Python 3 versus Node.js

How the programs are written matters! Always look at the source code.

If the fastest programs are flagged * possible hand-written vector instructions or "unsafe" or naked ffi, does the host language matter? You might be more interested in the less optimised programs — more seconds, less gz source code.

fannkuch-redux
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Node.js #5	11.07	43.76—44.47	111,055	1320	0.14
Node.js #8	58.32	58.31	64,094	452	0.13
Python 3 #6	943.88	942.63	11,874	391	3.58
Python 3 #4	311.18	1,221.85	28,701	960	5.27
Python 3 #8	2,457.09	2,455.59	11,874	414	5.65
n-body
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Node.js #6	8.55	8.60—8.73	67,244	1274	0.11
Node.js #8	9.63	9.64—9.99	66,695	1173	0.16
Python 3	372.41	371.23	12,198	1201	5.23
Python 3 #2	442.06	440.87	12,554	1247	5.24
Python 3 #8	529.38	528.16	12,497	1172	4.94
spectral-norm
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Node.js #7	5.40	5.40	66,163	420	0.12
Node.js	5.41	5.38—5.51	67,637	326	0.15
Node.js #6	1.60	6.03	116,212	1002	0.14
Node.js #8	6.53	6.53	66,642	355	0.14
Python 3 #6	349.68	348.48	13,660	334	5.44
Python 3 #4	90.37	352.91	34,693	415	5.41
Python 3 #8	386.45	385.07	12,833	334	5.08
Python 3 #7	109.91	421.84	34,578	425	5.30
mandelbrot
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Node.js #3	4.05	15.86—15.92	144,757	1128	0.15
Node.js #2	29.41	29.44	73,617	422	0.11
Node.js	69.02	72.84—75.47	69,100	380	0.15
Node.js #8	70.31	73.08—75.99	68,338	412	0.11
Python 3 #7	182.94	723.28	62,173	698	5.52
Python 3 #3	879.41	877.96	45,085	319	5.26
Python 3 #2	237.64	937.87	230,973	790	5.42
Python 3 #5	260.63	1,033.16	61,620	463	5.48
Python 3 #8	1,577.29	1,575.80	45,031	379	4.84
fasta
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
* Node.js #5	2.56	7.10—7.15	120,930	2050	0.14
Node.js #8	18.98	19.26—19.53	74,129	742	0.13
Node.js	38.55	39.18—39.87	71,639	815	0.14
Python 3 #3	39.03	38.30—47.80	12,218	1007	5.32
Python 3 #2	39.06	38.61—46.82	12,415	1126	5.21
Python 3 #5	27.95	54.20—54.96	1,190,347	1951	5.52
Python 3	57.39	56.94—65.76	12,100	823	5.06
Python 3 #8	153.17	153.78—158.43	11,915	738	5.04
k-nucleotide
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Node.js #3	15.99	43.91—44.53	448,524	1817	0.14
Node.js #8	105.52	109.35—113.96	734,392	678	0.13
Node.js #2	35.57	110.72—113.74	1,897,566	941	0.13
Node.js	37.72	115.01—117.24	1,361,019	1011	0.13
Python 3 #3	46.55	182.32—187.37	674,185	1970	5.68
Python 3 #4	76.67	233.00—239.32	523,751	663	4.89
Python 3 #8	234.08	235.36—236.89	642,265	525	5.15
Python 3	234.20	235.10—237.16	515,047	499	5.34
Python 3 #9	66.67	236.43—238.45	392,184	614	4.09
reverse-complement
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Python 3 #3	4.96	4.95	523,801	803	5.28
Python 3 #5	4.18	7.46—7.50	2,418,156	960	5.36
Python 3 #2	10.09	10.13—10.24	1,837,285	440	5.32
Python 3	10.43	10.43—10.59	2,040,713	484	5.28
Python 3 #6	7.59	11.07—11.11	2,795,930	821	5.37
Python 3 #4	13.47	13.44—13.88	4,109,324	343	5.05
* Node.js #2	15.53	16.25—16.39	763,048	1228	0.14
* Node.js #7		Bad Output
binary-trees [ Contentious. Different approaches. ]
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Node.js #7	16.07	28.29—28.55	1,128,059	458	0.10
Node.js #6	8.61	30.92—31.04	1,275,720	752	0.06
Node.js	8.94	33.89—34.14	1,389,228	717	0.09
Python 3 #2	100.49	100.69—101.09	281,829	344	5.08
Python 3 #4	33.37	121.32—121.68	460,771	481	5.57
Python 3	34.85	123.08—123.98	445,649	597	5.16
Python 3 #5	35.37	125.71—126.12	806,117	669	5.30
Python 3 #3	51.88	148.91—149.87	819,077	1247	5.39
pidigits [ Contentious. Different libraries. ]
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
Node.js #4	1.15	1.16	71,688	487	0.14
* Python 3 #3	1.35	1.28—1.32	20,009	573	5.34
Python 3 #5	1.40	1.36	15,606	369	7.20
Python 3 #4	4.63	4.60	12,718	348	4.88
Node.js #2	12.17	12.15—12.42	102,679	405	0.10
Node.js #3	12.25	12.23—12.38	102,257	431	0.12
regex-redux [ Contentious. Different libraries. ]
	elapsed	Mean or 95% CI
source	secs	cpu secs	mem	gz	make
* Python 3 #2	1.41	2.65	191,300	1411	5.48
Node.js #3	4.35	5.71—5.92	840,503	675	0.12
Node.js #4	5.47	5.63—5.76	1,036,935	471	0.14
Python 3	8.96	16.47—16.75	459,624	515	5.47
Python 3	Python 3.13.0
Node.js	v23.8.0