Nim VS Crystal benchmarks

Current benchmark data was generated on Mon May 19 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 836ms 40ms 34.9MB 817ms 7ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 971ms 5.9ms 35.2MB 953ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 1320ms 17ms 64.2MB 1293ms 10ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 77ms 1.2ms 5.5MB 70ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 93ms 2.7ms 5.8MB 80ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 107ms 0.7ms 10.9MB 97ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

coro-prime-sieve

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 1575ms 42ms 19.9MB 1510ms 53ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 575.4MB 2623ms 1900ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 575.7MB 2560ms 1967ms nim/clang 2.2.4

Input: 1000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 88ms 0.4ms 7.1MB 60ms 10ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 1.nim 4094ms 5.6ms 519.3MB 2117ms 1553ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 4109ms 27ms 518.7MB 2100ms 1580ms nim/clang 2.2.4

fasta

Input: 2500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 188ms 2.8ms 1.5MB 180ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 243ms 2.1ms 1.8MB 230ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 533ms 0.9ms 1.8MB 453ms 67ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 2.cr 538ms 3.5ms 3.6MB 450ms 77ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 1.nim 557ms 2.9ms 1.5MB 470ms 73ms nim 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 683ms 3.5ms 14.6MB 583ms 87ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 250000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 22ms 0.7ms 1.5MB 10ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 27ms 1.0ms 1.8MB 20ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 56ms 0.8ms 1.8MB 43ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 2.cr 57ms 0.9ms 3.5MB 40ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 1.nim 59ms 1.8ms 1.5MB 40ms 3ms nim 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 72ms 1.4ms 4.9MB 50ms 10ms crystal 1.16.3

helloworld

Input: QwQ

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 1.0ms 0.0ms 1.6MB 0ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 1.1ms 0.0ms 1.9MB 0ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 1.9ms 0.1ms 2.9MB 0ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

lru

Input: 1000 1000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 0-unsafe.cr 36ms 1.4ms 3.0MB 30ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 64ms 1.6ms 3.0MB 57ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 2.nim 110ms 1.5ms 1.6MB 100ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 114ms 1.4ms 1.4MB 107ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.3MB 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
crystal 0-unsafe.cr 100ms 1.1ms 3.0MB 90ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 185ms 1.4ms 3.0MB 173ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 2.nim 325ms 2.6ms 1.6MB 317ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 336ms 4.1ms 1.4MB 327ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.3MB 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
crystal 0-unsafe.cr 18ms 0.3ms 3.0MB 10ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 31ms 1.1ms 3.0MB 20ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 2.nim 50ms 1.8ms 1.5MB 40ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 52ms 1.0ms 1.3MB 43ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 482ms 4.8ms 1.3MB 477ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 488ms 14ms 1.5MB 477ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

mandelbrot

Input: 5000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 313ms 0.5ms 9.2MB 300ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 1.nim 387ms 0.4ms 4.8MB 380ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 576ms 1.5ms 4.5MB 563ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

Input: 1000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 17ms 0.1ms 6.1MB 10ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 1.nim 19ms 0.5ms 1.9MB 10ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 27ms 1.2ms 1.6MB 20ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

merkletrees

Input: 17

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 552ms 1.9ms 34.9MB 530ms 7ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 634ms 34ms 35.2MB 613ms 10ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 868ms 11ms 64.2MB 840ms 10ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 120ms 2.4ms 9.6MB 110ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 135ms 2.2ms 9.9MB 123ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 180ms 3.2ms 22.3MB 163ms 3ms crystal 1.16.3

nbody

Input: 5000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 319ms 1.7ms 1.8MB 310ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 340ms 0.5ms 2.0MB 330ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 2.cr 344ms 1.1ms 3.3MB 333ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 345ms 2.6ms 3.3MB 337ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 35ms 1.0ms 1.8MB 30ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 38ms 1.2ms 3.3MB 30ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 2.cr 39ms 1.3ms 3.3MB 30ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
nim 2.nim 40ms 6.2ms 2.0MB 33ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

nsieve

Input: 12

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 267ms 0.8ms 41.5MB 253ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 314ms 3.5ms 41.8MB 303ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 2.cr 347ms 2.0ms 8.2MB 340ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 445ms 17ms 42.9MB 430ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 51ms 1.1ms 11.6MB 40ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 63ms 1.6ms 11.8MB 53ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
crystal 2.cr 88ms 2.0ms 4.4MB 80ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 91ms 3.3ms 13.2MB 83ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

regex-redux

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 1651ms 5.5ms 151.9MB 1620ms 13ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 1683ms 16ms 152.1MB 1650ms 20ms nim 2.2.4

Input: 250000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 174ms 3.4ms 17.6MB 160ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 176ms 3.6ms 17.2MB 163ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

spectral-norm

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 3587ms 2.7ms 1.6MB 3580ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 3610ms 12ms 1.4MB 3597ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 3761ms 7.0ms 4.5MB 3750ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

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 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 902ms 1.4ms 1.3MB 893ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 948ms 1.7ms 4.4MB 940ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 226ms 0.1ms 1.5MB 220ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 229ms 1.9ms 1.3MB 220ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
crystal 1.cr 240ms 2.2ms 3.9MB 230ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3