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V

A small, fast compiled programming language with a simple syntax and no library dependencies.

GitHub Download 0.5.2
Stars
38.1k
Forks
2.3k
Licence
MIT
Language
V
Last update
4 days ago
Type
Other

What it is

V is a programming language for building software that gets compiled into fast native programs. The project describes it as simple to learn, quick to compile, and safe by default, with no null values and immutability by default. It can also translate C code into V, and it includes built-in pieces such as a web framework, an ORM, and a graphics library.

  • Compile and run the included examples such as hello_world.v with `v run`
  • Build a small web service using the built-in veb web framework
  • Compile static Linux executables with `v -prod -cc gcc -cflags -static` for deployment to servers
  • Experiment with the built-in REPL
  • Translate existing C code to V using the C-to-V feature

Great for

  • Developers who want to try a compact compiled language with a short learning curve
  • Programmers writing command-line tools or small servers who want fast compile times
  • People interested in low-level or systems programming who want output as readable C
  • Developers porting existing C code who want to explore automatic C-to-V translation

Not ideal for

  • Teams that need a mature, long-established ecosystem, since the README says V is pre-1.0 and changes before 1.0 are still expected
  • Projects that cannot tolerate language or API changes before the 1.0 release
  • Beginners who need extensive tutorials, as the README does not describe learning resources beyond docs and examples
Step-by-step guide: how to use VInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs
V alternativesV vs ZigThe Algorithms - Rust vs VThe Algorithms - Go vs V

How to get it

  1. 1

    Clone and build from source

    You'll need: git · make (on Windows use makev.bat) · build-essential on Ubuntu/Debian

    Clone the repository

    git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/vlang/v

    Enter the directory

    cd v

    Build the compiler

    make
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Clone the repository and build with make, as described in the README
    • Find the V executable at the path of the repo, named v
    • Run `./v run examples/hello_world.v` to check the install
    • Update later with `v up`
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use `v -prod` for optimized builds, as shown in the static executable example
    • Try `v -gc none`, `v -prealloc`, or `v -autofree` to control memory management
    • Use the built-in veb web framework for web services (see its README in vlib/veb)
    • Use Docker images such as thevlang/vlang if you prefer not to build locally

Downloads

Source code (.zip)master branch · straight from GitHubRelease 0.5.25 files incl. v_windows.zip

Strengths

  • Fast compilation, with the README citing about 110k lines per second with the Clang backend and that V compiles itself in under a second
  • Ships with built-in features such as an ORM, web framework, REPL, and cross-compilation
  • MIT licensed with a large community, shown by about 38k GitHub stars

Trade-offs

  • Pre-1.0: the README states there will be changes before 1.0, and some APIs such as the os module may change
  • Some safety features are still in progress, for example undefined behavior is marked as wip in the README
  • Building from source can need extra setup on some platforms such as Windows, BSD, or Ubuntu/Debian

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
v (this)38.1kOtherintermediate4 days agoDevelopers who want to try a compact compiled language with a short learning curve
Go18.2kLearning resourcebeginner3 months agoBeginners learning Go who want to read working implementations of common algorithms
zig43.3kLibraryadvanced11 months agoDevelopers who want to explore or follow the Zig language project
Rust26.1kLearning resourcebeginner23 days agoStudents learning algorithms who want working Rust code to read
RustPython22.5kOtherintermediate4 days agoDevelopers who want to experiment with a Python interpreter written in Rust
julia49.2kOtherintermediate4 days agoScientists and engineers who write numerical code and want readable syntax with good speed

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.