Top programming languages for startups in 2024 (Updated 2025)

Programming languages are all made differently, and that means making a choice about the right one for building software will affect development speed, performance, scalability, and the overall success of your project. What are the criteria for such a choice? And, to look further, what are the top programming languages in 2025?

This article examines the most well-liked options for all kinds of development and showcases emerging languages that are definitely worth considering as well.

Top programming languages in 2025 by popularity

The PYPL (Popularity of Programming Languages) index ranks programming languages based on search trends. Here are the leading languages according to the latest data (February 2025).

Stack Overflow’s 2024 Developer Survey

JavaScript holds a leading position in the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, though Python is rapidly gaining recognition for its simplicity and wide-ranging applications. 

GitHub activity

Python has overtaken JavaScript as the top language for contributions on GitHub, driven by its use in data analysis and AI. JavaScript still leads in code pushes. This trend highlights Python’s expanding role in emerging fields.

Criteria for ranking

In general, what makes a computer language great? Touchlane’s team suggests taking these factors into consideration:

• How popular it is / More people using a language means more help and tools 
• How in-demand it is / More  developers that are available and jobs for them
• How versatile it is / Can you employ the language for a variety of things like websites or apps? 
• How easy it is to learn / This is particularly important for small businesses that need things done quickly
• How likely it is to be useful in the future / You do not want your software to become legacy too soon. 

Top programming languages for startups

Keeping these points in mind, let’s look at the top programming languages for startups that made a splash in the year 2024 and are going to rise in popularity in 2025.

Python

In 2024, Python stays at the top due to its versatility and easy-to-read code. First introduced in 1991, this language is a good fit for teams that strive to build things quickly and with stark efficiency, from websites to AI. Python’s community is huge, which means you can easily find developers or get help. Overall, if you want to employ a powerful language and stand next to companies like Netflix, Meta, and Google, this is a great option for your project. 

According to Octoverse, GitHub’s yearly analytics report, Python now surpasses JavaScript in overall activity across all contribution types on GitHub. Its popularity stems from its strong presence in data science and generative AI, both of which have seen sharp growth on GitHub over the past two years.

JavaScript

JavaScript is known as the undeniable king of web development, and at the moment, it is more widespread than ever – Statista estimates this is the most often-used language among programmers, with 62.3% of the respondents naming it their top pick. 

The advantages are obvious. JavaScript works on almost every browser, and there are developer-favorite frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js that make it powerful. JavaScript can be used in combination with Node.js for building the backend of a website, which makes the development process simpler. Thanks to innovations like WebAssembly, JavaScript appears to have a bright future ahead.

While losing to Python in popularity in 2024, JavaScript still appears to have a bright future ahead, thanks to innovations like WebAssembly. 

Java

Java may be an older language, yet, it is the one that remains very popular. It has been a major force in corporate software for about 30 years. Java is stable, handles big projects efficiently, and works across multiple devices. In addition, Java updates roll out continuously.  

Java’s wide range of tools combined with strong features make it perfect for intricate applications. We recommend Java for companies building cloud-based services, Android apps, big systems, and business software. Furthermore, Java works great for high-speed transactions and banking applications, which makes it an excellent choice for fintech projects.

Rust

In recent years, developers have started utilizing Rust more because it is both fast and safe, particularly when you work with low-level programming. Generally, it is known for being as productive as C++ but with contemporary safety features. If a development team needs reliability and high performance, it often considers Rust. Its concurrency model and memory safety make it useful for building complex systems, games, and blockchain projects. Rust’s appeal is expanding, making it a viable choice for system-level and performance-intensive apps in the future.

Rust boasts the second highest one-year trend increase in the PYPL index, beaten only by the leader, Python. This reflects the language’s growing recognition and usage among developers and makes it one of the top programming languages for your business. 

Go (Golang)

Go, which is also known as Golang, has amassed followers in the dev community for its relative simplicity and rapidity while developing backend applications, particularly for microservices and cloud computing. Developers prefer it for building high-performing and scalable server-side apps. Among its advantages are integrated concurrency features, an easy-to-use syntax, quick execution, and a robust standard library. Go will only get more significant as cloud computing and microservices both expand.

TypeScript

TypeScript is an enhanced variant of JavaScript, fixing many of its problems – which makes it suitable for larger projects. Static typing, one of TypeScript’s features, assists in early error detection, while its tools facilitate the development process. Furthermore, TypeScript is compatible with any JavaScript project. It is perfect for designing large-scale web apps that need to be clean and error-free. TypeScript is about to become even more popular, especially in big businesses and on complicated websites.

In 2023, TypeScript overtook Java for the first time as the third most popular language across open-source software (OSS) projects on GitHub. Following this achievement, the language continued its rise in 2024, with the Octoverse reporting a transition from JavaScript to TypeScript for a large proportion of new commits. 

Kotlin

Regarded as the best language for Android app development, Kotlin has replaced Java in many instances due to its contemporary features and capacity to work with Java code. Developers appreciate its concise syntax, sophisticated functionality, and Google’s official support. In addition to these uses, it is also growing in popularity for cross-platform mobile development, along with server-side programming. Overall, Kotlin is expected to continue gaining popularity with Google’s backing.

Trending programming languages for startups 

A few new languages are causing a stir in 2025 thanks to their unique characteristics and skills. We examine two of them – Swift and Dart – along with the reasons they would be the best coding languages to learn and, ultimately, the best fit for your upcoming major project.

Swift

It is impossible not to mention Swift when we have already mentioned Kotlin. Apple developed Swift, a programming language that is both powerful and user-friendly, to simplify and modernize the process of creating iOS and macOS software. Swift is the greatest option for the Apple ecosystem because of its quick speed, security features, and compatibility with older Objective-C code. We expect it to play an essential part in Apple development for many years to come thanks to the new SwiftUI framework.

Interested in iOS development? Learn how much it can cost to hire an iOS developer in our blog.  

Dart

There is a language that is gaining popularity in the cross-platform apps community. This language is Dart, also known as the foundation of the massively popular Flutter framework. With Flutter, developers can save time and money by using the same code to create native apps for desktop, web, and mobile platforms. Dart is fast, has great-looking widgets across a variety of platforms, and its hot reload functionality allows developers to view changes instantly. It is anticipated that Dart’s popularity will increase with Google’s ongoing support.

Conclusion

Selecting the right language is essential to the success of your application. Touchlane’s team has discussed the most used programming languages and their benefits. In general, if you want to go for a popular choice that has tremendous capabilities for AI-powered functions, look no further than Python. If your startup aims at building solid native applications for iOS or Android, Swift and Kotlin are the top choices. For cross-platform development, consider picking Dart since it is gaining recognition in the cross-platform community. 

There are also lots of fascinating prospects with both trustworthy and emerging languages, particularly if you work in specialized fields such as mobile development or data science.

In the end, your project’s optimal language will be determined by your specifications, the abilities of your team, and your long-term objectives. Touchlane’s custom mobile development services can help you make the best choice and guide you through the development process from start to finish.

This article was first published on September 22, 2024, and updated on February 25, 2025, to include new data.