Compile Targets

One Language, Infinite Paths

Write your code once. Deploy to native binaries, browsers, or distributed systems. Same syntax, same semantics, different targets.

C Backend

Lambda, IoT, Games

Cold Start<50ms

Performance~90% of C

Binary Size~1MB

Erlang

Distributed, OTP

Uptime99.9999%

Hot ReloadYes

ConcurrencyMillions

JavaScript

Browser, Node, Bun

Cold Start~200ms

EcosystemFull npm

Bundle Size~50KB

Comparison

Feature	C	JavaScript	Erlang
Cold Start	<50ms	~200ms	~100ms
Performance	~90% of C	V8 JIT	BEAM VM
Binary Size	500KB - 2MB	50KB - 500KB	1MB - 5MB
Memory Model	ORC (6-8%)	V8 GC	Per-process heap
Concurrency	Threads	Event loop	Millions of processes
Hot Reload	No	HMR	Native

C Backend

Maximum Performance

Compiles to optimized C code with ORC (Optimized Reference Counting) for memory management. Produces small, fast native binaries perfect for serverless and CLI tools.

AWS Lambda / Cloudflare Workers
CLI tools and utilities
Performance-critical services
Embedded systems

msc compile --target=c src/main.ms -o app

JavaScript Backend

Universal Reach

Generates clean ES2020+ JavaScript that runs in any browser or Node.js environment. Full access to the npm ecosystem while keeping MetaScript's type safety.

Browser applications
Node.js / Bun servers
npm package publishing
Gradual TypeScript migration

msc compile --target=js src/main.ms -o dist/

Erlang Backend

Battle-Tested Reliability

Targets the BEAM VM for distributed, fault-tolerant systems. Get OTP supervision trees, hot code reloading, and "nine nines" reliability without learning Erlang syntax.

Real-time chat / messaging
Distributed databases
Telecom-grade services
Systems requiring hot reload

msc compile --target=erlang src/main.ms -o _build/

Which Backend Should I Use?

Need fastest cold starts for serverless? Use C
Building for browsers or npm ecosystem? Use JavaScript
Need distributed systems with 99.9999% uptime? Use Erlang
Not sure? Start with JavaScript, optimize later.