programming languages

Rank

Common Lisp vs Scheme

  1. This language is large

    91% 9%
    Common Lisp 113 out of 124 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  2. This language is best for very large projects

    79% 21%
    Common Lisp 87 out of 110 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  3. This language is well suited for an agile development approach using short iterations.

    74% 26%
    Common Lisp 32 out of 43 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  4. This language is unusually bad for beginners

    74% 26%
    Common Lisp 104 out of 140 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  5. There are many good commercial tools for this language

    71% 29%
    Common Lisp 81 out of 113 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  6. I still discover new features of this language on a fairly regular basis

    71% 29%
    Common Lisp 74 out of 104 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  7. This language has many features which feel "tacked on"

    70% 30%
    Common Lisp 82 out of 116 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  8. This language has an annoying syntax

    69% 31%
    Common Lisp 37 out of 53 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  9. I would list this language on my resume

    69% 31%
    Common Lisp 78 out of 112 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  10. I would use this language for writing server programs

    69% 31%
    Common Lisp 85 out of 123 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  11. Third-party libraries are readily available, well-documented, and of high quality

    69% 31%
    Common Lisp 78 out of 113 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  12. Programs written in this language tend to be efficient

    68% 32%
    Common Lisp 84 out of 123 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  13. This language is good for numeric computing

    67% 33%
    Common Lisp 78 out of 115 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  14. This is a mainstream language

    67% 33%
    Common Lisp 33 out of 49 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  15. This language makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot

    66% 34%
    Common Lisp 55 out of 83 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  16. This language has a good library distribution mechanism.

    65% 35%
    Common Lisp 31 out of 47 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  17. This language is very flexible

    65% 35%
    Common Lisp 94 out of 143 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  18. This language is good for scientific computing

    64% 36%
    Common Lisp 83 out of 128 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  19. This language excels at text processing

    64% 36%
    Common Lisp 70 out of 108 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  20. This language has unusual features that I often miss when using other languages

    64% 36%
    Common Lisp 75 out of 116 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  21. This language encourages writing reusable code.

    63% 37%
    Common Lisp 31 out of 49 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  22. This language has a high quality implementation

    62% 38%
    Common Lisp 34 out of 54 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  23. I often get angry when writing code in this language

    62% 38%
    Common Lisp 20 out of 32 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  24. There is a lot of accidental complexity when writing code in this language

    62% 38%
    Common Lisp 72 out of 116 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  25. I often feel like I am not smart enough to write this language

    62% 38%
    Common Lisp 18 out of 29 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  26. I find it easy to write efficient code in this language

    61% 39%
    Common Lisp 71 out of 116 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  27. This language has a strong static type system

    61% 39%
    Common Lisp 83 out of 136 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  28. The thought that I may still be using this language in twenty years time fills me with dread

    61% 39%
    Common Lisp 72 out of 118 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  29. There are many good tools for this language

    59% 41%
    Common Lisp 67 out of 112 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  30. Programs written in this language will usually work in future versions of the language

    59% 41%
    Common Lisp 68 out of 114 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  31. It is too easy to write code in this language that looks like it does one thing but actually does something else

    59% 41%
    Common Lisp 67 out of 113 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  32. There are many good open-source tools for this language

    59% 41%
    Common Lisp 68 out of 115 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  33. There is a wide variety of open source code written in this language

    58% 42%
    Common Lisp 77 out of 131 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  34. This language has well-organized libraries with consistent, carefully thought-out interfaces

    58% 42%
    Common Lisp 62 out of 106 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  35. I would use this language for a web project

    57% 43%
    Common Lisp 74 out of 129 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  36. This language excels at symbolic manipulation

    56% 44%
    Common Lisp 71 out of 125 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  37. It is easy to debug programs written in this language when it goes wrong

    56% 44%
    Common Lisp 60 out of 106 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  38. I usually use this language on projects with many other members

    56% 44%
    Common Lisp 65 out of 115 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  39. If this language didn't exist, I would have trouble finding a satisfactory replacement

    56% 44%
    Common Lisp 54 out of 96 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  40. This language is suitable for real-time applications

    55% 45%
    Common Lisp 62 out of 111 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  41. I know many other people who use this language

    55% 45%
    Common Lisp 68 out of 123 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  42. This is a high level language

    54% 46%
    Common Lisp 83 out of 152 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  43. I rarely have difficulty abstracting patterns I find in my code

    54% 46%
    Common Lisp 74 out of 136 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  44. I can imagine using this language in my day job

    53% 47%
    Common Lisp 77 out of 143 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  45. I am reluctant to admit to knowing this language

    53% 47%
    Common Lisp 50 out of 93 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  46. Writing code in this language is a lot of work

    53% 47%
    Common Lisp 72 out of 134 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  47. Code written in this language tends to be very reliable

    53% 47%
    Common Lisp 67 out of 125 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  48. Libraries in this language tend to be well documented.

    53% 47%
    Common Lisp 25 out of 47 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  49. I use many applications written in this language

    52% 48%
    Common Lisp 66 out of 125 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  50. This is a low level language

    52% 48%
    Common Lisp 62 out of 118 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  51. This language is well documented

    52% 48%
    Common Lisp 62 out of 118 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  52. This language has a wide variety of agreed-upon conventions, which are generally adhered to reasonably well, and which increase my productivity

    52% 48%
    Common Lisp 53 out of 101 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  53. The semantics of this language are much different than other languages I know.

    52% 48%
    Common Lisp 26 out of 50 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  54. This language has a very dogmatic community

    51% 49%
    Common Lisp 56 out of 109 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  55. I learned this language early in my career as a programmer

    50% 50%
    Common Lisp 29 out of 57 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  56. This language is likely to be around for a very long time

    50% 50%
    Common Lisp 61 out of 120 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  57. I often write things in this language with the intent of rewriting them in something else later

    50% 50%
    Common Lisp 45 out of 89 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  58. This language excels at concurrency

    50% 50%
    Common Lisp 56 out of 111 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  59. This language is frequently used for applications it isn't suitable for

    50% 50%
    Common Lisp 56 out of 111 picked Common Lisp over Scheme Scheme

  60. This language is expressive

    50% 50%
    Common Lisp 81 out of 162 each for Scheme and Common Lisp Scheme

  61. I use this language out of choice

    50% 50%
    Common Lisp 57 out of 114 each for Scheme and Common Lisp Scheme

  62. I would use this language for a desktop GUI project

    49% 51%
    Common Lisp 69 out of 137 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  63. I usually use this language on solo projects

    49% 51%
    Common Lisp 68 out of 135 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  64. I would use this language to write a command-line app

    49% 51%
    Common Lisp 65 out of 129 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  65. Developers who primarily use this language often burn out after a few years

    49% 51%
    Common Lisp 45 out of 89 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  66. I would like to write more of this language than I currently do

    49% 51%
    Common Lisp 71 out of 140 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  67. I am sometimes embarrassed to admit to my peers that I know this language

    48% 52%
    Common Lisp 52 out of 101 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  68. Code written in this language tends to be verbose

    47% 53%
    Common Lisp 71 out of 135 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  69. This language has a niche in which it is great

    46% 54%
    Common Lisp 63 out of 118 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  70. I find this language easy to prototype in

    46% 54%
    Common Lisp 76 out of 142 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  71. I enjoy using this language

    46% 54%
    Common Lisp 69 out of 128 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  72. When I run into problems my colleagues can provide me with immediate help with this language

    46% 54%
    Common Lisp 61 out of 113 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  73. This language has a niche outside of which I would not use it

    45% 55%
    Common Lisp 65 out of 120 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  74. Programs written in this language tend to play well with others

    45% 55%
    Common Lisp 62 out of 114 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  75. I regularly use this language

    45% 55%
    Common Lisp 77 out of 141 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  76. This language is good for distributed computing

    45% 55%
    Common Lisp 52 out of 95 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  77. This language allows me to write programs where I know exactly what they are doing under the hood

    44% 56%
    Common Lisp 76 out of 137 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  78. I know this language well

    44% 56%
    Common Lisp 594 out of 1070 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  79. I use a lot of code written in this language which I really don't want to have to make changes to

    44% 56%
    Common Lisp 15 out of 27 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  80. Learning this language improved my ability as a programmer

    44% 56%
    Common Lisp 73 out of 131 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  81. When I write code in this language I can be very sure it is correct

    43% 57%
    Common Lisp 74 out of 132 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  82. This language has a good community

    43% 57%
    Common Lisp 64 out of 114 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  83. Code written in this language will usually run in all the major implementations if it runs in one of them.

    43% 57%
    Common Lisp 21 out of 37 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  84. This language matches it's problem domain particularly well.

    43% 57%
    Common Lisp 29 out of 51 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  85. Learning this language significantly changed how I use other languages.

    43% 57%
    Common Lisp 29 out of 51 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  86. I would use this language for casual scripting

    42% 58%
    Common Lisp 69 out of 121 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  87. I can imagine this will be a popular language in twenty years time

    42% 58%
    Common Lisp 60 out of 105 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  88. This language is likely to have a strong influence on future languages

    42% 58%
    Common Lisp 73 out of 126 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  89. This language is likely to be a passing fad

    40% 60%
    Common Lisp 57 out of 95 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  90. This language encourages writing code that is easy to maintain.

    38% 62%
    Common Lisp 33 out of 54 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  91. I would use this language for mobile applications

    37% 63%
    Common Lisp 79 out of 127 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  92. This language has a very rigid idea of how things should be done

    37% 63%
    Common Lisp 79 out of 126 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  93. Code written in this language tends to be terse

    37% 63%
    Common Lisp 78 out of 124 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  94. The resources for learning this language are of high quality

    35% 65%
    Common Lisp 67 out of 104 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  95. I would use this language for writing programs for an embedded hardware platform

    34% 66%
    Common Lisp 69 out of 106 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  96. Code written in this language is very readable

    34% 66%
    Common Lisp 83 out of 127 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  97. It is easy to tell at a glance what code in this language does

    34% 66%
    Common Lisp 83 out of 126 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  98. This language is easier to use for it's problem domain by removing unneeded expressiveness (such as not being Turing complete).

    33% 67%
    Common Lisp 18 out of 27 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  99. If my code in this language successfully compiles, there is a good chance my code is correct.

    33% 67%
    Common Lisp 30 out of 45 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  100. This language is best for very small projects

    32% 68%
    Common Lisp 74 out of 109 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  101. I enjoy playing with this language but would never use it for "real code"

    29% 71%
    Common Lisp 73 out of 104 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  102. I find code written in this language very elegant

    27% 73%
    Common Lisp 106 out of 146 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  103. I would recommend most programmers learn this language, regardless of whether they have a specific need for it

    26% 74%
    Common Lisp 39 out of 53 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  104. It's unusual for me to discover unfamiliar features

    25% 75%
    Common Lisp 87 out of 116 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  105. I would use this language as a scripting language embedded inside a larger application

    23% 77%
    Common Lisp 97 out of 127 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  106. I would use this language for writing embedded programs

    21% 79%
    Common Lisp 15 out of 19 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  107. This language is built on a small core of orthogonal features

    14% 86%
    Common Lisp 92 out of 107 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  108. This language has a very coherent design

    13% 87%
    Common Lisp 109 out of 126 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  109. This language is good for beginners

    12% 88%
    Common Lisp 102 out of 117 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  110. This language would be good for teaching children to write software

    10% 90%
    Common Lisp 49 out of 55 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

  111. This language is minimal

    9% 91%
    Common Lisp 111 out of 123 picked Scheme over Common Lisp Scheme

What's going on here?

The absolute rankings are interesting for large scale comparisons but when you want to know about two specific languages it's much more informative to look at how the two fare when they go directly head to head.

Here are all the statements which we've got enough comparisons between Common Lisp and Scheme to be meaningful and which of the two our users picked.

The order in which we're presenting them is a little arbitrary (sorry), but we've tried to put the things which they're both good at first so as to give you the most interesting picture of it.