Programming Language and compiler
Benchmarks

Zig VS Nim benchmarks

Current benchmark data was generated on Fri Aug 01 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 685ms 7.3ms 36.3MB 667ms 7ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 978ms 54ms 35.2MB 957ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 1735ms 12ms 49.0MB 1707ms 13ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 64ms 2.2ms 6.9MB 53ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 93ms 1.9ms 5.8MB 80ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 150ms 1.6ms 7.0MB 140ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

edigits

Input: 250001

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 2263ms 4.3ms 2.5MB 2233ms 10ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 100000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 379ms 2.3ms 1.9MB 363ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

fannkuch-redux

Input: 11

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 2-m.zig 639ms 3.6ms 1.4MB 2410ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 3-i.zig 1763ms 1.4ms 1.0MB 1753ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 2716ms 2.1ms 1.0MB 2707ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 2-m.zig 59ms 0.3ms 1.4MB 200ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 3-i.zig 147ms 0.4ms 1.0MB 140ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 229ms 0.3ms 1.0MB 220ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

fasta

Input: 2500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 89ms 0.7ms 1.0MB 80ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 209ms 1.0ms 2.6MB 200ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 240ms 0.0ms 1.8MB 230ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 535ms 2.6ms 1.8MB 440ms 80ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 566ms 4.2ms 2.8MB 473ms 80ms nim 2.2.4

Input: 250000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 11ms 0.7ms 1.0MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 24ms 1.0ms 2.6MB 13ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 26ms 0.1ms 1.8MB 20ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 56ms 1.1ms 1.8MB 40ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 59ms 0.1ms 2.6MB 43ms 3ms nim 2.2.4

helloworld

Input: QwQ

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 0.9ms 0.0ms 1.1MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 1.nim 1.1ms 0.0ms 1.9MB 0ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 1.6ms 0.2ms 2.6MB 0ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

knucleotide

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1-m.zig 317ms 5.6ms 67.2MB 830ms 27ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 501ms 8.6ms 28.1MB 480ms 7ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 250000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1-m.zig 63ms 0.7ms 54.3MB 127ms 30ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 67ms 2.5ms 15.4MB 50ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

lru

Input: 1000 1000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 33ms 1.4ms 2.8MB 23ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 104ms 1.0ms 2.6MB 97ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 110ms 2.5ms 1.9MB 103ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 2.6MB 4990ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.5MB 4990ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

Input: 1000 3000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 94ms 3.0ms 2.8MB 87ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 306ms 2.9ms 2.6MB 300ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 324ms 3.6ms 1.6MB 313ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 2.6MB 4990ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.5MB 4990ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

Input: 100 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 15ms 0.5ms 1.3MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 45ms 0.1ms 2.6MB 40ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 49ms 1.5ms 1.5MB 40ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 364ms 4.5ms 2.6MB 353ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 495ms 19ms 1.5MB 487ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

mandelbrot

Input: 5000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 248ms 0.3ms 4.1MB 240ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 1.nim 288ms 0.3ms 5.9MB 280ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 388ms 0.1ms 4.9MB 380ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

Input: 1000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 12ms 0.1ms 1.1MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 1.nim 15ms 0.2ms 2.9MB 10ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 19ms 0.6ms 1.9MB 10ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

merkletrees

Input: 17

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 460ms 6.9ms 36.3MB 443ms 10ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 629ms 11ms 35.2MB 610ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 860ms 0.1ms 41.0MB 830ms 13ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 95ms 2.9ms 11.0MB 83ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 134ms 0.8ms 9.9MB 123ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 179ms 1.9ms 11.0MB 163ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

nbody

Input: 5000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 3.zig 198ms 0.5ms 1.0MB 190ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 279ms 0.5ms 1.0MB 270ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 315ms 0.9ms 1.1MB 310ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 319ms 1.0ms 2.9MB 310ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 343ms 2.4ms 2.0MB 333ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

Input: 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 3.zig 22ms 0.4ms 1.0MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 30ms 0.1ms 1.0MB 20ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 33ms 0.3ms 1.1MB 30ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 34ms 0.2ms 2.9MB 30ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 38ms 1.4ms 2.0MB 30ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

nsieve

Input: 12

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 267ms 6.8ms 40.2MB 250ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 1.nim 274ms 4.6ms 42.9MB 260ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 316ms 6.2ms 41.8MB 307ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
zig 2.zig 328ms 0.3ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 52ms 3.2ms 12.8MB 43ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 55ms 1.6ms 10.9MB 43ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 1.nim 66ms 3.5ms 11.8MB 57ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
zig 2.zig 81ms 1.3ms 2.3MB 70ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

pidigits

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 2446ms 4.8ms 2.2MB 2420ms 10ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 570ms 5.8ms 1.8MB 563ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

spectral-norm

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 3589ms 0.8ms 1.6MB 3580ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 3591ms 1.0ms 2.8MB 3580ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 3687ms 4.1ms 1.4MB 3677ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 899ms 0.6ms 1.5MB 890ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 901ms 1.3ms 2.6MB 890ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 928ms 2.8ms 1.3MB 920ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 227ms 0.4ms 1.5MB 220ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 228ms 1.2ms 2.6MB 220ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 232ms 0.3ms 1.3MB 220ms 0ms zig 0.14.1