Go
An open-source compiled programming language from Google with built-in concurrency and a module system.
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1 more ways to get Go
Package managers
- Homebrew
brew install go
About Go
Go is a small compiled language designed to be easy to learn and quick to build. It has built-in concurrency, garbage collection and a broad standard library, and it is widely used for network services, command-line tools and cloud infrastructure.
The go command builds, tests and manages modules. By default it downloads and verifies modules through the Go module mirror and checksum database run by Google. Installers are available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Strengths
- Fast compilation and a small language to learn
- Built-in concurrency
- Large standard library and module ecosystem
- Single toolchain for build, test and dependency management
Limitations
- Module fetching goes through Google-run services by default
- Garbage collector makes it less suited to hard real-time work
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source.
- License
- BSD-3-Clause
- Developer
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Developers building network services, CLI tools and infrastructure software
- Categories
- Developer tools
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Go
Compare allSoftware that can replace Go for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
Rust
A compiled systems programming language with no garbage collector, installed through the rustup toolchain manager.
Rust has no garbage collector and checks memory safety at compile time, suiting performance-critical work, but its ownership model takes time to learn and compiles are slower.
Zig
A general-purpose systems programming language and toolchain that also works as a drop-in C/C++ compiler.
Zig is a systems language with easy cross-compilation and a drop-in C and C++ compiler, but it is still pre-1.0 with a smaller ecosystem.
Swift
A general-purpose, compiled programming language and toolchain available for Linux, macOS and Windows.
Swift compiles to native code with toolchains for Linux, macOS and Windows, though much of its library ecosystem targets Apple platforms.
.NET
Microsoft's free, open-source, cross-platform runtime and SDK for building apps in C#, F# and Visual Basic.
.NET provides C# and F# for web, desktop, mobile and cloud apps on all three desktop platforms, with a larger install and a Microsoft-leaning ecosystem.
Kotlin
A concise, multiplatform programming language from JetBrains for backend, Android, web and desktop apps.
Kotlin targets the JVM, Android, web and native with null safety and concise syntax, and its best tooling is tied to JetBrains IDEs.
Go as an alternative
Listings that name Go as an alternative.
Python
A general-purpose programming language used for scripting, web backends, data analysis and machine learning.
Go is a compiled language with built-in concurrency and a single toolchain, giving faster programs for services and CLI tools than interpreted Python.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
gofumpt
Apply a stricter, consistent formatting style to Go code.
GoReleaser
A command-line release automation tool that builds, packages, signs and publishes software binaries.
ko
A container image builder for Go applications that works without a Dockerfile or Docker installed.
Gleam
A type-safe functional programming language that runs on the Erlang VM and JavaScript runtimes.
GCC
The GNU Compiler Collection, compilers for C, C++, Fortran, Ada, Go, Rust and other languages.
