Programming has been one of the most in-demand and highly-paid skills for the last two decades, and the demand is only increasing. In addition to this demand and popularity in the market, working as a developer also provides a lot of flexibility. You can work from wherever you want and contribute to projects all around the world. All of these reasons make software development highly compatible with the freelancing lifestyle.
Freelancing is a viable option for programmers interested in earning additional income while employed or starting a full-time business in the future. Both are viable options with a differentiation between active income (working) and passive income (not working to earn income).
However, working as a freelance developer might arouse some questions. What programming language should you learn in order to become a successful freelance programmer? Should you learn a specific programming language in 2020 to succeed?
Most of the freelance development jobs are for developing websites, managing websites that are using WordPress, developing mobile applications, and then building utilities for different needs. For most of these, a good knowledge of PHP is required, and that’s why PHP is included in this list.
Similarly, in startups, you will be asked to develop a website or mobile apps overnight or on the weekend. Programming languages like Python and Swift are suitable for such needs instead of Java. So, if you want to get a job in startups and eventually big product companies like Google and Facebook, learn languages like Python, Ruby, and Swift.
Best Programming Languages for Freelancers and Startups
Javascript
Initially, JavaScript was created to make interactive effects inside web browsers. It quickly became a standard in web development, and has spread to many other fields. Today, JavaScript has one of the biggest and most diverse communities in the world, creating a framework and runtime environment to develop almost anything you can imagine.
For someone who wants to specialize in web development, JavaScript is a must-have. These days, all modern websites will integrate JavaScript, in one way or another, into their projects.
Cases in which JavaScript shines:
- Building a fast-single page web application using React, Angular or Vue.js.
- With one single code base, create iOS and Android applications using Ionic or React Native.
- Code Windows, Mac and Linux desktop applications using Electron.js.
- Implement real-time and scalable servers using Node.js.
- Create Artificial Intelligence by implementing neural networks using Tensorflow.js.
Python
Python is the king of a programming language at this moment. There is nothing you cannot do using Python. You can write web apps, create machine learning models, automate the tedious task, and can even scrap the web using Python.
The biggest strength of Python is the several modules or packages which are freely available. You don’t need to write a lot of code, just search for the right package or library and include them in your project.
When it comes to web development, Python has two remarkable frameworks, Django and Flask. Django is an extensive, full-featured framework, whereas Flask is more minimalistic. It gives you what you need, but you make the rest of the decisions.
Cases in which Python excels:
- Usage of TensorFlow to write machine learning software.
- Implementation to deploy small applications using Flask or Django quickly.
- Usage of Pytorch to write tensor computation with strong GPU requirements.
- Usage of Python Spark to process large amounts of data.
PHP
A lot of people bash PHP, and it’s very unfortunate because of it a great language, and almost half of the web is powered by PHP. It’s simple, and you can quickly deploy PHP scripts just about anywhere. Many freelancing jobs are about creating websites using WordPress, which is built using PHP.
If you know PHP, you can do all those gigs. PHP is seriously great for freelancers that need to get things quickly. It may not be the best choice for a large organization, but if you’re freelancing and building personal projects or looking to get a job in startups, PHP can be a great choice.
Cases in which PHP excels:
- PHP is Open Source. …
- PHP is extendible.
- Large amount of databases are supported.
- PHP is platform independent. …
- Compatible with servers like IIS and APACHE.
- Low development and maintenance cost with very high performance and reliability.
Kotlin
Kotlin is a cross-platform and general-purpose programming language. Kotlin is also based on Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The JVM enables a computer to run Java and its derived languages like Kotlin, Scala or Groovy. Being part of the JVM family, Kotlin is fully compatible with any other Java program. Unlike its father, Java, which retains a reputation for its reliability and maturity, Kotlin is a language that evolves fast and integrates all modern programming paradigms. You can envisage Kotlin as a futuristic version of Java.
Kotlin has also been adopted widely by enterprise application development. The most java popular web framework, Spring, has introduced Kotlin in its 5.0 version.
From the standpoint of today’s freelancer, Kotlin provides you with a solution to write an end-to-end mobile application. From the API to the mobile view, you can write everything with this modern language.Cases in which Kotlin excels:
- Writing of native and performant Android applications.
- Implementation of web API using Kotlin and Spring 5.
Swift
Today’s world is the world of smartphones, and if you are not on your customer’s phone, you are losing a lot of money, and that’s why every company, both big and small are investing in their mobile apps.
All the startups need their mobile apps at the time of their website launch, and if you are interested in getting a job as a mobile developer in startups, Swift can be a great choice. Swift is the apple programming language for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
You can build iPhone and iPad apps using Swift. It’s both safe by design and robust. It can also help you in your freelancing gig as there are a lot of jobs for developing and enhancing iOS apps on freelancing websites like Fiverr and Upwork.
Cases in which Swift excels:
- Writing a native and smooth IOS mobile application.
- Implementation of a Mac Desktop application.
- Writing API using Vapor.
Conclusion
That’s all about the best programming languages for freelancing and building personal projects. As we said, not every programming language is suitable for everything. Sometimes, its OK to accept that Java is not the right choice for writing a simple web application and choose PHP instead. If you are looking to get a job in a startup or thinking of doing paid gigs as a freelancer, learning these five programming languages can be a game-changer.
What are you choosing to start with ? Or are we missing any great programming language that should make into the list ? Please let us know in the comment section.
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