Java vs. OCaml vs. Objective-C vs. Zig Comparison Chart

OCaml is a general-purpose, industrial-strength programming language with an emphasis on expressiveness and safety. OCaml’s powerful type system means more bugs are caught at compile time, and large, complex codebases are easier to maintain. This makes it a good language for running critical code. At the same time, sophisticated inference makes the type system unobtrusive, creating a smooth developer experience. One is a bytecode compiler which generates small, portable executables and is very fast. The other is a native code compiler that produces more efficient machine code; its performance matches the highest standards of modern compilers. OCaml has great support for the most popular editors. VS Code is recommended for beginners, and for power users there is deep integration with Vim and Emacs. OCaml has a rich and dynamic community and best-in-class tooling.

Zig is a general-purpose programming language and toolchain for maintaining robust, optimal and reusable software. Focus on debugging your application rather than debugging your programming language knowledge. A fresh approach to metaprogramming based on compile-time code execution and lazy evaluation. No hidden control flow. No hidden memory allocations. No preprocessor, no macros. Call any function at compile-time. Manipulate types as values without runtime overhead. Comptime emulates the target architecture. Use Zig as a zero-dependency, drop-in C/C++ compiler that supports cross-compilation out-of-the-box. Leverage zig build to create a consistent development environment across all platforms. Add a Zig compilation unit to C/C++ projects; cross-language LTO is enabled by default.