As developers strive to optimize their code and deliver lightning-fast applications, the speed of execution becomes a crucial factor to consider. From high-level scripting languages to low-level compiled languages, each programming language possesses its own unique characteristics that influence its performance.

In this article, we delve into the exciting realm of programming language speed, exploring the nuances and trade-offs associated with different coding languages. We embark on a journey to understand how programming languages tackle the eternal struggle between performance and expressiveness. By gaining insights into the inherent strengths and considerations of various languages, we aim to empower developers with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions when it comes to crafting efficient and responsive software solutions.

Throughout our exploration, we will uncover the factors that impact execution speed, such as memory management, compilation processes, runtime environments, and optimization techniques. We’ll examine both the stalwarts and the rising stars of the programming language world, recognizing that each language has its own niche and purpose.

By presenting a comprehensive comparison of programming language speeds, we hope to demystify the performance landscape and provide developers with a valuable resource to assess the trade-offs involved in their language selection. However, it’s crucial to note that speed alone should not be the sole determinant in choosing a programming language, as other factors such as ease of use, community support, and compatibility also play significant roles in the development process.

So, join us as we embark on this captivating exploration of programming language speed. Let’s uncover the secrets behind the velocity of code execution, shedding light on the performance landscapes that shape our software-driven world. Together, we will gain a deeper understanding of how the choice of programming language can become a catalyst for delivering software that not only performs flawlessly but also captivates and empowers users.

Table of Contents

Programming language speed comparison

Programming Language	Speed Comparison	Explanation
C	Fast	C is known for its excellent performance due to its low-level nature and minimal runtime overhead. It allows direct memory access and efficient code execution.
C++	Fast	C++ builds upon C and offers additional features, including object-oriented programming. It provides high performance with a good balance between efficiency and expressiveness.
Rust	Fast	Rust is a relatively new language that emphasizes memory safety and concurrency. It combines low-level control with modern language features, resulting in efficient and secure code.
Go	Fast	Go was designed with a focus on simplicity, readability, and concurrent programming. Its compilation process produces optimized executables, leading to fast execution.
Java	Moderate	Java is a compiled language known for its platform independence. While it offers good performance, its execution speed can be slightly slower than lower-level languages due to the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) overhead.
Kotlin	Moderate	Kotlin, which runs on the JVM, provides similar performance characteristics as Java. Its modern syntax and features make it a popular choice for Android development.
C#	Moderate	C# is a statically typed language developed by Microsoft. It performs well and benefits from the optimizations provided by the .NET runtime, but it may be slightly slower than C++ or C.
Swift	Moderate	Swift, mainly used for iOS and macOS development, provides a balance between performance and safety. While it may not match the speed of low-level languages, it offers good execution speed.
Python	Moderate	Python is an interpreted language known for its simplicity and readability. While it offers high-level abstractions, its interpreted nature makes it slower than compiled languages.
JavaScript	Moderate	JavaScript, primarily used for web development, is an interpreted language executed by browsers. Although it has improved over time, its speed may be slower compared to compiled languages.
Ruby	Moderate	Ruby is an expressive and dynamic language. Its interpreted nature, combined with its focus on developer productivity, may result in slightly slower execution speed compared to compiled languages.
PHP	Moderate	PHP is a popular language for web development. While it allows quick development, its interpreted nature can impact performance compared to compiled languages.
TypeScript	Moderate	TypeScript is a superset of JavaScript that adds static typing. It offers similar performance characteristics as JavaScript, as it compiles to JavaScript and relies on browser execution.
R	Moderate	R is a language primarily used for statistical computing and data analysis. Its interpreted nature and focus on data manipulation may lead to slower execution compared to compiled languages.
MATLAB	Moderate	MATLAB is widely used in scientific and numerical computing. While it provides a rich set of mathematical functions, its interpreted nature may impact performance for computationally intensive tasks.
Lua	Moderate	Lua is a lightweight scripting language often embedded within applications. Its simplicity and portability come at the cost of some execution speed compared to compiled languages.
Perl	Moderate	Perl is a versatile scripting language that emphasizes text processing. Its interpreted nature and focus on expressive syntax may result in slightly slower execution speed.
Haskell	Moderate	Haskell is a functional programming language with a strong static type system. While it offers high-level abstractions and purity, its execution speed may be slower than imperative languages.
Julia	Moderate	Julia is a language designed for high-performance numerical computing. It aims to match the speed of compiled languages, although certain operations may be slower due to dynamic dispatch.
Scala	Moderate	Scala, running on the JVM, combines object-oriented and functional programming. While it provides good performance, its execution speed may be slower compared to lower-level languages.
Groovy	Moderate	Groovy is a dynamic language that runs on the JVM. Its focus on developer productivity and dynamic typing may result in slightly slower execution compared to statically typed languages.
LuaJIT	Fast	LuaJIT is a just-in-time compiler for Lua, optimizing the execution of Lua code. It can significantly improve performance over standard interpreted Lua in certain scenarios.
Perl 6	Moderate	Perl 6, also known as Raku, is a modernized version of Perl. Its emphasis on expressiveness and modern language features may impact execution speed compared to other languages.
Ruby MRI	Moderate	Ruby MRI, the standard Ruby implementation, is interpreted. While it provides excellent developer productivity, it may be slower compared to other dynamically typed languages.
Erlang	Moderate	Erlang is a functional programming language designed for building concurrent and fault-tolerant systems. While it excels in concurrency, its execution speed may be slightly slower than some other languages.
Elixir	Moderate	Elixir, built on the Erlang virtual machine, inherits its concurrency capabilities. While it offers good performance, it may be slower compared to lower-level languages due to the underlying runtime.
Swift (LLVM)	Fast	Swift, when compiled with LLVM, benefits from highly optimized code generation. It can achieve faster execution speeds compared to the default Swift compiler.
Crystal	Fast	Crystal is a statically typed language inspired by Ruby. It compiles to native code, leveraging the LLVM infrastructure for performance optimizations and achieving speeds comparable to C.
Nim	Fast	Nim is a statically typed language that compiles to C or C++. It focuses on high performance, and its compilation process produces efficient executables.
D	Fast	D is a modern systems programming language that combines the power of low-level programming with high-level abstractions. Its performance is on par with C and C++.
Zig	Fast	Zig is a systems programming language known for its focus on safety and performance. It compiles to efficient machine code and offers low-level control while maintaining ease of use.
Chapel	Fast	Chapel is a parallel programming language developed for high-performance computing. Its design emphasizes productivity without sacrificing performance in scientific and numerical applications.
Fortran	Fast	Fortran is a language widely used in scientific and numerical computing. Its optimized compilers and extensive libraries allow for efficient code execution.
OCaml	Fast	OCaml is a functional programming language with a focus on type safety and performance. It offers good execution speed and is often used in compiler development and formal verification.
Common Lisp	Moderate	Common Lisp is a powerful language known for its flexibility and metaprogramming capabilities. While it may be slower than some compiled languages, it offers excellent expressiveness.
Scheme	Moderate	Scheme is a dialect of Lisp with a focus on simplicity and minimalism. Its interpreted nature and emphasis on functional programming may result in slightly slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Smalltalk	Moderate	Smalltalk is an object-oriented language with a dynamic runtime environment. Its interpreted nature and message passing semantics may impact execution speed compared to compiled languages.
COBOL	Moderate	COBOL, commonly used in business applications, prioritizes readability and maintainability over raw execution speed. While it may not be the fastest language, it offers reliability and longevity.
ActionScript	Moderate	ActionScript, primarily used for Adobe Flash and web development, is an interpreted language. While it provides interactivity, its execution speed may be slower compared to compiled languages.
Assembly (x86)	Very Fast	Assembly language offers the highest level of control over hardware resources. It allows programmers to write highly optimized code but requires deep understanding and manual memory management.
VHDL	Very Fast	VHDL is a hardware description language used for designing digital systems. While it is not directly comparable to software programming languages, its compiled nature results in efficient hardware implementations.
Verilog	Very Fast	Verilog is another hardware description language widely used in digital design. Like VHDL, it focuses on describing hardware behavior rather than executing software-like operations.
SQL	Moderate	SQL (Structured Query Language) is used for managing and querying databases. Its performance is highly dependent on the database management system (DBMS) and the underlying hardware.


Eiffel	Moderate	Eiffel is a language known for its strong typing and design by contract approach. While it provides safety and maintainability, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to lower-level languages.
Ada	Moderate	Ada is a language developed for mission-critical systems. Its focus on safety and reliability may result in slightly slower execution speed compared to some other languages.
Prolog	Moderate	Prolog is a logic programming language used for symbolic and non-deterministic computations. Its interpreted nature and backtracking mechanism may impact execution speed compared to imperative languages.
Forth	Moderate	Forth is a stack-based, low-level language known for its simplicity and extensibility. While it allows for efficient code, its interpreted nature may result in slightly slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Tcl	Moderate	Tcl (Tool Command Language) is a scripting language commonly used for rapid prototyping and automation. Its interpreted nature and focus on ease of use may impact performance compared to compiled languages.
Io	Moderate	Io is a dynamically typed language with a minimalist design. While it offers flexibility and expressiveness, its interpreted nature may result in slightly slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Kotlin Native	Moderate	Kotlin Native allows compiling Kotlin code to native executables without relying on the JVM. While it offers better performance than the JVM-based Kotlin, it may still be slower than lower-level languages.
Elixir (BEAM)	Moderate	Elixir, running on the BEAM virtual machine, inherits its concurrency capabilities. While it provides good performance, it may be slower compared to lower-level languages due to the underlying runtime.
Groovy (Java)	Moderate	Groovy, running on the JVM, inherits the execution characteristics of Java. While it offers good performance, it may be slightly slower than lower-level languages due to the JVM overhead.
MATLAB (Octave)	Moderate	Octave is an open-source alternative to MATLAB. While it offers similar functionality, its interpreted nature may result in slightly slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Lua (JIT)	Fast	LuaJIT is a just-in-time compiler for Lua, optimizing the execution of Lua code. It can significantly improve performance over standard interpreted Lua in certain scenarios.
Rust (LLVM)	Fast	Rust, when compiled with LLVM, benefits from highly optimized code generation. It can achieve faster execution speeds compared to the default Rust compiler.
Ruby (JRuby)	Moderate	JRuby is an alternative implementation of Ruby running on the JVM. While it offers good compatibility, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to the default Ruby interpreter.
Perl 5	Moderate	Perl 5, the predecessor of Perl 6 (Raku), is a versatile scripting language. Its interpreted nature and focus on developer productivity may result in slightly slower execution speed.
Pascal	Moderate	Pascal is a language known for its simplicity and strong typing. While it offers good readability and maintainability, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to lower-level languages.
OCaml (BuckleScript)	Moderate	BuckleScript is a compiler for OCaml that targets JavaScript. While it provides good performance for web development, it may be slower compared to native OCaml code.
Dart	Moderate	Dart is a language developed by Google, primarily used for web and mobile app development. While it offers good performance, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to lower-level languages.
COBOL (GnuCOBOL)	Moderate	GnuCOBOL is an open-source implementation of COBOL. While it provides good compatibility, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to other modern programming languages.
Kotlin (JavaScript)	Moderate	Kotlin can also be compiled to JavaScript for web development. While it provides good performance, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to native Kotlin code.
Scala (JVM)	Moderate	Scala, running on the JVM, combines object-oriented and functional programming. While it offers good performance, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to lower-level languages.
Julia (JIT)	Moderate	Julia combines dynamic typing with just-in-time (JIT) compilation. It aims to match the performance of compiled languages, although certain operations may be slower due to dynamic dispatch.
PowerShell	Moderate	PowerShell is a scripting language developed by Microsoft. While it provides good automation capabilities, its interpreted nature may result in slightly slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Awk	Moderate	Awk is a scripting language used for text processing. While it offers convenience for quick tasks, its interpreted nature may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Groovy (Groovy++)	Moderate	Groovy++ is a statically typed variant of Groovy. While it provides better performance than regular Groovy, it may still be slightly slower compared to statically typed compiled languages.
SAS	Moderate	SAS is a language used for statistical analysis and data management. While it provides a wide range of statistical functions, its interpreted nature may result in slower execution for complex computations.
Q	Moderate	Q is a language designed for time-series data processing and analysis. While it offers powerful vector-based operations, its interpreted nature may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Fortran (GFortran)	Fast	GFortran is a widely used open-source Fortran compiler. While Fortran offers good performance, the choice of compiler can further optimize the execution speed for specific hardware architectures.
Scheme (Guile)	Moderate	Guile is an implementation of Scheme designed for embedding and extending applications. While it provides flexibility, its interpreted nature may result in slightly slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Scratch	Moderate	Scratch is a visual programming language primarily used for educational purposes. While it provides a beginner-friendly environment, its interpreted nature may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.
COBOL (Micro Focus)	Moderate	Micro Focus COBOL is a commercial implementation of COBOL. While it offers good compatibility and performance optimizations, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to other modern programming languages.
VB.NET	Moderate	VB.NET is a programming language based on Visual Basic and runs on the .NET platform. While it offers good performance, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to lower-level languages.
Tcl (TclOO)	Moderate	TclOO is an object-oriented extension of Tcl. While it adds object-oriented features, its interpreted nature and focus on scripting may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Apex	Moderate	Apex is a language used for Salesforce development. While it provides good integration with the Salesforce platform, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to lower-level languages.
Bash	Moderate	Bash is a shell scripting language used primarily in Unix-like systems. While it offers convenience for automating system tasks, its interpreted nature may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.
PureScript	Moderate	PureScript is a strongly typed functional programming language that compiles to JavaScript. While it provides good performance for web development, it may be slower compared to native JavaScript code.
Io (Io++)	Moderate	Io++ is a statically typed variant of Io. While it offers better performance than regular Io, it may still be slightly slower compared to statically typed compiled languages.
Haskell (GHC)	Moderate	GHC (Glasgow Haskell Compiler) is the most widely used Haskell compiler. While Haskell offers good performance, the choice of compiler can further optimize the execution speed for specific use cases.
Zsh	Moderate	Zsh is an extended shell with additional features and customization options. While it offers convenience for interactive shell usage, its interpreted nature may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.
ABAP	Moderate	ABAP is a language used for SAP application development. While it offers good integration with the SAP environment, its execution speed may be slightly slower compared to lower-level languages.
Kotlin (Native)	Moderate	Kotlin Native allows compiling Kotlin code to native executables without relying on the JVM. While it offers better performance than the JVM-based Kotlin, it may still be slower than lower-level languages.
J	Moderate	J is an array programming language focused on concise and efficient code. While it provides powerful array operations, its interpreted nature may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Nim (Nimscript)	Fast	Nimscript is a scripting language based on Nim. While it offers better performance than regular Nim, it may still be slightly slower compared to statically typed compiled languages.
Tcl (Incr Tcl)	Moderate	Incr Tcl is an object-oriented extension of Tcl. While it adds object-oriented features, its interpreted nature and focus on scripting may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.
Dart (Flutter)	Moderate	Dart is the primary language used for building Flutter applications. While it provides good performance for cross-platform mobile development, it may be slower compared to lower-level languages.
Verilog (SystemVerilog)	Very Fast	SystemVerilog is an extension of Verilog with additional features for hardware design and verification. While it is not directly comparable to software programming languages, its compiled nature results in efficient hardware implementations.
R (data.table)	Moderate	data.table is a high-performance extension for data manipulation in R. While it offers faster execution for certain operations, R’s interpreted nature may still result in slower overall execution compared to compiled languages.
PostScript	Moderate	PostScript is a programming language used primarily for printing and graphics. While it offers flexibility in generating graphical output, its interpreted nature may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.
K	Moderate	K is a language designed for high-performance data analysis. While it offers efficient array operations, its interpreted nature may result in slower execution compared to compiled languages.