Top 20 Programming Languages of April 2026: See What’s Dominating Tech!

Has Rust Hit Its Ceiling?

Rust is the newest programming language featured in the TIOBE Index, but its growth has stagnated for several months. First appearing in this highly regarded developer index in June 2020, Rust was initially “expected to break into the top 10 and establish itself as a serious rival to C and C++,” notes Paul Jansen, CEO of TIOBE Software. However, Rust struggles to live up to its early promise.

While it reached its highest position at 13th place earlier this year, Rust has slipped to 16th place this month, with no immediate signs of improvement. “A spot in the top 10 now seems more distant than before,” states Paul Jansen, attributing this stagnation to the language’s learning curve:

The most likely reason is the language’s steep learning curve. Although Rust can produce highly efficient and secure code, it remains challenging for non-expert developers to master. While some specialists are willing to invest time in learning it, widespread adoption by the general public seems unlikely.

Paul Jansen

CEO, TIOBE Software

Top 20 Computer Languages in April 2026

Beyond Rust, the April edition of the TIOBE Index recorded some shifts. Perl (12th) and Swift (19th) made the most significant gains this month, each climbing seven positions with respective increases of 0.57% and 0.24%. The R language also moved up five spots to break into the top half of the ranking at ninth place.

The overall hierarchy remains relatively stable: despite a year-on-year interest drop of 2.11%, Python comfortably leads the TIOBE Index, maintaining a significant lead over C, which is in second place. C++ drops one position to complete the podium, while C#, named the 2025 Language of the Year by TIOBE Software, holds steady in fifth place.

Here are the top 20 most popular programming languages among developers in April 2026:

1. Python (= same position as April 2025)
2. C (+1)
3. C++ (-1)
4. Java (=)
5. C# (=)
6. JavaScript (=)
7. Visual Basic (+1)
8. SQL (+2)
9. R (+5)
10. Delphi/Object Pascal (-1)
11. Scratch (+1)
12. Perl (+7)
13. Fortran (-2)
14. PHP (-1)
15. Go (-8)
16. Rust (+2)
17. MATLAB (-1)
18. Assembly language (-1)
19. Swift (+7)
20. Ada (-5)

How Does the TIOBE Index Measure Programming Language Popularity?

Updated monthly, the TIOBE Index does not determine the best or most used programming language, but rather the most popular among developers. To compile this ranking, TIOBE Software evaluates the volume of search queries related to these languages across over twenty platforms, from Google to Wikipedia, including Bing and Amazon. “The index can be used to check if your programming skills are up to date or to make a strategic decision about which language to use when developing a new software system,” the company explains.