C Compilers for Different Systems

C Compilers for Different Systems

There is more than one C compiler. Here is how to pick for your system.

The popular compilers

• GCC (the GNU Compiler Collection) - free, open source, works everywhere.
• Clang - high quality, popular on macOS, part of LLVM.
• MSVC (Microsoft Visual C++) - the Windows compiler inside Visual Studio.

Which one for what?

• Windows: MinGW gcc or Visual Studio (MSVC).
• macOS: clang (installed with Xcode command line tools).
• Linux: gcc, ready with the system package manager.

Online compilers

No compiler installed? Try free online editors:

• OnlineGDB
• Coliru
• Programiz
• etc. They compile and run all in the browser.

Verify

Whatever you pick, check that it works with the classic:

gcc --version
clang --version

TL;DR

• GCC is Linux/Windows-common; Clang is the macOS helper; MSVC is Visual Studio.
• Check your install with gcc --version.
• OnlineGDB enables you to practice without installing it.
• The compiler you choose doesn't change how you write C.