, and it is perhaps one of the largest Scala users.
Most online learning resources for Scala assume you already have at least some experience in programming. However, “Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving Using Scala” is a great resource for beginning programmers. The video lectures series was created by Mark Lewis and is available for free on YouTube. Self-motivated individuals with a strong math background might find some success using these videos to work through the accompanying textbook (of the same name).
Twitter has also put together a resource for established programmers who want to quickly learn Scala with their “Scala School,” a collection of pages that walk you through what makes Scala special.
RELATED READING: SCALA
Want to learn more about this popular back end language? Head over to our brief introduction to get an answer to the question What Is Scala?
17. Clojure
Clojure is a modern functional programming language from 2007 based on Lisp, a language that first appeared in 1958 with a unique parenthetical syntax.
Clojure added features like immutable data structures to Lisp. This feature makes it easier to write concurrent systems. An immutable data structure is one that cannot be directly modified after it’s created. Although it might sound restrictive, this guarantee means that information in a function or program working with one of these structures won’t change unexpectedly.
Considering Clojure’s focus on being useful for concurrency, it’s not surprising that it’s often used for building services where this is important. Companies as large as Walmart use Clojure for back end services to build systems that can easily handle large volumes of activity.
Because Clojure is a functional programming language, learning it as your first language may be difficult if you’re not already familiar with Computer Science concepts, especially with Clojure’s unique syntax.
If you already have some technical experience and are comfortable with working on the command line, however, Clojure for the Brave and True is a delightful book you can read for free to begin learning this language!
RELATED READING: CLOJURE
Now that you’ve been introduced to Scala and Clojure, you might be wondering how they compare head-to-head. To find out, read our comparison: Clojure vs Scala.
So, What’s the Easiest Programming Language?
In my opinion–and that of many others–JavaScript is the easiest programming language. You can start learning it with nothing more than your web browser and a text editor.
What About the Rest of the “Easiest Programming Languages”?
In terms of overall complexity for someone just starting out with programming, you could argue for a ranking like the following, with 1 being the easiest:
- HTML and CSS, as they aren’t really programming languages but will get you comfortable with using a text editor and building documents according to well-defined rules.
- JavaScript and PHP, as they are perhaps the easiest programming languages of this list to get a tangible result you can play with when combined with HTML and CSS.
- Python, Ruby, Go, R, and Swift, as they’re straightforward, designed to be easy to learn, and have a simple syntax.
- Java and C#, as they’re moderately complex while also being well-established with many resources to answer any questions you’ll have.
- C and C++, as they’re at a low enough level where you’ll have to eventually be aware of how you manage your memory, in addition to learning basic programming concepts.
- Rust, Scala, Clojure, Erlang, and Elixir, as they’re either functional-focused, which can be difficult to wrap your mind around, or complex enough to possibly be frustrating for beginners.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that the ease-of-use isn’t the only thing you should consider. The easiest code to learn might not be the best one for you. If you have specific goals of problems to solve or systems to build, you’ll want to review each programming language mentioned above and see which seems most appropriate.
If you have some technical knowledge and know that you’re interested in building an Operating System, you could reasonably begin with Rust. It won’t be easy, but it wouldn’t be impossible, either.
In fact, the most important element of choosing a language is determining which motivates you the most to start learning and building your own creations. Everything else will eventually follow–as long as you keep working, creating your own projects, and learning all that you can about programming.
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I’ve started familiarising myself with Java then later on with HTML, CSS. These are the programming languages that I often encounter when reading or studying UX/UI Design fundamentals. Are there other programming languages that I need to learn while studying UX/UI Design?