Programming Language and compiler
Benchmarks

Zig VS Nim benchmarks

Current benchmark data was generated on Tue Mar 25 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 909ms 6.8ms 34.6MB 893ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 952ms 13ms 34.9MB 937ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 1906ms 32ms 49.0MB 1873ms 17ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 2.nim 89ms 2.7ms 5.5MB 80ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 93ms 1.8ms 5.8MB 80ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 153ms 1.1ms 7.0MB 140ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

edigits

Input: 250001

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 2275ms 0.2ms 2.5MB 2243ms 17ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 100000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 384ms 2.2ms 1.9MB 370ms 3ms zig 0.14.0

fannkuch-redux

Input: 11

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 2-m.zig 637ms 0.7ms 1.4MB 2403ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 3-i.zig 1766ms 4.1ms 1.0MB 1753ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 1.zig 2713ms 3.8ms 1.0MB 2707ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 2-m.zig 60ms 0.8ms 1.4MB 200ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 3-i.zig 148ms 0.2ms 1.0MB 140ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 1.zig 230ms 0.3ms 1.0MB 220ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

fasta

Input: 2500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 88ms 1.2ms 1.0MB 80ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 189ms 1.0ms 1.5MB 180ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 235ms 1.2ms 1.8MB 227ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 555ms 2.0ms 1.8MB 453ms 87ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 580ms 1.8ms 1.5MB 467ms 103ms nim 2.2.2

Input: 250000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 11ms 0.8ms 1.0MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 21ms 1.0ms 1.5MB 10ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 26ms 0.5ms 1.8MB 20ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 59ms 1.4ms 1.8MB 40ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 61ms 1.3ms 1.5MB 43ms 3ms nim 2.2.2

helloworld

Input: QwQ

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 1.0ms 0.0ms 1.1MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 1.1ms 0.0ms 1.4MB 0ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 1.2ms 0.1ms 1.8MB 0ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

knucleotide

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 500ms 4.6ms 26.3MB 480ms 7ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 250000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 66ms 0.7ms 15.3MB 50ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

lru

Input: 1000 1000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 33ms 0.3ms 2.8MB 23ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 112ms 1.0ms 1.6MB 100ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 112ms 1.7ms 1.8MB 103ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.3MB 4990ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.5MB 4990ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

Input: 1000 3000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 95ms 2.4ms 2.8MB 87ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 328ms 1.5ms 1.6MB 320ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 331ms 2.1ms 1.4MB 320ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.3MB 4990ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim timeout 0.0ms 1.5MB 4990ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

Input: 100 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 16ms 1.3ms 1.3MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 50ms 1.8ms 1.5MB 40ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 50ms 1.3ms 1.3MB 40ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 445ms 9.6ms 1.5MB 437ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 480ms 3.4ms 1.3MB 473ms 0ms nim 2.2.2

mandelbrot

Input: 5000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 247ms 0.1ms 4.0MB 240ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 388ms 0.7ms 4.7MB 380ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 577ms 2.5ms 4.4MB 567ms 0ms nim 2.2.2

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 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 19ms 0.4ms 2.0MB 10ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 27ms 1.4ms 1.6MB 20ms 0ms nim 2.2.2

merkletrees

Input: 17

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 545ms 5.4ms 34.6MB 527ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 618ms 12ms 34.9MB 597ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 878ms 6.2ms 41.0MB 853ms 10ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 116ms 0.7ms 9.6MB 100ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 134ms 1.4ms 9.9MB 120ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 181ms 5.2ms 11.0MB 167ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

nbody

Input: 5000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 2.zig 280ms 0.4ms 1.0MB 270ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 1.zig 315ms 1.2ms 1.1MB 303ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 320ms 3.2ms 1.8MB 310ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 347ms 6.4ms 2.0MB 337ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

Input: 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 2.zig 30ms 0.1ms 1.0MB 20ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
zig 1.zig 34ms 0.4ms 1.1MB 27ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 2.nim 35ms 1.0ms 1.8MB 30ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 2.nim 37ms 1.3ms 2.0MB 30ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2

nsieve

Input: 12

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 283ms 4.4ms 40.1MB 270ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 320ms 5.6ms 41.8MB 307ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 330ms 8.4ms 41.5MB 317ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
zig 2.zig 331ms 3.8ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 56ms 4.0ms 11.5MB 47ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 56ms 2.5ms 10.8MB 47ms 0ms zig 0.14.0
nim 1.nim 59ms 4.5ms 11.8MB 50ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 2.zig 81ms 0.9ms 2.3MB 70ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

pidigits

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 2466ms 27ms 2.2MB 2440ms 17ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 569ms 3.4ms 1.8MB 557ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

spectral-norm

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 3592ms 5.8ms 1.6MB 3583ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 3603ms 11ms 1.4MB 3593ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 3697ms 9.3ms 1.4MB 3690ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 901ms 1.0ms 1.8MB 890ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 902ms 2.9ms 1.5MB 890ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 925ms 2.3ms 1.3MB 917ms 0ms zig 0.14.0

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 227ms 0.4ms 1.5MB 220ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.2
nim 1.nim 228ms 0.8ms 1.3MB 220ms 0ms nim 2.2.2
zig 1.zig 234ms 0.2ms 1.3MB 230ms 0ms zig 0.14.0