(I'm assuming you're coming from C and don't already know C++ because of the linked article) If the ecosystem that's available is sufficient for your needs on

(I'm assuming you're coming from C and don't already know C++ because of the linked article) If the ecosystem that's available is sufficient for your needs on the platforms you care about and you're not interested in easy compatibility with a C/C++ codebase or your existing C knowledge, I would recommend Rust over C++ whenever possible (C is a different question since it fills a slightly different niche and doesn't really have a solid alternative yet imo). Rust has a much simpler and well-chosen set and interaction of features than C++, but it does that by dropping many of the compatibility constraints of C and C++ (and making assumptions that are easier to make in 2021 than 30+ years ago). Compiler errors also more honestly reflect the learning curve, so it can feel more punishing at the start, but has a shorter learning curve to reach functionally correct code, where with C++ you might easily have been using it for 10+ years and still learn you've been doing something wrong the whole time. That's a big set of ifs, though. It's possible that the compiler errors are discouraging enough that C++ might feel like a more comfortable choice (I would encourage you to not let this be your reason unless you're just interested in solving a one-time problem). I keep checking in on Rust to see how small and dependency free I can get the compiled binary, and I usually need a mess of nightly features. The ecosystem is also still a mess. There are a few great libraries, but otherwise it's a minefield of 0.x releases for most dependencies (admittedly, some of the most important ones are autogenerated bindings where the version number is meaningless). Bindings are really easy to write with Rust, however, and it's one of the few languages that really gets that right, but it's nowhere near as convenient as calling/using C or C++ from C++. Most of these issues are consequences of C and C++ having the existing inertia, but it is what it is. Some people want to ship things and not join a community. If you're trying to get a job or just learn: learn both. C++ isn't going to go away completely any time soon, but, with every month that passes, there are fewer and fewer technical reasons to justify starting a new project in it vs Rust. Choosing an inferior tool because it's the only one you understand might often be the correct choice, but it's not a choice you want to have to make.