F# vs C#

F#'s syntax tends to be terse while remaining very readable and easy to understand without being a chore to write.

Since F# is not a purely functional language, it lends itself to being more easily picked up by programmers that have experience with other paradigms.

Since F# runs on the Common Language Runtime or CLR, it has access to the entire .NET Framework, as well as libraries written in other .NET languages such as C#, VB.NET, and C++/CLI.

Forget Xamarin and Mono. F# now runs on the multiplatform .Net Core!

Thanks to a project like Fable, you can write and run your client app in F# and run it over JavaScript. It allows you to share code between your server and client.

This is a .Net language natively supported by Visual Studio. Though it is not as tooled up as C# the support is still substantial. In particular, C# deployment scenarios can be enabled for it with small C# wrapper projects. Integration with Visual Studio provides: IntelliSense, debugging, projects an other features.

F# directs you into a workflow where the right way is the path of least resistance.

Coming from a C# background, its restrictions might feel arbitrary at first (e.g., what do you mean my code has to be in dependency order!? Arbitrary alphabetical or bust!), but you'll soon realize that your code is cohesive, concise and consistent in a way that it never was before - and you can compile and run with confidence!

Thanks to Xamarin, F# is a functional language that you can use to build for iOS, Android and Windows.

.NET offers rich functionality.

The Visual Studio IDE offers one of the best development environments. The Community Edition and Visual Studio Code can be used for free.

Can be designed visually with the Visual Studio designer for traditional Windows forms, WPF, or Web forms.

Lot's of tools and libraries available.

With Xamarin for Mobile (ios, android),
with .net core asp for server (linux, windows),
with .net core for desktop (windows, mac),
with mono for desktop (windows, linux),
with blazor for web client with webassembly.

However, it is not considered top for any of those categories, but it is top choice for Windows desktop with .net framework and top choice for Unity.

.net 5 will unify frameworks similar to JVM (just one).

Runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows.

Constant updates and bug fixes to many popular frameworks, as well as great first-party support from Microsoft. This can be a con as well in certain circumstances.

Being a C like language counts in favor for it as a general purpose programming language, given the ease of using existing skills to pick up this language easily.

There are other superior languages that could be used as a general purpose, such as: F#, Haskell, but the complexity of those languages, being functional, make them strange to the usual C Syntax.

C# is better than C whenever garbage collection, Objects, classes, data access, are needed. But C is going to be the choice when hardware access and performance are paramount.