Zig is a modern systems programming language designed as a pragmatic alternative to C, prioritizing simplicity, clarity, and explicit control. Created by Andrew Kelley in 2016, Zig aims to be a better tool for low-level programming by eliminating hidden control flow, providing compile-time execution, and making failure handling explicit throughout the codebase.
Unlike many modern languages, Zig has no hidden memory allocations, no preprocessor, and no macros; every operation is visible in the code. Its comptime feature enables powerful metaprogramming and generic code that executes at compile time, while manual memory management with explicit allocator passing gives developers fine-grained control without runtime overhead. Zig also serves as a compelling C/C++ build tool, with cross-compilation built in and the ability to compile C code more reliably than traditional toolchains.
Zig is gaining traction in embedded systems, operating system development, game engines, and performance-critical applications where developers need C-level control but want improved tooling and clearer semantics. Its philosophy of "only pay for what you use" and commitment to maintaining a small, understandable language appeals to those frustrated with C's accumulated complexity or C++'s feature bloat.