# Rebol

6 Hacker News commenters recommended Rebol and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as an easy-to-learn scripting language for UI forms and games. Critics note it was closed source for too long.

## Why people recommend it

- Admired for elegant, insightful design (3 comments): "All languages that multiply your insight into the nature of computer programming" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49244362)) "From entropy POV, Rebol syntax is certainly close to optimal state." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48087436)) "as mind-blowing as it's dead technology from a lost timeline" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48373122))
- Loved by its enthusiasts (2 comments): "as mind-blowing as it's dead technology from a lost timeline" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48373122)) "I always love to see Rebol and Red mentioned anywhere" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48753010))
- Good for UI and scripting (2 comments): "I used it successfully as a scripting language when producing several games." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48823301)) "Rebol was another language that was sleek at making UI Form" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46224061))

## What people warn about

- Closed source for too long (1 comments): "it was commercial and then closed source for too long" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45828066))
- Unfinished alpha, seen as abandoned (2 comments): "I used it successfully as a scripting language when producing several games." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48823301)) "it is abandoned for years and I didn't wanted to use it" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48879207))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Rust](https://hackerapproved.com/p/rust.md): 2039 recommend
- [Go](https://hackerapproved.com/p/go-programming-language.md): 1254 recommend
- [Python](https://hackerapproved.com/p/python.md): 1067 recommend
- [Zig](https://hackerapproved.com/p/zig.md): 743 recommend
- [TypeScript](https://hackerapproved.com/p/typescript.md): 574 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Rebol", https://hackerapproved.com/p/rebol/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).