Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to A work-in-progress C compiler from scratch

Programming language that compiles into a x86 ELF executable. - riicchhaarrd/ocean

A compiler for the C programming language built from scratch, currently in development. This project is for programmers interested in language implementation and compiler design. It demonstrates the process of… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. A work-in-progress C compiler from scratch launched in 2021; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   My C compiler compiled itself▲275

   One of the most challenging projects of my life :)

   2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   Lambda-8cc – An x86 C compiler written in untyped lambda calculus▲249

   x86 C compiler written in untyped lambda calculus. Contribute to woodrush/lambda-8cc development by creating an account on GitHub.

   2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

3. 3
   My own C compiler (just for fun)▲175

   rcor C compiler (under development). Contribute to rcorcs/rcc development by creating an account on GitHub.

   2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

4. 4
   A compiler for a small language into x86-64 assembly▲74

   Compiler for a small language into x86-64 Assembly - MauriceGit/compiler

   2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   I wrote my own RTS game engine in C▲1,102

   An OpenGL RTS game engine written in C. Contribute to eduard-permyakov/permafrost-engine development by creating an account on GitHub.

   2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

6. 6GI
   Going into freshman year, figured I should build an interpreter▲138

   Hi all! I'm going into my freshman year, and figured that the best way to prepare for the intro to programming Racket course would be to implement my own garbage-collected, dynamically typed, functional programming language in C ;) Anyways... here's the repo: https://github.com/liam-ilan/crumb I started learning C over the summer, so I still have a whole lot to learn... Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! :D

   2023 · its alternatives →

7. 7
   A new hobby OS from “scratch” in C#▲310

   A multitasking monolithic Kernel based x86 targeting Operating System written in C# from scratch aiming for high-level implementation of drivers in managed environment. - amaneureka/AtomOS

   2017 · github.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   I built a web framework in C▲420

   a lightweight web framework in c. Contribute to ashtonjamesd/lavandula development by creating an account on GitHub.

   2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

9. 9
   ShivyC – Hobby C compiler created in Python▲120

   C compiler created in Python. Contribute to ShivamSarodia/ShivyC development by creating an account on GitHub.

   2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Simple virtual machine, assembler, and C compiler▲99

    simple virtual machine and assembler. Contribute to ronsoros/rvm development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

11. 11
    How to write a tiny compiler▲224

    Write your own compiler: introduction. Code genetation. AST. Abstract syntax tree. lisp. javascript.

    2017 · blog.klipse.tech · its alternatives →

12. 12
    Compiler using Lisp’s macro system for metaprogramming C-like languages▲80

    Next-level syntax for C-like languages :). Contribute to kiselgra/c-mera development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    A compiler and VM for a simple language, in 150 lines of code▲200

    A complete compiler for a simple language (in less than 150 LoC) - 00_readme.md

    2022 · gist.github.com · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Compiling C in the browser using WebAssembly▲174

    We’ve reached a major milestone in making any software run with WebAssembly. Thanks to the newest release of Wasmer (4.4) and the Wasmer JS SDK (0.8.0) ...

    2024 · wasmer.io · its alternatives →

15. 15
    Xcc700: Self-hosting mini C compiler for ESP32 (Xtensa) in 700 lines▲154

    Repo: https://github.com/valdanylchuk/xcc700 Hi Everyone! I just wrote my first compiler! - single pass, recursive descent, direct emission - generates REL ELF binaries, runnable using ESP-IDF elf_loader - very basic features only, just enough for self-hosting - treats the Xtensa CPU as a stack machine for simplicity, no register allocation / window usage - compilable on Mac, probably also Linux, can cross-compile for esp32 there - wrote for fun / cyberdeck project Sample output from esp32: xcc700.elf xcc700.c -o /d/cc.elf [ xcc700 ] BUILD COMPLETED >…

    Dec 2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Compile Ruby to C▲153

    Compile ruby functions to C. Contribute to agrafix/rubyspeed development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    WIP C compiler in Go, inspired by 8cc▲60

    Cross platform C preprocessor and compiler. Contribute to andrewchambers/cc development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2015 · github.com · its alternatives →

18. 18
    How to compile C/C++ for WASM, pure Clang, no libs, no framework▲217

    A little help for programmers, who wants to run C/C++ code in the browser. (This is my second attempt to show it, first time I got banned bcoz of my personal page domain, I don't really understand it why is is suspicious.)

    2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    C3 – A C alternative that looks like C▲120

    Compiler for the C3 language. Contribute to c3lang/c3c development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

20. 20
    A simple way to write standalone C programs for i386▲147

    A simple way to write standalone C programs for i386 - luke8086/boot2c

    2019 · github.com · its alternatives →

21. 21
    C From Scratch – Learn safety-critical C with prove-first methodology▲72

    Seven modules teaching C the way safety-critical systems are actually built: MATH → STRUCT → CODE → TEST. Each module answers one question: Does it exist? (Pulse), Is it normal? (Baseline), Is it regular? (Timing), Is it trending? (Drift), Which sensor to trust? (Consensus), How to handle overflow? (Pressure), What do we do about it? (Mode). Every module is closed (no dependencies), total (handles all inputs), deterministic, and O(1). 83 tests passing. Built this after 30 years in UNIX systems. Wanted something that teaches the rigour behind certified systems without requiring a decade of…

    Jan 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

22. 22CA
    C3 – A C alternative that looks like C▲182

    Compiler link: https://github.com/c3lang/c3c Docs: http://www.c3-lang.org This is my follow-up "Show HN" from roughly a year ago (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27876570). Since then the language design has evolved and the compiler has gotten much more solid. Assorted extra info: - The C3 name is a homage to the C2 language project (http://c2lang.org) which it was originally inspired by. - Although C3 mostly conforms to C syntax, the most obvious change is requiring `fn` in front of the functions. This is to simplify searching for…

    2022 · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Fork, a toy self-hosting language and compiler that compiles to C▲58

    A simple, self hosted, low level programming language. - mcilloni/fork

    2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Build your own programming language in C++▲94

    A minimal viable programming language on top of liblgpp - codr7/alang

    2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

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