Solidity vs. Plutus: Which programming language should you choose to build your web3 dApp?

Comparing two crucial programming languages in the blockchain ecosystem

Smart contracts are one of the most interesting and innovative aspects of blockchain technology. The ability to create self-executable, immutable computer programs that live on a public ledger allows to create truly neutral, censorship resistant, and decentralized protocols.

But coding these smart contracts isn’t an easy task. In fact, blockchains have developed their own programming languages to streamline this process.?

Among them, Solidity and Plutus emerge as two of the most popular programming languages in the industry. Let’s dig a little deeper into each of them, shall we?

The basics of Solidity

Solidity is a programming language for writing smart contracts for the Ethereum blockchain. It was influenced by C++, Python, and JavaScript, and specifically created to write smart contracts that target the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM).

Solidity is the most popular language for writing smart contracts on EVM blockchains, including Ethereum, Avalanche, BNB Chain, Polygon, Tron, among others. It is used to create decentralized applications (DApps) that can interact with these networks.

Should you learn and build your app with Solidity?

One of the main advantages of Solidity is that it is relatively easy to learn, especially for programmers who are already familiar with languages like JavaScript or Python. It also has a large and active community of developers, which makes it easy to find help and resources online.

In that regard, if you’re willing to learn Solidity, you’ll have no problem finding lots of valuable courses on YouTube or learning platforms, trainee programs, internships, mentors, and fellow enthusiasts in the same situation as you.

Additionally, the vast amount of networks that have adopted Solidity as their main programming language have made it the most popular option for programmers. This enables portability, as the same app could be deployed in many blockchains.?

On the contrary, if you’re pursuing a career in crypto, learning Solidity will most definitely throw you into a very competitive market, as while demand for this type of programmers is high, so is the amount of people learning it.

The basics of Plutus

Plutus is a functional programming language that was developed by IOHK. It is based on Haskell and is used to write smart contracts for the Cardano blockchain.

Plutus is designed to be a safer and more expressive language for writing smart contracts, and it is intended to make it easier for developers to build applications on the Cardano platform.

Should you learn and build your app with Plutus?

Plutus is designed to be a safer and more expressive language for writing smart contracts.?

It has a strong type system and is statically-typed, which helps prevent common programming errors and makes it easier to reason about and understand code. This is likely its most significant advantage over Solidity.

Furthermore, because of its features, Plutus might be the best choice for you if you have a mathematics background, as the language relies on mathematical proofs to verify correctness.

Nevertheless, Plutus does have some cons as well. First of all, it’s based on Haskell, which isn’t as popular as JavaScript or Python. And, it’s only supported by the Cardano blockchain, meaning the Plutus-coding community isn’t as large as that of Solidity.

Plus, the Plutus learning curve tends to be more shallow and longer, as it’s based on a more advanced and mathematically-intensive programming language.

This makes it a little harder to get started with it, which is why IOHK, Cardano’s parent company, offers original certifications and free programs to bring more people onboard the Plutus programming language.

Additionally, the hard fork that granted smart contract support to Cardano happened only in 2021, which means it hasn’t been there very long. As a consequence, the community is still in its emerging stages and shaping itself.

Yet, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative, as Plutus programmers are always very welcomed into the Cardano community and extremely valued by the entrepreneurs building on it.?

And, the fact that the community is still growing gives you the chance to be among its first builders. Think of it as a long-term bet, where you invest your time while the Plutus community is still small, but when it grows, you’ll have the privilege to be a reference and a leading personality within it.

A summary of Solidity vs. Plutus

Solidity and Plutus are both programming languages that are used to write smart contracts on blockchain networks, but they have some key differences:

• Supporting blockchains: Solidity is a programming language that is used to write smart contracts on EVM blockchains, which include the world’s most popular platforms such as Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, Avalanche, and Tron, among others. Plutus, on the other hand, is a programming language that is used to write smart contracts exclusively on the Cardano blockchain. If you’re planning to build your own dApp, Solidity will give you much more reach than Plutus, but it will also demand you more time, attention, and resources to make sure it’s secure.
• Syntax: Solidity and Plutus have different syntax and programming constructs. Solidity is based on C++ and JavaScript, while Plutus is based on Haskell. This means that developers who are familiar with one of these traditional programming languages may find it easier to learn its “child” language over the other.
• Features: Solidity has a number of features that make it well-suited for writing smart contracts, including support for complex data types, high-level control structures, and gas optimization, which make it much simpler, but also more fragile. Plutus offers different features, including support for advanced type inference, which allows the compiler to automatically infer the types of variables based on the context in which they are used, and modularity, which lets them divide their code into separate modules for better organization and reuse. Plutus also has support for formal verification, which is a technique that enables mathematically proving the correctness of code.
• Community and resources: Solidity has a larger and more active community of developers and a greater number of resources available online, while Plutus is a newer language with a smaller community and fewer resources. This means that finding educational material may be easier for Solidity than for Plutus. On the other hand, Solidity developers’ market may be more saturated, while Plutus developers have less competition.

Conclusions

Both Solidity and Plutus have strong arguments for and against. The choice is ultimately up to you and your preferences. If you’re going for something simple and want to reach as many people as possible, Solidity will give you more exposure and facilitate the programming process.

On the contrary, if you’re going for specificity and security, Plutus may be the way to go, even when it’s not used by as many people as Solidity.

At the end of the day, both are powerful programming languages that are well-suited for writing and deploying decentralized applications on Blockchain networks.