Lua versus Python 3 fastest performance Always look at the source code. If the fastest programs are hand-written vector instructions, does the host language matter? You might be more interested in the less optimised programs — more seconds, less gz source code. fannkuch-redux source secs mem gz cpu secs Lua 601.99 19,664 469 601.97 Python 3 #6 1,031.38 19,652 391 1,031.34 Python 3 #4 300.68 19,652 960 1,189.39 n-body source secs mem gz cpu secs Lua #4 227.77 19,672 1312 227.76 Lua #2 239.26 19,672 1200 239.25 Lua 267.17 19,672 1207 267.16 Python 3 #2 362.72 19,656 1247 362.70 Python 3 368.32 19,656 1201 368.30 spectral-norm source secs mem gz cpu secs Lua 78.53 19,672 335 78.53 Python 3 #7 90.77 19,656 425 359.32 Python 3 #6 359.89 19,656 334 359.83 Python 3 #8 98.97 19,656 415 386.79 mandelbrot source secs mem gz cpu secs Lua #3 343.95 19,672 364 343.94 Lua 344.46 19,672 365 344.43 Lua #2 375.98 19,672 373 375.96 Lua #6 113.21 282,112 630 398.58 Python 3 #7 159.49 19,656 698 634.00 Python 3 #3 820.95 19,624 319 820.91 Python 3 #2 232.82 156,340 790 880.90 Python 3 #5 274.66 19,628 463 1,094.30 pidigits source secs mem gz cpu secs Python 3 #3 1.31 19,784 573 1.31 Python 3 #4 4.73 19,656 348 4.73 Python 3 #5 Failed Lua #7 Failed Lua #5 Failed Lua Failed regex-redux source secs mem gz cpu secs Python 3 #2 1.35 168,092 1411 2.62 Python 3 8.83 432,724 515 16.44 Lua Failed fasta source secs mem gz cpu secs Lua #2 24.01 19,672 1065 24.01 Lua #3 24.02 19,672 1065 24.02 Python 3 #2 38.53 19,652 1126 38.53 Python 3 #3 38.86 19,780 1007 38.86 Python 3 #5 26.54 827,148 1951 53.26 Python 3 60.37 19,652 823 60.37 k-nucleotide source secs mem gz cpu secs Lua #2 97.75 596,472 620 97.73 Python 3 #3 48.64 262,016 1970 184.81 Python 3 #8 87.79 506,880 663 262.44 Python 3 #9 77.06 380,416 614 263.65 Python 3 275.64 500,224 499 274.74 reverse-complement source secs mem gz cpu secs Python 3 #3 5.18 509,108 803 5.18 Python 3 #5 4.07 1,500,240 960 7.41 Python 3 #2 10.46 1,788,876 440 10.46 Python 3 10.69 1,987,304 484 10.69 Python 3 #6 7.86 2,484,084 821 11.49 Python 3 #4 13.91 4,003,712 343 13.91 Lua #2 40.39 2,654,604 560 40.39 Lua #5 41.27 2,169,636 725 41.26 Lua #4 49.05 1,030,016 600 49.04 binary-trees source secs mem gz cpu secs Python 3 #2 110.47 273,024 344 110.46 Python 3 #4 34.53 277,632 481 126.59 Python 3 #5 35.74 275,456 669 127.53 Python 3 36.16 277,760 597 128.12 Lua #2 143.45 956,672 418 143.42 Python 3 #3 55.05 672,384 1247 158.56 Lua #3 82.25 809,984 690 164.04 Lua #4 47.92 956,672 670 178.17 Lua Lua 5.4.6 Copyright (C) 1994-2023 Lua.org, PUC-Rio Python 3 Python 3.12.2 all Lua programs & measurements all Python 3 programs & measurements