New languages for programming

Programmers love to solve problems! And if a language doesn’t do exactly what they want or isn’t fast enough, easy enough, (or cool enough), they start dreaming up a new one.

Developers often take it as a challenge to make a programming language that is smoother, simpler, and less prone to causing headaches. This is exactly what new programming languages do—they aim to be simpler with cleaner syntax and more intuitive structures that are easier for developers to read and understand. 

Technology isn’t static. As new industries, platforms, and tools emerge, they bring specific needs that older languages weren’t designed to handle. New languages come along to better support these changing needs, offering features and structures that make them a better fit for cutting-edge tech. 

Sometimes, it’s about making code less confusing; other times, it’s just plain tech fashion where languages go in and out of style.

Top 5 new languages for programming#

Whatever the reason, new programming languages are always emerging. With the new year on the horizon, here are the 5 new programming languages programmers need to look for in 2025:

1. Swift 

2. Kotlin

3. Julia

4. Elixir

5. Purescript 

Swift#

Swift is a programming language developed by Apple in 2014. Apple created Swift as a replacement for its older programming language, Objective-C. Objective-C had been used for years but was seen as outdated and more prone to errors. Swift was specifically designed for creating apps on iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and even Linux. 

Swift is a programming language that’s clear and easy to understand. Its simplified syntax and grammar make it easier to read and write, even for beginners. Since Swift is concise, it requires fewer lines of code to accomplish tasks compared to older languages like Objective-C. Similar to a set of instructions, Swift allows developers to instruct devices on what to do, making it a flexible choice for many types of projects.

With Swift, developers can often write code swiftly (apologies) and with less effort.

Advantages of Swift#

High speed: Swift was created to be fast and efficient. Its design makes writing code quicker, and the language itself performs very well when running apps. Apple states that Swift is much faster than some other popular languages like Objective-C and Python.

Open source: Anyone can access Swift’s code and contribute to improving it. The approach has helped Swift grow quickly, building a strong community of developers who create third-party tools and resources.

Modernized syntax: Swift’s structure is updated to be more intuitive. For beginners, this means that Swift code is often easier to follow and understand compared to older languages. Developers can clearly express their ideas through code with fewer steps.

High demand in the job market: As one of the world’s leading tech companies, Apple’s support for Swift has made it the go-to language for iOS development. Many companies look for developers who know Swift, as it is the main language used to build apps for Apple’s App Store.

Disadvantages of Swift#

While there are many benefits of Swift as a programming language, it also has some limitations:

• Since Swift is relatively new, there are fewer experienced Swift developers, and the limited talent pool can make it harder to find developers with deep expertise in this area. 

• Swift’s compatibility with third-party tools is still somewhat restricted. Since Swift is mainly used for Apple platforms, developers working outside Apple’s ecosystem may face challenges finding compatible tools.

• Code written in one version of Swift may not work with future versions without changes, which can lead to extra work. Developers may need to update or rewrite parts of their code when moving to a newer version of Swift.

Kotlin#

Another one of the emerging new programming languages is Kotlin. While still running in the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), Kotlin is designed to be more efficient and easier to use than Java. Originally developed by JetBrains, Kotlin quickly gained popularity, particularly in Android development, especially since Kotlin combines the familiarity of Java with improvements that make coding simpler and faster. In Java, you often need to write a lot of repetitive code, known as a boilerplate. Kotlin reduces the amount of boilerplate so that developers can accomplish the same tasks with fewer lines. This leads to faster development times and easier-to-read code.

Advantages of Kotlin#

Functional programming: Kotlin supports both functional and object-oriented programming, so developers can use whichever style fits best or even combine both.

Compatible with Java: Developers can use existing Java libraries, frameworks, and code in their Kotlin projects. So, if there’s already a Java application, migrating it to Kotlin can be done gradually. Developers can convert small parts of the codebase to Kotlin over time or even keep Java and Kotlin code together in the same project.

Cross-platform development: Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM) allows developers to use shared code for Android and iOS apps. Developers can easily build apps for both platforms without doubling the work.

Readable and concise code: Kotlin is designed with features that make it easier to read and write than Java. Some of its standout features include data classes, smart casts, and type inference. These tools help make Kotlin code straightforward and expressive.

Fantastic compiler: Kotlin’s compiler is designed to catch errors early in the coding process, which allows developers to catch and fix bugs early on, reducing the number of bugs in the final product. 

Null safety: Kotlin does not allow null values to be assigned to variables unless specifically handled. If a null value is used improperly, the compiler catches it, preventing many errors that would otherwise lead to crashes.

Disadvantages of Kotlin#

Limited learning resources: Kotlin is relatively new, so the overall community size is still smaller, and even fewer experts are available globally, which makes it challenging for new developers to find solutions.

Slower compilation speed: While Kotlin offers performance benefits in some cases, its compilation speed can sometimes be slower than Java’s. When performing a full build (a complete compilation of the entire app), Kotlin tends to be slower than Java.

Julia#

Julia is also a new language for programming in 2025. As a general-purpose programming language, Julia is used to build a wide range of applications. Known for its high performance, Julie often runs as fast as languages like C while also being easy to work with, thanks to its dynamic typing. The combination of speed and flexibility makes it suitable for data-intensive tasks that demand quick processing and accuracy.

Advantages of Julia#

Although relatively new, Julia offers several advantages, such as: 

• Julia is designed to be beginner-friendly. It borrows its syntax from other easy-to-learn languages like Python, Matlab, and Ruby.

• Julia is easy to learn, especially if you’re familiar with Python. Many Python users can become productive with Julia in just a few hours.

• One of Julia’s main strengths is that it is dynamically typed, which allows developers to write code quickly without explicitly specifying variable types.

• Since it can easily fit into workflows that require multiple languages like Python, R, and C, Julia is a flexible choice for teams working with complex technology stacks.

• While it can be used for almost any type of programming, Julia is particularly well-suited for fields that require high-performance computing, including numerical analysis, big data processing, and data analytics. 

Disadvantages of Julia#

Some of the challenges that developers may face with Julia are as follows:

• As Julia translates code into machine language, it’s slower to start up, especially if you’re using many third-party packages. 

• While Julia is beginner-friendly, it has many types and options that can be hard to master. There are many operators and types of keys to learn if you want to use all of Julia’s features.

Elixir#

Elixir is a product of ideas and strengths of Erlang, combining them with concepts from Ruby’s functional programming. Elixir borrows ideas from Haskell, focuses on clean, readable code, and keeps everything organized. In Elixir, data is not changed directly but rather transformed into new pieces of data, which prevents common errors that happen when one part of a program accidentally changes data used by other parts. Elixir runs on the Erlang Virtual Machine, also called BEAM, which is exceptional at handling multiple tasks at the same time. Elixir uses this capability to create lightweight processes that can run independently of one another.

Advantages of Elixir#

Great performance: Elixir is known for striking a balance between development speed and performance. Unlike some other languages where you might have to choose between quick development or high speed, Elixir offers both.

Fault tolerance: In Elixir, the architecture allows for the creation of nodes that don’t rely on each other, so if an error occurs in one node, it doesn’t crash the whole application, only that one node is affected. 

High scalability: Elixir is designed to support applications with high traffic and heavy usage. Especially when it comes to web applications with many users or needing to handle a lot of data, Elixir is the developers’ go-to choice. 

Disadvantages of Elixir#

Developers will find quite a few challenges with programming in Elixir, such as:

• Elixir uses functional programming, which means that those used to programming in object-oriented languages like Python, Java, or C++ will find switching to Elixir a bit challenging.

• Data in Elixir doesn’t change once created; you’re always creating new data rather than altering existing data. This can feel unusual if you’re used to modifying variables freely.

• While Elixir’s ecosystem (the libraries, frameworks, and tools that surround it) is steadily growing, it isn’t as mature as those of more established languages like Java or Python.

• Elixir excels at handling lots of connections at once, but it’s not the best choice for tasks that require intense processing power, like heavy data processing.

PureScript #

PureScript is a programming language that follows the principles of pure functional programming. Every element of the code is crafted around self-contained functions. Each function operates independently so that code behavior remains predictable and consistent, without side effects that could impact other parts of the program. PureScript’s design is heavily influenced by Haskell. Although PureScript has carved its niche, particularly in building web and server-side applications, it retains Haskell’s emphasis on clear, structured, and reliable code, making it especially appealing for developers looking for a functional approach in these environments.

Advantages of PureScript#

Developers will find Purescript quite beneficial in these aspects:

• PureScript compiles its code into JavaScript which makes it a good choice for web development since the code can run directly in a browser. Similarly, PureScript can be used with JavaScript-based environments like Node.js, allowing it to be used both for websites and backend servers.

• As a purely functional language, PureScript focuses on building software using functions that avoid changing any data directly. Instead, these functions take inputs and return new outputs without altering anything along the way. The risk of unexpected errors is reduced significantly because each function is isolated and predictable.

• PureScript has an expressive type system that catches errors before running the program. Types are like labels that describe what kind of data can be used or returned by functions, such as numbers, text, or lists.

Disadvantages of PureScript#

There are a few challenges when it comes to using PureScript as a programming language, such as:

Limited community: PureScript has a small, dedicated community but isn’t widely used in the industry compared to more mainstream languages like TypeScript. For beginners, this can be especially hard to find community support, resources, or experienced developers who specialize in PureScript, especially for larger projects.

Sparse documentation: Although PureScript’s main library documentation can be found on Pursuit, the official package database, the documentation is not always beginner-friendly. Some libraries lack comprehensive guides or examples on their GitHub pages, which makes it challenging to learn how to use them effectively.

Less established ecosystem: PureScript has fewer libraries and tools compared to languages with more mature ecosystems, like JavaScript or TypeScript. Developers who decide to use PureScript will need to write custom code for features that are readily available in more established languages.

New languages for programming: A comparative analysis#

The differences between these five new programming languages can be summed up in the table below:

Final word#

New programming languages are a response to a mix of necessity, progress, and a love for reinvention. In many cases, existing languages reveal limitations when adapting to new fields or addressing emerging issues, like handling massive datasets, supporting real-time applications, or enhancing security.

Each new language adds to the vast ecosystem, bringing innovative tools and perspectives that empower developers to create faster, safer, and more adaptable applications.

Now it is your time to choose your programming language and get started!

Happy learning!