Elixir vs Python

Chat & Discussions Discussions
, ,
6

Python

Advantages

  • more lightweight VM
  • more broad distribution
  • “easier deployment”
  • broader area of usage (DevOps, Science Computations, scripting, etc.)
  • multiple popular VM implementations (CPython, PyPy, Jython, IronPython, etc.)
  • mutable types

Disadvantages

  • GIL in some implementations
  • distributed computation more complicated
  • mutable types
  • monkey patching (not that it is not possible in Erlang)

Erlang and Elixir

Advantages

  • very good distributed primitives
  • immutable types
  • simple syntax (in case of Erlang)
  • powerful syntax (in case of Elixir)
  • one VM can easily host different languages (Gleam, Elixir, Erlang, LFE, Joxa, Erlog, Luerl, etc.)
  • error handling
  • live updates

Disadvantages

  • immutability
  • without HiPE the performance is often worse than Python
  • less familiar syntax (in case of Erlang)
  • macros can be confusing (in case of Elixir)
  • single popular VM implementation
11 Likes