Java vs C# – comparison of programming languages (2024)

Author: Jozef Wagner

Digitization

12. 08. 2024 14 reading minutes

Have you ever wanted to program an application but didn’t know what programming language to choose? No wonder, there are hundreds of programming languages used in the world. You probably reached for a universal, versatile and powerful programming language in which almost everything can be programmed, such as Java or C#.

Whether it’s a classic desktop, web, enterprise, mobile or AI app, you won’t go wrong by choosing any of them. According to the TIOBE Index for July 2024, a community-based indicator of programming language popularity updated monthly, Java ranks fourth with 8.59% and C# a nice fifth place with 6.72% popularity percentage.

At the beginning of development, choosing the right programming language is a very important first step. It then determines what technologies and libraries we will have available, what platforms our code will run on, how much community support we will get in case of problems during development, etc. But what are the main differences between these two extremely popular programming languages, and in which situations should we choose one or the other? Well, that’s what we’ll look at today in our extensive comparison of Java vs C#.

Our past articles with a similar theme:

• Most used programming languages
• Java vs Javascript
• Java vs Golang vs Python

C# and .NET programming language

We certainly don’t need to introduce Java to our loyal readers. We haven’t covered the C# programming language on our msg life blog yet. So let’s briefly introduce it.

C# (read as “C sharp”) is a modern, object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft. It was first introduced in 2000 as part of the .NET initiative. Since then, C# has become one of the most popular programming languages in the world, largely due to its versatility, performance, and ability to leverage a wide range of libraries and tools within the .NET ecosystem.

Microsoft C# was created by a team led by Anders Hejlsberg, who is also known as the creator of Turbo Pascal and Delphi. The language was designed to combine the advantages of various existing languages, such as C++, Java and Visual Basic, and overcome some of their disadvantages, such as having to worry about allocated memory. This is because if the programmer forgets to free memory that is no longer in use, this memory cannot be used until the program is finished (this is called memory leak). Since its inception, C# has undergone several major iterations, each of which has added new features and improvements.

C# vs C#.NET

The .NET platform with the C# programming language is popular with programmers around the world, especially when it comes to developing applications for the Windows operating system. Of course, other platforms are also supported, but it is Microsoft’s technologies where .NET with C# shines. C# is closely intertwined with the .NET platform, which offers a huge number of built-in libraries and tools for developing applications.

The main attractions for development on the .NET platform include advanced language features such as generics, properties, data source binding, events, Language Integrated Query(LINQ) – a SQL-like language tool for efficient work with data directly in the code, asynchronous programming, along with an extensive collection of libraries and multilingual support for developers, and much more. And, of course, we can’t forget Visual Studio, one of the best and most advanced development platforms ever created.

Java vs C# syntax

Both Java and C# were heavily influenced by C++ at their inception, which is why they have similar C syntax, e.g. the typical curly braces for methods, or square braces for arrays. Therefore, the syntax is relatively similar, and developers of one language can understand the other language’s code without much difficulty when reading it. Where they differ is in the number of keywords that are unique to one language or the other.

The C# syntax is more sophisticated, offering more options (properties, indexers, delegates, events), which simplifies the writing and improves the readability of the code. C# is designed to support component-based programming, which serves to reduce development time and time to market.

Java follows a more traditional approach. In terms of syntax, it strives to be simple, portable, and safe, even if that means writing more code. As a purely object-oriented language, it takes care to encapsulate data and manipulate it using get and set methods. In turn, this creates some consistency in programming practices and contributes to code sustainability, which is especially important for large projects. Java also has built-in annotations, which are not present in C# for a change.

C# .Net vs Java platform

C# and .NET were primarily associated with Microsoft’s ecosystem and was perceived by developers as less platform-independent compared to Java. Microsoft was aware of this, and since .NET 5, has significantly increased cross-platform compatibility.

Java has profiled itself as cross-platform since its inception. Its basic rule of “Write once, run anywhere” is still valid today. In practice, a Java application is executable on any platform with a Java Virtual Machine ( JVM ).

But nowadays, more or less any technology can be used for development on any platform.

Java vs C# performance

Both programming languages and their platforms offer similar unmatched high performance, but Java is slightly slower. It has to do with how the code is compiled and executed.

Java code is compiled into byte code, and then interpreted on a given platform through the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and runs on the Java Runtime Environment ( JRE ). The language has multiple compilation layers, which slows down the execution time somewhat.

In contrast, C# code is compiled into the Common Intermediate Language (CIL) and then directly into native code and runs on the Common Language Runtime (CLR ). In addition, the code is further optimized for the platform and instruction set of the processor. As a result, the native code runs faster and more efficiently.

Performance, however, also depends on how well the code is written, what the project requirements are and, of course, the choice of the target platform.

C# vs Java productivity

C# is often used in rapid prototyping development, where we need to verify that a solution will work. The main reason for this is that with relatively little code, “a lot of music” can be achieved and a lot of code can be generated and automated in the background without the programmer having to write it. For example, I will mention creating a list component, binding it to a data source and populating it with data from a DB table.

Of course, for development and productivity itself, development environments are very important, for C# most often Visual Studio is used and for Java Eclipse, Netbeans or IntelliJ IDEA and of course libraries and frameworks with partially ready-made solutions for specific functionality.

C# vs Java security

Both languages abound with advanced security features and vulnerability protection, this is mainly related to the fact that, like Java, C# has faced security threats from hackers trying to exploit security vulnerabilities.

Both C# and Java are statically typed languages, this means that errors that could arise from using the wrong data type (and stack overflows) are reduced, these are automatically checked when the code is compiled, ensuring that they are correctly initialized before the code is run and executed.

The biggest threats to security arise from the use of third-party libraries, most often of unknown origin, which have led to several security incidents in the past directly in the JRE (for Java), which is why Java includes a so-called security manager that requires third-party libraries to meet agreed security standards.

The .NET platform includes robust security measures, offering authentication, authorization and various vulnerability protection. In addition, Microsoft provides regular security patches that respond to potential threats on the horizon.

Java vs C# memory handling

For fast and efficient running of applications, it is critical that hardware resources such as RAM are used efficiently. Both languages try to take the burden off the developers and take memory management in-house. So-called garbage collectors are used.

Java uses the idea that most objects have a relatively short lifespan and divides objects into young and old generations when collecting memory garbage. Young objects were recently created and can become irrelevant relatively quickly. In this category, the expired ones are relatively often tried to be identified and cleaned up by the waste collector. Objects that have been in use for a longer period of time move into the old category and take longer to identify and release, so garbage collection cycles are less frequent here.

The garbage collector in C# works on marking unused parts of memory and concatenating parts of memory to minimize fragmentation and the associated performance degradation.

C# vs Java libraries and frameworks

Java is known for its extensive collection of libraries including tools and functions for almost any use. Popular frameworks such as Spring and Hibernate are widely used for enterprise application development and provide robust tools for creating scalable and maintainable software. JavaServer Faces(JSF) is used for web development and JavaFX for GUI applications. Android ADK is an interesting choice for developers for mobile platforms. AI-powered development tools are also being created nowadays.

Similarly, C# has a rich set of libraries within .NET and .NET Core, including ASP.NET for web applications and Entity Framework for ORM. For game development, C# developers generally use Unity and MonoGame. The extensive ecosystem of libraries and tools provided by Microsoft and the open-source community is increasing developer interest in the C# language for a wide range of applications.

C# vs Java development community

C# has the huge advantage of being supported directly by Microsoft, which provides comprehensive tools and documentation. Along with the popular Visual Studio programming environment and the opening of .NET as an open-source platform, the C# community is active and growing.

The Java community is one of the largest in the world of programming and thus a great advantage is that one can find a solution to almost any common problem that an expert Java programmer might have. It is supported not only by Oracle but also by other organizations.

Types of projects suitable for Java

Enterprise: open-source, security, reliability, sustainability, support – all these are highly desirable and valued features of Java, especially when it comes to developing robust and complex enterprise applications.

Big Data: Java is often used for software development that works in real time with complex data sets.

Cloud Computing: Java follows the WORA (Write Once and Run Anywhere) concept, making it ideal for decentralized cloud applications.

Internet of Things: Java is also used to program sensors and hardware devices that can independently connect to the Internet.

Artificial Intelligence: Java is packed with machine learning libraries and its stability and speed make it ideal for developing AI applications such as natural language processing and deep learning.

Types of projects suitable for C#

Windows Apps: Helps you create desktop applications using Windows Forms, WPF and UWP. As well as Windows services that process tasks long term in the background.

Web applications: regardless of the platform, we can use the C# AJ programming language to create dynamic web pages, web applications and services using ASP.NET (or ASP.NET Core) technology.

Game development: the C# programming language is extremely popular with developers programming computer games. The Unity Engine, which has more than 1.5 million active users worldwide, was also created using C++ and C#.

Database applications: the C# programming language allows you to use the ADO.NET or Entity framework to create applications that can connect to various database systems such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and MySQL.

C# vs Java conclusion

C# and Java are both high-level programming languages, each with their own unique features, strengths and weaknesses. Both languages offer a rich set of libraries depending on the specific needs of the project. Both languages have a long history of development and are backed by major corporations, making them a suitable choice for any long-term project.

With its mature ecosystem and performance optimization, Java was the best choice for large-scale enterprise systems. However, with the move to .NET 8 and further the rise of cloud solutions such as Azure, C# has become an equally suitable alternative.

C# can offer a reduction in development time for certain types of applications, especially when using the Microsoft ecosystem. Development on the .NET platform is generally associated with higher licensing costs for development. Java, on the other hand, is open-source and cross-platform and thus helps reduce costs.

Ultimately, the choice of Java or C# should be based on the needs, context and goals of the project, and of course personal preference. We hope this article of ours will also help you make the right decision in the future. Whichever one you choose, you definitely won’t go wrong.

If you’re just getting into programming, read how to get better at it in Programming for Beginners (we also mention online courses).

If you’re an experienced Java programmer, check out our employee benefits and respond to job postings.

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Java vs C# – comparison of programming languages (2024)

Jozef Wagner

I have been programming in Java for more than 10 years, currently I work at msg life Slovakia as a Java programmer senior and I help customers implement their requirements into the Life Factory insurance software. In my free time I like to relax in the forest or play a good computer game.