Programming Language and compiler
Benchmarks

Zig VS Nim benchmarks

Current benchmark data was generated on Mon Mar 31 2025, full log can be found HERE

CONTRIBUTIONS are WELCOME!

[x86_64][4 cores] AMD EPYC 7763 64-Core Processor (Model 1)

* -m in a file name stands for multi-threading or multi-processing

* -i in a file name stands for direct intrinsics usage. (Usage of simd intrinsics via libraries is not counted)

* -ffi in a file name stands for non-stdlib FFI usage

* (You may find time < time(user) + time(sys) for some non-parallelized programs, the overhead is from GC or JIT compiler, which are allowed to take advantage of multi-cores as that's more close to real-world scenarios.)

binarytrees

Input: 18

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 951ms 22ms 34.6MB 933ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 1044ms 46ms 34.9MB 1030ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 1822ms 94ms 49.0MB 1787ms 20ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 91ms 1.0ms 5.5MB 80ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 92ms 1.1ms 5.8MB 80ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 154ms 1.6ms 7.0MB 140ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

edigits

Input: 250001

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 2250ms 2.7ms 2.5MB 2220ms 13ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 100000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 380ms 1.3ms 1.9MB 360ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

fannkuch-redux

Input: 11

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 2-m.zig 634ms 1.8ms 1.4MB 2393ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 3-i.zig 1767ms 0.8ms 1.0MB 1760ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 1.zig 2716ms 0.8ms 1.0MB 2710ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 2-m.zig 60ms 0.8ms 1.4MB 200ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 3-i.zig 147ms 0.6ms 1.0MB 140ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 1.zig 229ms 0.5ms 1.0MB 220ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

fasta

Input: 2500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 89ms 0.3ms 1.0MB 80ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 189ms 2.4ms 1.5MB 177ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 237ms 2.8ms 1.8MB 227ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 553ms 0.6ms 1.8MB 447ms 90ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 579ms 2.1ms 1.5MB 477ms 87ms nim 2.2.2

Input: 250000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 11ms 0.8ms 1.1MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 21ms 0.0ms 1.5MB 10ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 26ms 0.2ms 1.8MB 20ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 59ms 1.2ms 1.8MB 40ms 10ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 61ms 0.5ms 1.5MB 40ms 7ms nim 2.2.2

helloworld

Input: QwQ

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 1.0ms 0.0ms 1.0MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 1.1ms 0.0ms 1.5MB 0ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 1.2ms 0.0ms 1.9MB 0ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

knucleotide

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 499ms 8.5ms 26.3MB 477ms 7ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 250000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 66ms 2.2ms 15.4MB 53ms 3ms zig 0.14.0

lru

Input: 1000 1000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 34ms 0.8ms 2.8MB 27ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 111ms 1.6ms 1.6MB 100ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 113ms 2.6ms 1.4MB 103ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.3MB 4990ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.5MB 4990ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

Input: 1000 3000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 92ms 0.9ms 2.8MB 83ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 324ms 1.9ms 1.6MB 313ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 326ms 1.9ms 1.6MB 320ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.3MB 4990ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.5MB 4990ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

Input: 100 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 16ms 0.7ms 1.3MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 50ms 1.1ms 1.3MB 40ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 50ms 0.7ms 1.6MB 40ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 440ms 2.2ms 1.5MB 430ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 481ms 0.8ms 1.3MB 470ms 0ms nim 2.2.2

mandelbrot

Input: 5000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 247ms 2.2ms 4.0MB 237ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 388ms 0.9ms 4.7MB 380ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 579ms 3.4ms 4.4MB 570ms 0ms nim 2.2.2

Input: 1000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 12ms 0.4ms 1.1MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 19ms 0.3ms 1.9MB 10ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 26ms 0.4ms 1.6MB 20ms 0ms nim 2.2.2

merkletrees

Input: 17

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 534ms 2.9ms 34.6MB 517ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 631ms 20ms 34.9MB 613ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 855ms 3.1ms 41.0MB 827ms 13ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 114ms 2.7ms 9.6MB 100ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 135ms 3.0ms 9.9MB 123ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 173ms 2.3ms 11.0MB 160ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

nbody

Input: 5000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 3.zig 199ms 0.7ms 1.0MB 190ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 2.zig 279ms 0.3ms 1.0MB 270ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 1.zig 316ms 1.3ms 1.1MB 303ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 319ms 1.2ms 1.8MB 310ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 342ms 0.5ms 2.0MB 330ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

Input: 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 3.zig 22ms 0.3ms 1.0MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 2.zig 30ms 0.2ms 1.0MB 20ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 1.zig 34ms 0.4ms 1.1MB 30ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 34ms 0.6ms 1.8MB 27ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 37ms 1.4ms 2.0MB 30ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

nsieve

Input: 12

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 263ms 1.5ms 40.1MB 250ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 271ms 8.1ms 41.5MB 257ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 298ms 2.6ms 41.8MB 287ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 2.zig 322ms 3.8ms 6.0MB 313ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 51ms 0.5ms 11.5MB 40ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 52ms 1.4ms 10.8MB 40ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 57ms 0.8ms 11.8MB 50ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 2.zig 81ms 1.3ms 2.3MB 70ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

pidigits

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 2465ms 18ms 2.2MB 2437ms 13ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 569ms 2.6ms 1.6MB 560ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

spectral-norm

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 3590ms 1.4ms 1.6MB 3580ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 3596ms 7.0ms 1.9MB 3583ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 3705ms 29ms 1.4MB 3693ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 899ms 0.8ms 1.5MB 890ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 901ms 1.6ms 1.3MB 890ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 922ms 1.2ms 1.3MB 910ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 227ms 0.3ms 1.5MB 220ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 229ms 1.2ms 1.3MB 220ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 234ms 0.8ms 1.3MB 223ms 0ms zig 0.14.0