Who Still Uses C in 2025? Insights on Its Relevance and Learning Paths

A senior web developer, feeling overwhelmed by the complexity and layers of abstraction in modern web development, recently asked the Hacker News community: "Who is using C and for what?" The developer expressed a desire to step back, simplify their toolkit, and work with languages that, while perhaps having "less ideas," possess the fundamental power to achieve significant results. C, known for its relatively small core but steep mastery curve, was the focus of this curiosity.

The responses painted a clear picture of C's enduring relevance in specific, critical domains.

Where C Still Reigns Supreme

Commenters consistently highlighted C's prevalence in areas where direct hardware control, performance, and a minimal footprint are paramount:

Low-level System Software: This was the most cited category. dyingkneepad noted C is "highly used for low-level system software development: OS stuff like drivers, libraries, compilers, databases." khedoros1 shared their experience working on a "distributed storage server" where C handles "nitty-gritty" operations, including driver-level tasks.
Embedded Systems: Rochus mentioned using C89 and C99 "very often, mostly for embedded system." runjake also suggested embedded platforms like ESP32 as a good entry point for learning C.
Interpreters and Compilers: codr7, an author of a book on C, stated they use C "occasionally, mostly to implement interpreters these days."

It's clear that C (and its close relative, C++) remains foundational for the software that underpins much of our digital infrastructure. While languages like Rust are emerging, the consensus is that C/C++ will maintain a significant market share in these low-level areas for a long time.

Is C the Right Path for Simplification?

The original poster's desire for simplification sparked a nuanced discussion. While C offers a direct look at how technology works, its 'simplicity' can be deceptive.

The Allure of C: It provides unparalleled control and a deep understanding of computer systems. For someone tired of opaque dependencies, C's transparency can be appealing.
The Challenges: Rochus astutely pointed out that for a web developer accustomed to garbage-collected languages, C's manual memory management is a major hurdle: "C is very bare-bone in comparison and you have to take care of details you never had to with your stack." This sentiment was echoed in the understanding that C is "very very difficult to master."

Alternatives and Advice for Learners

Given the OP's background and goals, several commenters suggested that other languages might offer a better balance of simplicity and power, without the steep learning curve of C, particularly concerning memory management.

Go as a Stepping Stone: Rochus and smt88 both recommended Go. Rochus described Go as "still pretty bare-bone compared to e.g. TypeScript... but still more familiar to what you are used to." smt88, after an initial brief suggestion, clarified that the OP's desire might be more about escaping the "many layers of transformation and build steps in web dev" rather than diving into manual memory management. Languages like Go, Java, C#, or Kotlin could offer a "single build step" and a closer-to-the-metal feel (e.g., writing your own server) without C's complexities.
Tips for Learning C: For those set on learning C, runjake offered encouragement: "It's worth learning C. I don't think you need to master it to get a lot of value from it." They suggested a practical starting point:
- Embedded Platforms: "Consider using C on embedded platforms like esp32, if you want a more 'simple' introduction."
- Learning Resources: A link to https://learnxinyminutes.com/c/ was also shared.

In conclusion, C remains a vital language for critical software infrastructure. While learning it can be profoundly rewarding for understanding the fundamentals, web developers seeking a simpler alternative to complex modern stacks might find languages like Go to be a more pragmatic first step, offering a reduction in complexity without immediately requiring manual memory management. The key is to align the choice of language with the specific aspects of simplification one is seeking.