Programming Language and compiler
Benchmarks

Zig VS C 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
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
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

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

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
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

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
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
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
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

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

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

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
zig 1.zig 248ms 0.3ms 4.1MB 240ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
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
zig 1.zig 12ms 0.1ms 1.1MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
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

merkletrees

Input: 17

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
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
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
c 8-i.c 268ms 0.7ms 1.5MB 260ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 279ms 0.5ms 1.0MB 270ms 0ms zig 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
zig 1.zig 315ms 0.9ms 1.1MB 310ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
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

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
c 8-i.c 29ms 0.5ms 1.5MB 20ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 30ms 0.1ms 1.0MB 20ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
c 8-i.c 32ms 0.4ms 2.1MB 23ms 0ms clang 14.0.0-1ubuntu1.1
zig 1.zig 33ms 0.3ms 1.1MB 30ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
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

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
zig 1.zig 267ms 6.8ms 40.2MB 250ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
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
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
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
zig 1.zig 55ms 1.6ms 10.9MB 43ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
c 1.c 59ms 2.4ms 11.0MB 50ms 0ms zigcc 0.14.1
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
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
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
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
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
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
zig 1.zig 232ms 0.3ms 1.3MB 220ms 0ms zig 0.14.1