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Dev tools · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to How to write a tiny compiler

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

How to Write a Tiny Compiler is a blog series that teaches the fundamentals of compiler design by building a simple compiler in JavaScript. The compiler translates LISP-like syntax into C-like syntax, covering key… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. How to write a tiny compiler launched in 2017; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

  1. 1

    Ultra Tiny Compiler. Contribute to antonmedv/ultra-tiny-compiler development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

  2. 2

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

    2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

  3. 3

    Minimal self-hosted JavaScript compiler in 1k lines of code - maierfelix/mini-js

    2017 · github.com · its alternatives →

  4. 4

    Go compiler for small places. Microcontrollers, WebAssembly (WASM/WASI), and command-line tools. Based on LLVM. - tinygo-org/tinygo

    2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

  5. 5

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

    2022 · gist.github.com · its alternatives →

  6. 6

    One of the most challenging projects of my life :)

    2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

  7. 7IW
  8. 8

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

    2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

  9. 9

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

    2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

  10. 10CT
  11. 11

    Hi HN, author here. Happy to answer any questions. I had an itch to make a lisp like language that was a thin layer on top JavaScript. Something that could leverage the thriving ecosystem that exists around JavaScript. It's brittle, hot off the oven. Besides being a fan of parenthesis, I think macros fill in a gap that the JavaScript ecosystem today fills in with one-off compilers, bundler plugins and such. Macros can't do everything, but for example I think they have the potential to enable things like JSX, Solid and Svelte style libraries. Take the tour to get a feel for what it can do and…

    2023 · daklang.com · its alternatives →

  12. 12

    With this standalone compiler, you can rely on all Java 11 javac features to be available, even when using newer Java versions. Specifically, this allows you to: - compile code even if your Java environment isn't a full JDK (Java JRE, for example!) - target Java 1.7 for compilation without any warnings or restrictions. - use the Compiler Tree API without resorting to --add-opens trickery that may eventually fail in newer Java releases - build a modified compiler with additional features or custom tweaks I made this after finding that the otherwise superb "jsweet" Java-to-JavaScript…

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

  13. 13

    The gsp compiler. Contribute to gsp-lang/gsp development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2015 · github.com · its alternatives →

  14. 14

    A lightweight programming language built with Go. Contribute to confh/Tiny development by creating an account on GitHub.

    Jun 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

  15. 15

    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

    a custom Lisp. Contribute to codr7/sharpl development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

  17. 17

    Investigation into replacing the MES compiler. Contribute to FransFaase/MES-replacement development by creating an account on GitHub.

    Dec 2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

  18. 18

    As a personal project I wrote a really tiny Wat 2 Wasm compiler in Go. Mainly for demonstrative and educational purposes. It was tough: I didn't know anything about WebAssembly internals and I'm a newbie with Go... so I tried to document it as much as I could for anyone that would like to approach the quest in the future! It misses a lot of features (that will be gradually implemented). Any feedback is welcomed!! Demo: https://luna-demo.vercel.app

    2022 · github.com · its alternatives →

  19. 19

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

    2021 · github.com · its alternatives →

  20. 20

    The notebook-style Common Lisp environment. Contribute to tamamu/darkmatter development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2017 · github.com · its alternatives →

  21. 21

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

    2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

  22. 22CI

    Tiny c++ interpreter

    2017 · treefrogframework.github.io · its alternatives →

  23. 23ID
  24. 24MT

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →