Programming Language and compiler
Benchmarks

Zig VS Crystal benchmarks

Current benchmark data was generated on Sun Jun 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
crystal 1.cr 1219ms 8.5ms 64.2MB 1200ms 10ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 1718ms 14ms 49.0MB 1683ms 20ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 105ms 2.8ms 10.9MB 97ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 150ms 2.1ms 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
crystal 1.cr 57ms 0.6ms 6.5MB 40ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 2257ms 7.3ms 2.5MB 2230ms 10ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 100000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 22ms 1.4ms 5.3MB 10ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 384ms 5.4ms 1.9MB 370ms 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 638ms 2.2ms 1.4MB 2400ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 3-i.zig 1764ms 0.6ms 1.0MB 1753ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 1.cr 2486ms 18ms 2.9MB 2477ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 2716ms 5.8ms 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 60ms 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
crystal 1.cr 205ms 2.3ms 2.9MB 197ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 229ms 0.8ms 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 87ms 1.4ms 1.0MB 80ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 2.cr 536ms 2.9ms 3.5MB 450ms 73ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 678ms 2.3ms 14.6MB 570ms 97ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 250000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 10ms 0.1ms 1.0MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 2.cr 58ms 0.7ms 3.5MB 40ms 10ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 73ms 1.4ms 4.9MB 50ms 7ms crystal 1.16.3

helloworld

Input: QwQ

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 1.1ms 0.4ms 1.1MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 1.cr 1.9ms 0.2ms 2.9MB 0ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

knucleotide

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1-m.zig 314ms 1.1ms 66.5MB 827ms 30ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 500ms 5.4ms 28.0MB 483ms 7ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 250000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1-m.zig 63ms 0.5ms 54.3MB 123ms 33ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 66ms 1.0ms 15.5MB 50ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

lru

Input: 1000 1000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 0-unsafe.cr 35ms 0.6ms 3.0MB 30ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 35ms 0.8ms 2.8MB 30ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 1.cr 65ms 1.6ms 3.0MB 57ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 1000 3000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 95ms 3.4ms 2.8MB 87ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 0-unsafe.cr 99ms 1.4ms 3.0MB 90ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 191ms 5.3ms 3.0MB 183ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 100 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 15ms 0.4ms 1.3MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 0-unsafe.cr 17ms 0.5ms 3.0MB 10ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 30ms 0.8ms 3.0MB 20ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

mandelbrot

Input: 5000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 247ms 0.8ms 4.1MB 240ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 1.cr 314ms 0.9ms 9.3MB 300ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 1000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 12ms 0.2ms 1.1MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 1.cr 17ms 0.0ms 5.4MB 10ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

merkletrees

Input: 17

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 828ms 9.1ms 64.2MB 810ms 10ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 856ms 8.4ms 41.0MB 830ms 10ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 172ms 4.4ms 22.3MB 160ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 178ms 3.3ms 11.0MB 167ms 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 1.0ms 1.0MB 190ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 279ms 0.5ms 1.0MB 270ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 315ms 0.7ms 1.1MB 310ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 2.cr 343ms 2.0ms 3.3MB 333ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 345ms 2.9ms 3.4MB 337ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 3.zig 21ms 0.2ms 1.0MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 30ms 0.1ms 1.0MB 20ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 34ms 0.6ms 1.1MB 30ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 1.cr 38ms 1.3ms 3.3MB 30ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 2.cr 38ms 0.6ms 3.3MB 30ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

nsieve

Input: 12

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 255ms 8.2ms 40.2MB 240ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 328ms 2.8ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 2.cr 345ms 3.2ms 8.2MB 337ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 423ms 6.7ms 42.9MB 410ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 55ms 1.4ms 10.9MB 43ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 81ms 1.1ms 2.3MB 70ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 2.cr 87ms 2.3ms 4.5MB 80ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
crystal 1.cr 91ms 3.5ms 13.2MB 80ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

pidigits

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 1947ms 50ms 6.3MB 1917ms 20ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 2458ms 11ms 2.3MB 2430ms 17ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
crystal 1.cr 450ms 9.9ms 5.0MB 437ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3
zig 1.zig 565ms 4.7ms 1.8MB 553ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

spectral-norm

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 3684ms 1.8ms 1.4MB 3670ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 1.cr 3757ms 8.8ms 4.6MB 3743ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 927ms 2.1ms 1.3MB 920ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 1.cr 942ms 1.3ms 4.4MB 930ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 232ms 0.3ms 1.3MB 220ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
crystal 1.cr 240ms 1.7ms 3.9MB 230ms 0ms crystal 1.16.3