C VS Python benchmarks

Current benchmark data was generated on Tue Jul 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 1.2ms 0.0ms 2.1MB 0ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1.c 1.3ms 0.1ms 2.1MB 0ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1.c 1.3ms 0.2ms 1.3MB 0ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
python 1.py 12ms 0.7ms 7.6MB 10ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 15ms 1.2ms 8.8MB 10ms 0ms cpython 3.13.5
python 1.py 30ms 0.9ms 51.7MB 6ms 12ms pypy 3.10.16

knucleotide

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1-m.c 171ms 3.7ms 24.2MB 403ms 10ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-m.c 298ms 5.1ms 25.7MB 993ms 23ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 3-m.py 2412ms 51ms 136.6MB 8240ms 337ms pypy 3.10.16
python 3-m.py 3142ms 31ms 34.2MB 11930ms 117ms pyston 3.8.12
python 3.py timeout 0.0ms 35.8MB 93ms 20ms 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 28ms 1.2ms 13.6MB 60ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-m.c 39ms 0.8ms 15.0MB 110ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 3-m.py 385ms 6.3ms 75.8MB 977ms 150ms pypy 3.10.16
python 3-m.py 401ms 5.6ms 14.3MB 1327ms 67ms pyston 3.8.12
python 3-m.py 687ms 8.0ms 15.2MB 2437ms 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 231ms 18ms 7.6MB 853ms 10ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-mffi.c 264ms 0.4ms 6.6MB 820ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-mffi.c 331ms 2.3ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1-ffi.c 332ms 1.4ms 6.1MB 320ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1-ffi.c 455ms 3.6ms 6.5MB 443ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-ffi.c 542ms 0.4ms 6.8MB 530ms 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 16ms 0.8ms 4.5MB 40ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-ffi.c 16ms 0.2ms 3.0MB 10ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1-mffi.c 16ms 0.2ms 3.0MB 10ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1-mffi.c 18ms 0.4ms 3.6MB 43ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1-ffi.c 24ms 5.3ms 3.6MB 13ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1-ffi.c 26ms 0.9ms 3.9MB 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 269ms 3.0ms 1.5MB 260ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 8-i.c 300ms 0.9ms 2.1MB 290ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 2.c 309ms 1.8ms 2.3MB 300ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 2.c 313ms 2.3ms 1.5MB 300ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 5.c 313ms 0.7ms 2.3MB 300ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5.c 315ms 0.5ms 1.5MB 307ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 5.c 317ms 2.1ms 2.1MB 310ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 2.c 318ms 2.8ms 2.1MB 310ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 8-i.c 337ms 0.8ms 2.3MB 330ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
python 2.py 1358ms 8.1ms 58.1MB 1333ms 10ms pypy 3.10.16
python 1.py 2644ms 7.4ms 57.0MB 2620ms 10ms pypy 3.10.16
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 33ms 0.5ms 2.1MB 27ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 2.c 33ms 0.3ms 1.5MB 30ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 2.c 34ms 0.5ms 2.3MB 23ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5.c 34ms 0.6ms 2.3MB 30ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5.c 34ms 0.1ms 1.5MB 30ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 2.c 34ms 0.9ms 2.1MB 30ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5.c 35ms 0.9ms 2.1MB 30ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 8-i.c 36ms 0.4ms 2.3MB 30ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
python 2.py 182ms 1.2ms 57.9MB 160ms 10ms pypy 3.10.16
python 1.py 304ms 1.2ms 57.1MB 280ms 10ms pypy 3.10.16
python 1.py 921ms 6.9ms 8.4MB 910ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 2.py 1314ms 5.3ms 8.3MB 1300ms 0ms pyston 3.8.12
python 2.py 2943ms 21ms 9.0MB 2930ms 0ms cpython 3.13.5
python 1.py 3003ms 91ms 9.0MB 2990ms 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 280ms 23ms 41.1MB 263ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1.c 300ms 13ms 40.3MB 283ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
c 1.c 311ms 7.1ms 40.8MB 293ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 1.py 2563ms 130ms 369.7MB 2490ms 57ms pypy 3.10.16
python 2.py 2996ms 31ms 632.9MB 2817ms 167ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 4717ms 60ms 320.4MB 4660ms 40ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py timeout 0.0ms 321.4MB 4967ms 23ms cpython 3.13.5
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 633.8MB 4823ms 157ms cpython 3.13.5
python 2.py timeout 0.0ms 959.9MB 4717ms 263ms pypy 3.10.16

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
c 1.c 52ms 3.9ms 11.8MB 43ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 1.c 53ms 3.3ms 11.7MB 43ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 1.c 58ms 2.4ms 11.0MB 50ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
python 1.py 547ms 6.2ms 135.3MB 507ms 23ms pypy 3.10.16
python 2.py 723ms 2.9ms 164.2MB 683ms 27ms pyston 3.8.12
python 1.py 1065ms 10ms 86.0MB 1040ms 10ms pyston 3.8.12
python 2.py 1383ms 0.6ms 165.1MB 1343ms 27ms cpython 3.13.5
python 2.py 1508ms 4.4ms 290.3MB 1420ms 73ms pypy 3.10.16
python 1.py 2870ms 13ms 87.0MB 2847ms 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 737ms 1.3ms 2.0MB 2893ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 953ms 1.8ms 2.0MB 3750ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 4-m.c 988ms 1.5ms 2.0MB 3890ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 1003ms 2.1ms 3.3MB 3940ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 4-m.c 1120ms 3.0ms 3.3MB 4407ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5-im.c 1161ms 30ms 2.0MB 4523ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5-im.c 1334ms 14ms 3.3MB 5230ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 3-m.c 1836ms 7.3ms 3.3MB 7223ms 7ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.8MB 33ms 10ms cpython 3.13.5
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 95.9MB 787ms 80ms pypy 3.10.16
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.4MB 33ms 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 194ms 0.6ms 2.0MB 737ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 245ms 0.6ms 2.0MB 940ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 258ms 0.7ms 3.3MB 990ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 4-m.c 258ms 0.4ms 2.0MB 997ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 4-m.c 287ms 0.2ms 3.3MB 1103ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5-im.c 295ms 3.4ms 2.0MB 1137ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5-im.c 342ms 1.7ms 3.3MB 1310ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 3-m.c 464ms 1.1ms 3.3MB 1803ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.5MB 47ms 13ms cpython 3.13.5
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 95.6MB 1280ms 180ms pypy 3.10.16
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 13.6MB 60ms 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 56ms 0.8ms 2.0MB 197ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 68ms 0.4ms 2.3MB 247ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 6-im.c 71ms 0.2ms 3.4MB 250ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 4-m.c 72ms 0.5ms 2.0MB 260ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 4-m.c 78ms 0.6ms 3.3MB 280ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 5-im.c 80ms 0.4ms 2.0MB 293ms 0ms gcc 15.1.0
c 5-im.c 93ms 1.9ms 3.3MB 333ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
c 3-m.c 123ms 0.4ms 3.3MB 453ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
python 8-m.py 1948ms 18ms 92.9MB 6303ms 253ms pypy 3.10.16
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 14.3MB 80ms 20ms cpython 3.13.5
python 8.py timeout 0.0ms 13.1MB 150ms 30ms pyston 3.8.12