Programming Language and compiler
Benchmarks

Zig VS Nim 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
nim 2.nim 779ms 1.2ms 34.4MB 760ms 3ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 963ms 9.3ms 35.2MB 940ms 10ms nim/clang 2.2.4
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
nim 2.nim 75ms 4.0ms 5.5MB 63ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 91ms 2.7ms 5.8MB 80ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
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
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
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
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
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
nim 2.nim 189ms 1.2ms 1.5MB 180ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 241ms 2.6ms 1.8MB 230ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 535ms 1.0ms 1.8MB 430ms 90ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 558ms 2.5ms 1.5MB 473ms 67ms nim 2.2.4

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
nim 2.nim 22ms 0.1ms 1.5MB 13ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 27ms 1.0ms 1.8MB 20ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 57ms 0.5ms 1.8MB 40ms 3ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 57ms 0.2ms 1.5MB 40ms 3ms nim 2.2.4

helloworld

Input: QwQ

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 0.9ms 0.0ms 1.5MB 0ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 1.1ms 0.0ms 1.9MB 0ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 1.1ms 0.4ms 1.1MB 0ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

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
zig 1.zig 35ms 0.8ms 2.8MB 30ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 111ms 2.3ms 1.6MB 100ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 114ms 1.7ms 1.4MB 110ms 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
zig 1.zig 95ms 3.4ms 2.8MB 87ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 328ms 1.4ms 1.6MB 320ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 333ms 1.4ms 1.4MB 323ms 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
zig 1.zig 15ms 0.4ms 1.3MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 2.nim 48ms 0.6ms 1.5MB 40ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 51ms 0.8ms 1.3MB 40ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 476ms 7.0ms 1.5MB 467ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 480ms 4.8ms 1.3MB 473ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

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
nim 1.nim 389ms 1.0ms 4.8MB 380ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 578ms 2.7ms 4.5MB 567ms 0ms nim 2.2.4

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
nim 1.nim 18ms 0.2ms 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
nim 1.nim 546ms 4.1ms 33.9MB 530ms 3ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 627ms 11ms 35.2MB 607ms 10ms nim/clang 2.2.4
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
nim 1.nim 119ms 2.2ms 9.6MB 110ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 137ms 5.9ms 9.9MB 123ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
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
nim 2.nim 318ms 0.5ms 1.8MB 310ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 344ms 2.8ms 2.0MB 337ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

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
nim 2.nim 34ms 0.6ms 1.8MB 30ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 2.nim 37ms 1.1ms 2.0MB 30ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4

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
nim 1.nim 264ms 6.1ms 41.5MB 250ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 316ms 7.7ms 41.8MB 300ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
zig 2.zig 328ms 2.8ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 52ms 2.1ms 11.5MB 47ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 55ms 1.4ms 10.9MB 43ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
nim 1.nim 63ms 5.6ms 11.8MB 53ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
zig 2.zig 81ms 1.1ms 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 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
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
nim 1.nim 3587ms 1.2ms 1.6MB 3580ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 3604ms 3.0ms 1.8MB 3593ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 3684ms 1.8ms 1.4MB 3670ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 898ms 0.5ms 1.5MB 890ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 903ms 2.7ms 1.3MB 893ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 927ms 2.1ms 1.3MB 920ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
nim 1.nim 226ms 0.4ms 1.5MB 220ms 0ms nim/clang 2.2.4
nim 1.nim 229ms 1.5ms 1.3MB 220ms 0ms nim 2.2.4
zig 1.zig 232ms 0.3ms 1.3MB 220ms 0ms zig 0.14.1