Java and Python are both excellent choices for a beginning programmer. You really can’t go wrong by choosing either one. Here are some things these languages have in common. Both are popular and in high demand.Both are open source and don’t require a paid license to use for developers.  In the case of Java, if you use the official Oracle Java version, there may be a fee for commercial use payable by your customer/employer when deploying your Java application.  However, there are free runtime versions available from multiple vendors as well. You can get started coding in either language today as long as you have an internet connection to download the installation files and a computer that runs Windows, OS X, or Linux.The two languages do have their differences, and developers sometimes prefer one or the other for various reasons. Below is a discussion of those reasons, with hopefully enough information to help you decide which language is the one for you.