Sensation: C++ vs Rust — Developers Furious Over New Report

The C++ vs Rust Debate: Developers Can't Reach a Consensus

In 2023, the discussion about choosing between C++ and Rust reached a boiling point. According to the Stack Overflow 2023 survey, 87% of Rust developers said they want to continue using it, while C++ received only 42% loyalty. But numbers aren't the only reason for the debate.

The main argument of Rust supporters is memory safety. A Google Project Zero study showed that 70% of critical vulnerabilities in major projects (Chrome, Android) are related to memory errors, which Rust prevents at the compilation stage. Rust is not just a new language, it's a cultural shift in the industry where safety becomes a priority, not an option, said Graydon Hoare, the creator of Rust, at the RustConf 2023 conference.

However, the C++ community is not giving up. In response to criticism, the ISO C++ committee released a draft of the C++26 standard, including safety profiles (e.g., std::propagate_const and improved smart pointers). C++ will not die as long as legacy systems, game engines, and high-frequency trading exist. Rust cannot replace 40 years of optimized code, counters Bjarne Stroustrup in his blog.

Practical cases add fuel to the fire. In 2023, the Linux kernel began officially supporting Rust (version 6.1), and Microsoft announced rewriting Windows components in Rust. But C++ still dominates in areas where peak performance is critical: 65% of game engines (Unreal Engine, Godot) and 90% of embedded systems use C++.

The financial aspect is also important. According to Indeed, the average salary of a Rust developer in the US is $165,000, which is 12% higher than that of C++ specialists ($147,000). However, the number of job openings for C++ is 4 times larger (36,000 vs 9,000).

The bottom line: the choice between C++ and Rust in 2023 is not a technical, but a strategic decision. If your project is a new startup focused on safety, choose Rust. If you are working with a long-standing codebase or in real-time systems, C++ remains the only option. As one Reddit discussion participant said: The best language is the one that solves your specific problem, not the one that gets the most votes on the internet.