Zig VS Ruby benchmarks

Current benchmark data was generated on Sun Jul 13 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 1872ms 186ms 49.0MB 1840ms 17ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1.rb 4770ms 133ms 110.1MB 4677ms 77ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 70.5MB 4950ms 33ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 796.7MB 6620ms 720ms truffleruby 24.2.1

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 152ms 2.9ms 7.0MB 140ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1.rb 498ms 0.9ms 20.3MB 473ms 10ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1-m.rb 503ms 8.2ms 407.1MB 980ms 150ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 1.rb 947ms 3.2ms 19.5MB 923ms 13ms ruby 3.4.4

edigits

Input: 250001

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 2260ms 7.9ms 2.5MB 2237ms 10ms zig 0.14.1

Input: 100000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 382ms 1.1ms 1.9MB 367ms 3ms 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 637ms 8.5ms 1.4MB 2413ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 3-i.zig 1765ms 1.9ms 1.0MB 1757ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 2719ms 3.6ms 1.0MB 2710ms 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 0.6ms 1.4MB 200ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 3-i.zig 147ms 0.3ms 1.0MB 140ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 229ms 2.1ms 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 88ms 0.8ms 1.0MB 80ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 6.rb 2046ms 3.0ms 23.0MB 2023ms 10ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 6-m.rb 2107ms 209ms 406.5MB 5403ms 323ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 6.rb 3692ms 15ms 22.4MB 3673ms 10ms ruby 3.4.4

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 0.14.1
ruby 6.rb 259ms 4.3ms 15.2MB 237ms 10ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 6.rb 415ms 1.8ms 14.4MB 397ms 3ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 6-m.rb 843ms 29ms 380.9MB 2103ms 163ms truffleruby 24.2.1

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
ruby 1.rb 34ms 0.4ms 141.1MB 12ms 24ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 1.rb 51ms 1.1ms 12.8MB 38ms 0ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb 53ms 0.4ms 12.9MB 38ms 4ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4

knucleotide

Input: 2500000_in

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1-m.zig 318ms 0.8ms 67.1MB 840ms 23ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 499ms 2.8ms 28.0MB 477ms 13ms 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 65ms 1.8ms 54.3MB 133ms 33ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 66ms 2.2ms 15.4MB 50ms 3ms 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 1.2ms 2.8MB 27ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1.rb 342ms 3.2ms 13.5MB 327ms 3ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb 529ms 4.4ms 12.9MB 510ms 0ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 1-m.rb 686ms 7.4ms 371.8MB 1270ms 140ms truffleruby 24.2.1

Input: 1000 3000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 95ms 1.5ms 2.8MB 87ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1.rb 910ms 1.6ms 13.5MB 890ms 10ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1-m.rb 1261ms 52ms 406.7MB 1777ms 167ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 1.rb 1485ms 8.7ms 12.9MB 1470ms 3ms ruby 3.4.4

Input: 100 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 16ms 1.1ms 1.3MB 10ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1.rb 198ms 2.8ms 13.5MB 187ms 0ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb 289ms 1.2ms 12.8MB 273ms 7ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 1-m.rb 525ms 17ms 354.7MB 1033ms 137ms truffleruby 24.2.1

mandelbrot

Input: 5000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 247ms 0.5ms 4.1MB 240ms 0ms zig 0.14.1

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

merkletrees

Input: 17

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 866ms 9.9ms 41.0MB 833ms 17ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1-m.rb 3861ms 33ms 612.1MB 9853ms 350ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 93.5MB 4947ms 40ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 97.4MB 4940ms 50ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4

Input: 15

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 175ms 2.1ms 11.0MB 160ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1-m.rb 2066ms 110ms 488.8MB 5300ms 230ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 1.rb 3236ms 25ms 38.3MB 3197ms 23ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb 4321ms 12ms 37.6MB 4287ms 23ms ruby 3.4.4

nbody

Input: 5000000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 3.zig 198ms 1.1ms 1.0MB 190ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 280ms 0.5ms 1.0MB 270ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 1.zig 315ms 0.8ms 1.1MB 303ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 2.rb 836ms 14ms 325.0MB 1103ms 117ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 2.rb timeout 0.0ms 12.8MB 4983ms 3ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 2.rb timeout 0.0ms 13.5MB 4977ms 10ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4

Input: 500000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 3.zig 22ms 0.3ms 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
ruby 2-m.rb 309ms 6.6ms 309.6MB 560ms 103ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 2.rb 1028ms 6.1ms 13.5MB 1010ms 3ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 2.rb 2980ms 14ms 12.8MB 2963ms 7ms ruby 3.4.4

nsieve

Input: 12

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 270ms 5.1ms 40.2MB 257ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 330ms 3.2ms 6.0MB 320ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 325.3MB 4850ms 133ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 327.0MB 4847ms 140ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 731.6MB 5070ms 153ms truffleruby 24.2.1

Input: 10

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 52ms 2.0ms 10.9MB 40ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
zig 2.zig 80ms 1.1ms 2.3MB 70ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1-m.rb 1697ms 10ms 473.8MB 2493ms 170ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 1.rb 3416ms 80ms 131.8MB 3323ms 83ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb 4472ms 16ms 131.0MB 4383ms 73ms ruby 3.4.4

pidigits

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 2450ms 12ms 2.2MB 2420ms 17ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 130.2MB 4863ms 123ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 131.0MB 4833ms 150ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb timeout 0.0ms 450.5MB 13320ms 430ms truffleruby 24.2.1

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 569ms 4.0ms 1.8MB 560ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 1-m.rb 1668ms 200ms 395.7MB 4403ms 210ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 1.rb 1766ms 80ms 130.9MB 1657ms 93ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 1.rb 1816ms 25ms 130.3MB 1690ms 113ms ruby 3.4.4

spectral-norm

Input: 8000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 3686ms 3.7ms 1.4MB 3677ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 4.rb timeout 0.0ms 12.9MB 4983ms 7ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 4.rb timeout 0.0ms 13.5MB 4980ms 0ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4
ruby 4.rb timeout 0.0ms 436.6MB 5167ms 240ms truffleruby 24.2.1

Input: 4000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 925ms 2.6ms 1.3MB 917ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 4.rb 4848ms 12ms 433.6MB 5140ms 203ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 4.rb timeout 0.0ms 12.8MB 4980ms 0ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 4.rb timeout 0.0ms 13.5MB 4983ms 3ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4

Input: 2000

lang code time stddev peak-mem mem time(user) time(sys) compiler compiler/runtime
zig 1.zig 235ms 0.4ms 1.3MB 230ms 0ms zig 0.14.1
ruby 4.rb 1458ms 6.2ms 377.4MB 1793ms 157ms truffleruby 24.2.1
ruby 4.rb timeout 0.0ms 12.9MB 4980ms 3ms ruby 3.4.4
ruby 4.rb timeout 0.0ms 13.6MB 4980ms 3ms ruby/yjit 3.4.4