Go is compiled and python is interpreted which makes go much faster when running than python. The go compilation is fast as well and it will download the dependencies for you when needed. A benefit of the compilation (static checking) is that the code is extensively checked before execution and only logical errors are left. With python, a program will crash or generate bogus result at runtime and it might not be trivial to find the cause. For instance, when you make a typo in a field name, python will create a new field with that name without telling you. The program will then not run as expected and might generate bogus result or result in a crash. The crash, or an exception, will signal that there is a problem, but the real cause might be difficult to locate if there are many lines of code. Go code is a bit more verbose than python to help the checking at compilation. Python has a long evolution history that changed the language, packaging etc. which is not always coherent or consistent/compatible. Go ensures backward compatibility and changes are slow, coherent, and minimal. Python has multiple GUI libraries while Go has only a very limited set of choices. Python has thus incredibly powerful GUI tools like Jupiter and nice graphics libraries. In summary, for system administration where you only need small scripts that are easy to verify manually and debug, python is trump. For longer and more complex tasks, or when you need bug free code fast, Go is your best friend. When you need an app with GUI, prefer python, but this is changing with go packages like Fyne and GIO. The best would be for you to know both and use the most appropriate language for the various use cases. Answer from chmikes on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/golang › go vs. python: what's the difference, and is go a good choice for system administration?
r/golang on Reddit: Go vs. Python: What's the difference, and is Go a good choice for system administration?
September 23, 2023 -
I'm interested in learning Go. I'm wondering what the difference is between Go and Python, and what are the advantages of Go over Python. I'm also wondering if I can implement data structures and automate jobs of linux with Go.
And what are some best resources for learning go
Thanks in advance for your help!
Top answer 1 of 22
83
Go is compiled and python is interpreted which makes go much faster when running than python. The go compilation is fast as well and it will download the dependencies for you when needed. A benefit of the compilation (static checking) is that the code is extensively checked before execution and only logical errors are left. With python, a program will crash or generate bogus result at runtime and it might not be trivial to find the cause. For instance, when you make a typo in a field name, python will create a new field with that name without telling you. The program will then not run as expected and might generate bogus result or result in a crash. The crash, or an exception, will signal that there is a problem, but the real cause might be difficult to locate if there are many lines of code. Go code is a bit more verbose than python to help the checking at compilation. Python has a long evolution history that changed the language, packaging etc. which is not always coherent or consistent/compatible. Go ensures backward compatibility and changes are slow, coherent, and minimal. Python has multiple GUI libraries while Go has only a very limited set of choices. Python has thus incredibly powerful GUI tools like Jupiter and nice graphics libraries. In summary, for system administration where you only need small scripts that are easy to verify manually and debug, python is trump. For longer and more complex tasks, or when you need bug free code fast, Go is your best friend. When you need an app with GUI, prefer python, but this is changing with go packages like Fyne and GIO. The best would be for you to know both and use the most appropriate language for the various use cases.
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Here is my (rightfully) salty take: If you only need to build up a quick script, then Python is the way to go. Anything more serious, only use Go. Recently I had an opportunity to remember why I quit Python in the first place. The language is a mess. Python libraries are an even bigger mess. The pain of not knowing what will break is just painful. And when it does break, it's more painful to fix. For me at least, writing apps using python, even while doing it as a part of a course, was like shooting myself in the face. I don't know how Python developers sleep peacefully at night. It's an absolute mess. I would do everything in Go if possible. I may have to write more verbose code, but it isn't as painful as the app blowing up on my own face in an unexpected time. I would rather write if err != nil {} any day of the week than deal with Python code.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/devops › go or python?
r/devops on Reddit: Go or Python?
June 25, 2018 -
Hi guys, I'm very good in bash (15 years and counting...), I used to do little C, especially with sockets, when I was a lot younger (10 years ago).
Now I'd like to learn a programming language: python or go? Possible outsider: node.js.
I'd go with python because is very flexible, lots of libs, and not that difficult. But go is really trending now, and is faster. IMHO it can replace python and/or java for how is going faster.
However, I can't learn both. I want to focus on one, because I don't have time for more.
Any advice?
Top answer 1 of 33
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I do 'devops' work in both. In this case, I suggest Python, with reasons following. I'll default to using Python unless there are specific reasons not to, in which case I go with golang. The canonical case for not going with Python is performance. However, few devops development activities are actually language performance limited. Also, given your background, my guess is that you'll get productive in Python quite a bit more quickly than you'll get productive in golang.
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Personally I'd learn python first and here's why: It's older and more established, so more companies are likely to be using it. It's going to have a larger community; more code samples available, more SO questions answered. Both have interfacing with C though Python's C interface is a bit more reliable and encouraged, unlike that of Go. A lot of companies use python for scripting; lots of DevOps libraries are built with python (e.g. Ansible) There are pros to learning Go: It's faster than python in most scenarios. It's syntax and environment (compiling and distributing binaries) is more related to C. At the end of the day, it probably doesn't matter which you chose first if you'll learn the other one. Weigh your pros and cons and decide.
Videos
14:50
Golang vs Python: Which Should You Choose for Your Next Project?
04:51
Go vs Python: Which Language Should You Choose? | Ultimate Comparison ...
00:42
Python or Golang for Coding in 2024? #programming #shorts - YouTube
26:12
Go vs Python: What Every Developer Should Know - YouTube
Python or Go?
DEV Community
dev.to › taikedz › shell-scripting-vs-go-practical-notes-form-a-reimplementation-project-1b18
Shell/Python vs Go - practical thoughts form a reimplementation project - DEV Community
July 9, 2025 - It feels to me that Go is a credible alternative to both shell scripting and python given the requirements. However, I would still say that, with fluency, one would go faster with shell scripts for simple items (the build and install scripts are still shell), and faster in python for "throw it together" operations.
Quora
quora.com › Which-is-better-for-DevOps-Golang-or-Python-scripts
Which is better for DevOps, Golang or Python scripts? - Quora
Answer (1 of 4): I love golang. But for short scripts with constantly changing interfaces. I would not even think of Go doing this. Python. All the way.
CBT Nuggets
cbtnuggets.com › blog › technology › programming › go-vs-python-which-language-should-you-use-for-your-next-project
Go vs Python: Which Language Should You Use for Your Next Project?
The rule of thumb is this: If you ... and simple and to serve as a general-purpose programming language. Python is incredible at building simple scripts ......
InterviewBit
interviewbit.com › compare › golang vs python: full difference explained
Golang vs Python: Full Difference Explained - InterviewBit
August 16, 2023 - Golang is the language that comes ... memory management. But, if you want to generate scripts and tools that run effectively while promoting readability across teams, Python can be your best option....
Roadmap
roadmap.sh › golang › vs-python
Go vs Python: Pro advice on picking the right language
Python: Libraries like asyncio, aiohttp, and Twisted allow you to write asynchronous servers, but you’ll often trade off some performance and complexity in the event loop. Go: For longer-lived scripts or those that need to run on systems without a language runtime, Go is perfect.
EDUCBA
educba.com › home › software development › software development tutorials › top differences tutorial › python vs go
Python vs Go | Best 6 Useful Comaprisons To Learn
June 12, 2023 - Below are the key differences between Python vs Go: Python, a scripting language, must be interpreted, whereas Go is faster most of the time since it does not have to consider anything at runtime.
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Quora
quora.com › Googles-Go-language-vs-Python-which-would-you-prefer-to-use-and-why
Google's Go language vs Python, which would you prefer to use and why? - Quora
Answer (1 of 23): I will go with Go all the time. I can write Go as fast as I can write Python, in that case I don’t see why I would choose Python and leave Go. Static typed is a big one for me, when you are writing hundreds of lines then dynamic typing is fine, write a thousand things starts ...
Oxylabs
oxylabs.io › blog › go-vs-python
Go vs Python: The Differences in 2026
Within it, a program counts to 1 billion; Go’s script finishes it in less than a second, while Python takes entire minutes because it lacks the concept of natively typed variables. Python has to recognize the type of variables each time, meaning no static typing. Be advised, though, that this is true for the reference implementation of Python, which is CPython.
Hacker News
news.ycombinator.com › item
Why We Switched from Python to Go (2021) | Hacker News
June 7, 2022 - Now, the points they've made are valid, Go concurrency beats the pants off python, and with gofmt, there is less of a debate about style · Te bit about finding a team is pure horse cock. As they point out there are a bunch of C++/C programmers about. There are even more python programmers too.
Uvik
uvik.net › blog › go-vs-python
Golang vs Python in 2024: Deep Review and Comparison
January 10, 2026 - Now, let’s summarize the key aspects of Go vs Python to gain the final idea of the difference between Go and Python. Python is a scripting language that requires interpretation while working with Golang can significantly optimize the workflow as it doesn’t count on anything at runtime.
Medium
medium.com › @eleanor.watson › choosing-between-go-and-python-when-to-use-each-programming-language-2c22bc834edd
Choosing Between Go and Python: When to Use Each Programming Language | by Eleanor Watson | Medium
May 6, 2024 - 3. Scripting and Automation: Python’s simplicity and readability make it well-suited for writing scripts and automating repetitive tasks. Whether you’re writing system administration scripts, data processing pipelines, or test automation scripts, Python’s concise syntax and extensive standard library make it a great choice. Ultimately, the choice between Go and Python depends on the specific requirements and constraints of your project.
KodeKloud
kodekloud.com › programming › python
Should I learn Python or Golang or Bash? - Python - KodeKloud - DevOps Learning Community
March 20, 2024 - Hi Kodekloud fam, As a beginner in the DevOps field, which programming scripting should I learn between Bash, Python and Golang? When I choose programming learning path --followed by choosing I know nothing, the path puts Golang course first versus Python. Why is that ?
Medium
medium.com › @midnightfiresale › python-vs-go-in-2023-fcaf9d511750
Python vs Go in 2023 | Medium
August 18, 2023 - Python’s extensive standard library and dynamic nature provide a wide range of tools for scripting tasks. Go’s simplicity, cross-compilation, and efficient execution make it suitable for system administration tasks that require standalone executables.
Bitfield Consulting
bitfieldconsulting.com › posts › go-vs-python
Go vs Python: choosing the right language for the job — Bitfield Consulting
October 5, 2020 - By contrast, Go is rather strict. It’s statically typed, which means the compiler insists on verifying beforehand that every value you pass to a function, say, is exactly the type it’s supposed to be. This can make the programming experience feel a bit like doing a lot of paperwork, just to get a simple proof of concept running. For super-fast prototype development, experimentation, and solving one-off problems with a quick script, Python is ideal.
Guru99
guru99.com › home › python › go vs. python: what’s the difference?
Go Vs. Python: What’s the Difference?
August 12, 2024 - Go has garbage collection, which itself does the memory management and allows the deferred execution of functions. Python is a high-level object-oriented programming language. It has built-in data structures, combined with dynamic binding and typing, which makes it an ideal choice for rapid application development.
BMC Software
bmc.com › blogs › go-vs-python
Python vs Go: What’s The Difference?
August 20, 2020 - The Python libraries in particularly are vast. They can get anyone writing code to do what they want on Day One. Exploring data tables is easy with Pandas, and machine learning is simple with TensorFlow and PyTorch. ... Go does not offer this support. You would have to write all your own scripts to ...
Orient Software
orientsoftware.com › blog › golang-vs-python-performance
Golang vs. Python Performance: Which Programming Language Is Better?
May 25, 2024 - Golang, known for its simplicity and efficiency in concurrent tasks, is well-suited for systems programming, cloud services, and large-scale distributed applications. Python, with its vast ecosystem of libraries and frameworks, is the right choice for web development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and rapid prototyping.
Medium
medium.com › nerd-for-tech › python-vs-go-28a636313a1e
Python VS Go. Before we start let me give a… | by ADITH SREEJEY | Nerd For Tech | Medium
May 14, 2021 - Go’s syntax is also considerably less friendly to beginners but it’s not as unforgiving as something like C or C++. So for readability of code, I’m going to go with Go. So as you guys see, Go definitely has the upper hand in most cases and trumps Python as a programming language in my opinion.
