Companies That Use C

C is a foundational programming language widely used in operating systems, embedded systems, compilers, and performance-critical applications. Known for its speed, portability, and close-to-hardware control, C remains a cornerstone of modern computing.

Why Do Top Companies Choose C?

Before jumping into the list, here are a few reasons why C is still the backbone of many critical systems:

• High Performance: Compiled to machine code, making it extremely fast for system-level programming.
• Low-Level Control: Direct manipulation of memory and hardware registers.
• Portability: Easily compiled across multiple architectures and platforms.
• Small Runtime: Ideal for embedded and resource-constrained environments.
• Legacy & Reliability: Decades of proven use in production systems.
• Industry Standard: Forms the basis of many other languages like C++, Objective-C, and Rust.

Top Companies That Use C

1. Microsoft

Uses C for core parts of the Windows operating system, device drivers, and low-level system tools.

• Popular Uses: Kernel development, device drivers, performance-critical libraries.
• Why C? Hardware-level programming and maximum efficiency.

2. Google

Relies on C for parts of Chrome, Android’s Linux kernel, and performance-intensive infrastructure.

• Popular Uses: Android OS kernel, embedded systems, backend services.
• Why C? Portability and optimization for large-scale systems.

3. Apple

C is at the heart of macOS, iOS, and their underlying frameworks.

• Popular Uses: Operating system kernels, system libraries, embedded firmware.
• Why C? Stability and close integration with hardware.

4. Amazon

AWS infrastructure uses C in networking components, security modules, and performance-critical services.

• Popular Uses: Network protocols, encryption libraries, high-throughput systems.
• Why C? Predictable performance and low-level resource control.

5. Facebook (Meta)

Uses C for backend services that demand low latency and high throughput.

• Popular Uses: Backend infrastructure, load balancers, database engines.
• Why C? Speed and scalability for millions of concurrent requests.

6. Tesla

C powers embedded systems in vehicles and safety-critical firmware.

• Popular Uses: Vehicle control systems, real-time processing for sensors.
• Why C? Deterministic execution for safety and reliability.

7. NASA

Uses C in spacecraft software, simulations, and control systems.

• Popular Uses: Flight control, onboard computers, real-time mission systems.
• Why C? Proven reliability in mission-critical environments.

8. Intel

C is core to processor firmware, BIOS, and performance libraries.

• Popular Uses: CPU microcode, chipset firmware, performance benchmarking tools.
• Why C? Hardware-level optimization.

9. IBM

Uses C in mainframe operating systems, database engines, and hardware management tools.

• Popular Uses: z/OS components, database storage engines, compiler backends.
• Why C? Efficiency and integration with legacy systems.

10. Adobe

C is used in the performance-heavy parts of its creative tools.

• Popular Uses: Image processing engines, rendering libraries.
• Why C? Low-level memory management for graphics-intensive work.

Tools and Frameworks Popular Among These Companies

• Build Tools: Make, CMake, Autotools
• Testing: Unity Test Framework, CUnit
• Embedded Development: Keil, IAR Embedded Workbench
• Concurrency & Networking: POSIX Threads, libevent
• Graphics & Multimedia: OpenGL, SDL
• Security: OpenSSL