Nim VS Kotlin 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.)

binarytrees

Input: 18

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
kotlin 1.kt 488ms 8.7ms 575.8MB 583ms 93ms kotlin/jvm 21
nim 2.nim 819ms 29ms 34.4MB 800ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 968ms 6.2ms 35.2MB 950ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.4
kotlin 1.kt 3941ms 160ms 145.0MB 4120ms 63ms kotlin/native 2.1.20

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 77ms 2.5ms 5.5MB 70ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 93ms 2.5ms 5.8MB 80ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
kotlin 1.kt 121ms 2.9ms 159.3MB 143ms 33ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 1.kt 210ms 3.5ms 17.7MB 217ms 7ms kotlin/native 2.1.20

coro-prime-sieve

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
kotlin 2-m.kt 2049ms 224ms 241.0MB 7630ms 117ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 1.kt 2241ms 54ms 220.1MB 3060ms 77ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 2-m.kt 4233ms 52ms 21.4MB 14190ms 543ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1.kt timeout 0.0ms 17.4MB 5510ms 20ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 572.1MB 2667ms 1857ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 574.6MB 2610ms 1913ms nim/clang 2.2.4

Input: 1000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
kotlin 2-m.kt 248ms 6.0ms 21.0MB 830ms 43ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1.kt 388ms 5.4ms 17.4MB 397ms 7ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1-m.kt 485ms 16ms 75.0MB 1087ms 43ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 2-m.kt 854ms 53ms 101.2MB 2957ms 77ms kotlin/jvm 21
nim 1.nim 4108ms 3.9ms 518.6MB 2127ms 1553ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 4147ms 34ms 519.4MB 2150ms 1567ms nim 2.2.4

fasta

Input: 2500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 189ms 1.3ms 1.5MB 180ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 242ms 1.4ms 1.8MB 230ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 539ms 0.9ms 1.8MB 447ms 80ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 562ms 2.0ms 1.5MB 467ms 77ms nim 2.2.4

Input: 250000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 21ms 1.0ms 1.5MB 10ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 26ms 0.3ms 1.6MB 20ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 56ms 0.7ms 1.9MB 40ms 7ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 58ms 0.5ms 1.5MB 43ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

helloworld

Input: QwQ

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 1.0ms 0.0ms 1.5MB 0ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 1.1ms 0.0ms 1.8MB 0ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
kotlin 1.kt 2.2ms 0.1ms 3.0MB 0ms 0ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1.kt 65ms 2.5ms 47.7MB 76ms 16ms kotlin/jvm 21

lru

Input: 1000 1000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 111ms 2.3ms 1.9MB 103ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 114ms 1.1ms 1.6MB 110ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
kotlin 2.kt 173ms 14ms 12.4MB 180ms 0ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1-m.kt 193ms 3.9ms 94.9MB 320ms 27ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 2-m.kt 207ms 8.3ms 101.0MB 433ms 37ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 1.kt 359ms 8.0ms 12.5MB 360ms 0ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
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
kotlin 2-m.kt 318ms 3.4ms 212.1MB 533ms 57ms kotlin/jvm 21
nim 2.nim 326ms 1.8ms 1.6MB 317ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 335ms 2.3ms 1.6MB 327ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
kotlin 1.kt 341ms 3.1ms 202.9MB 460ms 37ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 2.kt 475ms 5.0ms 12.4MB 503ms 0ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1.kt 1030ms 1.3ms 12.4MB 1057ms 7ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
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
nim 2.nim 49ms 0.7ms 1.5MB 40ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 51ms 2.1ms 1.5MB 43ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
kotlin 2.kt 95ms 0.7ms 12.8MB 90ms 0ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1.kt 121ms 0.6ms 12.8MB 117ms 0ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1-m.kt 153ms 1.1ms 90.5MB 293ms 23ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 2-m.kt 170ms 13ms 96.5MB 367ms 33ms kotlin/jvm 21
nim 1.nim 477ms 2.9ms 1.3MB 470ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 486ms 13ms 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
nim 1.nim 387ms 1.2ms 4.8MB 380ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 578ms 3.9ms 4.5MB 567ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

Input: 1000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 19ms 0.4ms 1.9MB 10ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 26ms 0.6ms 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
kotlin 1.kt 389ms 8.7ms 680.7MB 447ms 90ms kotlin/jvm 21
nim 1.nim 550ms 7.5ms 34.9MB 533ms 7ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 626ms 13ms 35.2MB 607ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.4
kotlin 1.kt 1857ms 13ms 89.9MB 1940ms 43ms kotlin/native 2.1.20

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 117ms 1.4ms 9.6MB 107ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 133ms 1.2ms 9.9MB 120ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
kotlin 1-m.kt 159ms 6.4ms 207.2MB 217ms 37ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 1.kt 258ms 3.7ms 25.7MB 263ms 10ms kotlin/native 2.1.20

nbody

Input: 5000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 319ms 1.6ms 1.8MB 310ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 341ms 1.3ms 2.0MB 330ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
kotlin 1n.kt 351ms 1.9ms 3.5MB 340ms 0ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1.kt 443ms 2.0ms 49.2MB 487ms 17ms kotlin/jvm 21

Input: 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 35ms 0.5ms 1.8MB 30ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 37ms 0.7ms 2.0MB 30ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
kotlin 1n.kt 38ms 0.7ms 3.6MB 30ms 0ms kotlin/native 2.1.20
kotlin 1-m.kt 118ms 1.1ms 49.4MB 167ms 13ms kotlin/jvm 21

nsieve

Input: 12

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 281ms 9.2ms 41.5MB 270ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 314ms 3.5ms 41.8MB 303ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 51ms 1.7ms 11.5MB 40ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 64ms 3.6ms 11.8MB 53ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

regex-redux

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 1641ms 6.1ms 151.9MB 1607ms 20ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 1674ms 9.9ms 152.1MB 1640ms 20ms nim 2.2.4
kotlin 1.kt timeout 0.0ms 173.4MB 5410ms 47ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 1n.kt timeout 0.0ms 226.8MB 5063ms 120ms kotlin/native 2.1.20

Input: 250000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 173ms 1.8ms 16.8MB 160ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 177ms 3.9ms 16.5MB 163ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
kotlin 1-m.kt 841ms 4.2ms 134.6MB 1283ms 37ms kotlin/jvm 21
kotlin 1n.kt 3213ms 39ms 51.1MB 3283ms 77ms kotlin/native 2.1.20

spectral-norm

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 3588ms 2.7ms 1.6MB 3580ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 3609ms 14ms 1.4MB 3603ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 899ms 0.7ms 1.5MB 890ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 904ms 2.9ms 1.3MB 893ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 226ms 0.3ms 1.5MB 220ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 229ms 0.9ms 1.3MB 220ms 0ms nim 2.2.4