Updated June 12, 2023
Difference Between C and Python
The main difference between C and Python is that, C is a structure oriented programming language while Python is an object oriented programming language. In general, C is used for developing hardware operable applications, and python is used as a general purpose programming language. C language is run under a compiler, python on the other hand is run under an interpreter. Python has fully formed built-in and pre-defined library functions, but C has only few built-in functions. Python is easy to learn and implement, whereas C needs deeper understanding to program and implement.
Head To Head Comparison Between C and Python (Infographics)
Below is the top 10 Difference Between C vs Python
Key Difference Between C and Python
Both C vs Python are popular choices in the market; let us discuss some of the major difference:
- C is a foundation of python.
- Both C vs python can be used in multithreading.
- As python is object-oriented, it has its own garbage collector whereas in C user has to manage memory on his own.
- C has compiled language. The complete source code is converted into a machine language which is easier for a computer to understand. Python on the other hand is interpreted. The interpreter reads each statement line by line. This makes python slower compared to C.
- The use of for loop syntax is totally different in python. Variable doesn’t need to be incremented manually.
C vs Python Comparison Table
Below is the top comparison
| C |
Python |
| C is mainly used for hardware related applications. | Python is general purpose programming language. |
| Follows an imperative programming model. | Follows object-oriented programming language |
| Pointers available in C. | No pointers functionality available. |
| C is compiled. | Python is interpreted. |
| A limited number of built-in functions. | Large library of built-in functions. |
| Code execution is faster than python. | Slower compared to C as python has garbage collection. |
| Implementing data structures required its functions to be explicitly implemented. | Gives ease of implementing data structures with built-in insert, append functions. |
| It is compulsory to declare the variable type in C. | No need to declare a type of variable. |
| C program syntax is harder than python. | Python programs are easier to learn, write and read. |
| In line, an assignment is allowed. | In line, assignment gives an error. E.g. a=5 gives an error in python. |
Conclusion
A tough question arises as to when to use python and when to user C. C vs Python languages are similar yet have many key differences. These languages are useful languages to develop various applications. The difference both is that python is a multi-paradigm language and C is a structured programming language. Python is a general-purpose language that is used for machine learning, natural language processing, web development and many more. C is mainly used for hardware-related application development such as operating systems, network drivers.
Before deciding on particular language keep in mind following things
- Ease of development: – python has very fewer keywords and more free English language syntax whereas C is far more difficult to write and maintain. Hence if you want an easy development process go for python.
- Performance: – Python is much slower than C as python takes significant CPU time for interpretation.
Recommended Article
This has been a useful guide to the top differences between C vs Python. Here we also discuss the key differences with infographics, and comparison table. You may also have a look at the following C vs Python articles to learn more –
