In Go language, interface{} and any are exactly the same type. Starting from Go 1.18, any was introduced as an alias for interface{}. The main purpose is to improve the readability and semantic clarity of the code; 1. any is more suitable for scenarios that express "arbitrary types", such as function parameters, map/slice element types, general logic implementations, etc.; 2. interface{} is more suitable for defining interface behavior, emphasizing interface types, or compatible with old code; 3. The performance and underlying mechanisms of the two are exactly the same. The compiler will replace any with interface{}, which will not cause additional overhead; 4. Pay attention to type safety issues when using it, and may need to be used with type assertions or reflection processing; 5. New projects recommend using any to improve semantic clarity, but retain interface{} when defining interfaces or compatible with old code; 6. Generics should be given priority in generic programming for better type safety.
In Go, interface{}
and any
look like two different types, but they are actually exactly the same. Since Go 1.18, any
was introduced as an alias for interface{}
, mainly to improve the readability and semantic clarity of the code.

When to use any
and when to use interface{}
?
Simply put: any
is an alias for interface{}
, and the two can be used interchangeably . However, in actual encoding, you can choose a more appropriate writing method according to the context:
- If you want to express "this variable can accept any type of value", then using
any
is more intuitive. - If you are defining an interface method or implementing interface behavior, it may be more customary to continue using
interface{}
.
For example:

var v1 interface{} // Accept any type of value var v2 any // Same as above, but with clearer semantics
Although all achieve the same effect, it is recommended to use any
in new projects as its intention is clearer.
Use scenario comparison
? Suitable for any
- Function parameters or return values ??need to receive/return any type
- Defines the element of map or slice to any type
- Implement general logic (such as serialization, logging, etc.)
For example:

func LogValue(v any) { fmt.Printf("Type: %T, Value: %v\n", v, v) }
This function can handle various types of inputs and is very flexible.
? Suitable for using interface{}
- When defining an empty interface type, for example, it is used to implement duck typing (duck type)
- When it is necessary to express "this is an interface" explicitly
- Compatible with older versions of Go code
for example:
type Animal interface{}
Although modern writing can be written directly:
type Animal any
But semantically, interface{}
emphasizes that it is an interface type.
Is the performance the same as the underlying mechanism?
Yes, the runtime performance of both is exactly the same . The Go compiler will replace any
with interface{}
without any additional overhead. So you can use any
to improve code readability without worrying about performance issues.
However, it should be noted that using any
or interface{}
will bring some type safety sacrifices. for example:
var a any = 5 var b string = a.(string) // runtime panic!
This situation needs to be handled in conjunction with type assertions or reflections, otherwise errors are prone to occur.
Small suggestions
- Where "any type" is needed, use
any
first - Keep
interface{}
when defining interface behavior or compatible with old code - For generic programming (Go 1.18), use generics rather than
any
for better type safety
Basically that's it. Which one to use is not a big question, the key is to understand the meaning and applicable scenarios behind them.
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