C VS Python 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.)

helloworld

Input: QwQ

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1.c 1.0ms 0.1ms 1.3MB 0ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1.c 1.2ms 0.1ms 2.1MB 0ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1.c 1.6ms 0.7ms 2.1MB 0ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 1.py 11ms 0.9ms 7.8MB 0ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 13ms 0.8ms 8.8MB 0ms 0ms cpython 3.13.5
python 1.py 29ms 0.8ms 52.2MB 10ms 10ms pypy 3.11.13

knucleotide

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1-m.c 171ms 4.2ms 24.1MB 400ms 10ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-m.c 293ms 1.6ms 25.7MB 1000ms 23ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 3-m.py 2327ms 11ms 142.4MB 7870ms 307ms pypy 3.11.13
python 3-m.py 3105ms 7.2ms 34.0MB 11830ms 113ms pyston 3.8.12
python 3.py timeout 0.0ms 35.8MB 90ms 13ms cpython 3.13.5

Input: 250000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1-m.c 27ms 1.3ms 13.6MB 60ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-m.c 37ms 0.3ms 15.0MB 93ms 3ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 3-m.py 380ms 3.0ms 77.0MB 967ms 143ms pypy 3.11.13
python 3-m.py 398ms 5.7ms 14.2MB 1317ms 70ms pyston 3.8.12
python 3-m.py 657ms 3.2ms 15.3MB 2323ms 67ms cpython 3.13.5

mandelbrot

Input: 5000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1-mffi.c 219ms 4.3ms 7.6MB 810ms 10ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-mffi.c 264ms 0.9ms 6.6MB 810ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-ffi.c 330ms 2.0ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1-mffi.c 331ms 0.8ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1-ffi.c 453ms 1.0ms 6.5MB 443ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-ffi.c 545ms 3.1ms 6.8MB 537ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0

Input: 1000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1-mffi.c 15ms 1.2ms 4.8MB 30ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-ffi.c 16ms 0.3ms 3.0MB 10ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1-mffi.c 16ms 0.4ms 3.0MB 10ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1-mffi.c 16ms 1.2ms 3.8MB 40ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-ffi.c 21ms 0.2ms 3.6MB 10ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-ffi.c 26ms 1.1ms 3.8MB 20ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0

nbody

Input: 5000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 8-i.c 268ms 0.7ms 1.5MB 260ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 8-i.c 303ms 1.7ms 2.1MB 290ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 2.c 310ms 1.5ms 2.3MB 300ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 2.c 312ms 1.1ms 1.5MB 300ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 5.c 314ms 2.4ms 2.3MB 303ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5.c 315ms 1.3ms 2.1MB 307ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5.c 316ms 1.0ms 1.5MB 310ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 2.c 317ms 0.2ms 2.1MB 310ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 8-i.c 336ms 0.3ms 2.3MB 330ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
python 2.py 1342ms 2.7ms 60.5MB 1317ms 13ms pypy 3.11.13
python 1.py 2650ms 17ms 57.8MB 2627ms 10ms pypy 3.11.13
python 1.py timeout 0.0ms 8.9MB 4990ms 0ms cpython 3.13.5
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 9.0MB 4990ms 0ms cpython 3.13.5
python 1.py timeout 0.0ms 8.3MB 4990ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 8.1MB 4990ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12

Input: 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 8-i.c 29ms 0.5ms 1.5MB 20ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 8-i.c 32ms 0.4ms 2.1MB 23ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5.c 34ms 0.4ms 2.3MB 30ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 2.c 34ms 0.1ms 1.5MB 30ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 5.c 34ms 0.4ms 2.1MB 27ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 2.c 34ms 0.3ms 2.3MB 30ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 2.c 34ms 0.4ms 2.1MB 30ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5.c 34ms 0.6ms 1.5MB 30ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 8-i.c 36ms 0.2ms 2.3MB 30ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
python 2.py 176ms 4.7ms 58.5MB 153ms 10ms pypy 3.11.13
python 1.py 305ms 1.6ms 57.8MB 283ms 7ms pypy 3.11.13
python 1.py 940ms 29ms 8.3MB 927ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 2.py 1345ms 52ms 8.1MB 1330ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 2971ms 99ms 8.9MB 2960ms 0ms cpython 3.13.5
python 2.py 2989ms 51ms 9.0MB 2977ms 0ms cpython 3.13.5

nsieve

Input: 12

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1.c 266ms 3.7ms 40.9MB 250ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1.c 268ms 5.1ms 41.0MB 253ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1.c 283ms 6.3ms 40.3MB 270ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
python 1.py 2403ms 56ms 369.9MB 2330ms 57ms pypy 3.11.13
python 2.py 2979ms 17ms 633.0MB 2793ms 170ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 4806ms 156ms 320.4MB 4743ms 47ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py timeout 0.0ms 321.4MB 4960ms 20ms cpython 3.13.5
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 633.8MB 4827ms 160ms cpython 3.13.5
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 1017.7MB 4707ms 280ms pypy 3.11.13

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1.c 54ms 5.0ms 11.6MB 43ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1.c 55ms 3.1ms 11.7MB 43ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1.c 59ms 2.4ms 11.0MB 50ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
python 1.py 503ms 12ms 135.7MB 463ms 23ms pypy 3.11.13
python 2.py 726ms 6.1ms 164.2MB 683ms 30ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 1068ms 11ms 86.0MB 1040ms 10ms pyston 3.8.12
python 2.py 1370ms 7.2ms 165.1MB 1327ms 30ms cpython 3.13.5
python 2.py 1392ms 15ms 290.8MB 1303ms 73ms pypy 3.11.13
python 1.py 2819ms 6.7ms 87.0MB 2793ms 10ms cpython 3.13.5

spectral-norm

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 3-m.c 744ms 14ms 2.0MB 2913ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 951ms 1.1ms 2.0MB 3750ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 4-m.c 990ms 3.6ms 2.1MB 3893ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 1002ms 3.4ms 3.4MB 3940ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 4-m.c 1118ms 0.6ms 3.1MB 4400ms 3ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5-im.c 1149ms 13ms 2.0MB 4520ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5-im.c 1338ms 17ms 3.3MB 5263ms 3ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 3-m.c 1841ms 23ms 3.3MB 7240ms 7ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.8MB 40ms 10ms cpython 3.13.5
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 94.2MB 653ms 73ms pypy 3.11.13
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.3MB 40ms 10ms pyston 3.8.12

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 3-m.c 193ms 0.4ms 2.0MB 737ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 245ms 0.2ms 2.0MB 937ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 258ms 0.6ms 3.1MB 987ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 4-m.c 261ms 3.1ms 2.0MB 1000ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 4-m.c 287ms 0.9ms 3.3MB 1103ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5-im.c 293ms 0.6ms 2.0MB 1130ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5-im.c 340ms 0.6ms 3.3MB 1310ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 3-m.c 463ms 0.0ms 3.3MB 1807ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.4MB 50ms 7ms cpython 3.13.5
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 96.2MB 1180ms 140ms pypy 3.11.13
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 13.6MB 63ms 13ms pyston 3.8.12

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 3-m.c 58ms 5.3ms 2.0MB 203ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 68ms 0.4ms 2.0MB 243ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 70ms 0.3ms 3.3MB 247ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 4-m.c 72ms 0.6ms 2.1MB 260ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 4-m.c 77ms 0.2ms 3.0MB 280ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5-im.c 80ms 0.2ms 2.0MB 290ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5-im.c 92ms 0.5ms 3.3MB 330ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 3-m.c 122ms 0.9ms 3.3MB 450ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 8-m.py 2147ms 28ms 94.2MB 7087ms 240ms pypy 3.11.13
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.3MB 90ms 13ms cpython 3.13.5
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 13.1MB 133ms 37ms pyston 3.8.12