# C++ Builder

9 Hacker News commenters recommended C++ Builder and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended for fast Windows GUI development in C++, with RAD tooling shared with Delphi. Main caveat: it is Windows-only.

## Why people recommend it

- Fast, easy UI building (7 comments): "Borland was way ahead of its time, nowadays there is no non-AI way to build a whole UI app in on afternoon like with Delphi/C++ Builder" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49023187)) "To this day, they don't have anything that can match C++ Builder RAD capabilities" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47899221)) "Builder and Delphi 6 had a way to build and design UI's that worked smoothly" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46047720))
- Better Windows GUI tooling than Visual C++ (3 comments): "In 2025, C++ Builder is still better than Visual C++, in what concerns doing Windows GUI development in C++" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46157802)) "the tooling available in C++ Builder, Delphi, VB 6, C++/CX (WinRT is basically COM with extras) also great." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46910483)) "IDE based compilation workflows from C++ Builder and Visual C++" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46045237))
- Rivals lack comparable RAD capabilities (3 comments): "they never shipped anything comparable to C++ Builder, which shares the RAD tooling with Delphi" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49277491)) "To this day, they don't have anything that can match C++ Builder RAD capabilities" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47899221)) "the only time they had something comparable to C++ Builder" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47657367))
- Shares RAD tooling with Delphi (2 comments): "they never shipped anything comparable to C++ Builder, which shares the RAD tooling with Delphi" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49277491)) "which shares most of Delphi tooling" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49271543))

## What people warn about

- Weaker than Delphi (2 comments): "It has always been sub-par to Delphi" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49279267)) "They made it sub-par to Delphi." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49277720))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [JetBrains IDEs](https://hackerapproved.com/p/jetbrains-ides.md): 233 recommend
- [IntelliJ IDEA](https://hackerapproved.com/p/intellij-idea.md): 206 recommend
- [Microsoft Visual Studio](https://hackerapproved.com/p/visual-studio.md): 165 recommend
- [Delphi](https://hackerapproved.com/p/delphi.md): 126 recommend
- [Xcode](https://hackerapproved.com/p/xcode.md): 100 recommend

## Where to get it

- [Visit the official site](https://www.embarcadero.com/products/cbuilder)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "C++ Builder", https://hackerapproved.com/p/c-plus-plus-builder/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).