Python 3 versus Java fastest programs Always look at the source code. These are only the fastest programs. Look at the other programs. They may seem more-like a fair comparison to you. regex-redux source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 2.67 111,864 1403 4.86 87% 30% 29% 35% Java 10.27 635,500 740 29.42 74% 81% 55% 76% pidigits source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 2.39 12,200 567 2.55 64% 37% 5% 1% Java 1.83 34,848 764 1.95 99% 1% 4% 2% reverse-complement source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 16.41 1,772,696 434 17.57 1% 78% 28% 0% Java 3.27 714,144 2183 7.54 47% 60% 66% 58% k-nucleotide source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 72.58 183,484 1967 276.33 95% 95% 94% 97% Java 9.14 403,576 1812 29.10 87% 72% 74% 86% binary-trees source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 80.82 448,104 589 288.23 91% 88% 91% 86% Java 8.28 948,040 835 28.20 80% 84% 87% 90% fasta source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 63.63 841,056 1947 127.80 58% 61% 44% 37% Java 2.22 43,096 2473 6.10 67% 83% 45% 80% fannkuch-redux source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 494.58 47,432 950 1,956.79 98% 99% 98% 100% Java 16.12 33,168 1282 63.71 100% 98% 99% 98% mandelbrot source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 263.87 48,268 688 1,054.07 100% 100% 100% 100% Java 6.84 76,008 796 26.90 99% 98% 98% 98% n-body source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 891.12 8,416 1196 924.03 1% 53% 47% 2% Java 21.85 34,112 1489 22.16 1% 0% 0% 100% spectral-norm source secs mem gz busy cpu load Python 3 170.10 49,484 417 670.83 99% 98% 98% 99% Java 4.15 36,428 950 16.26 98% 100% 98% 97% Python 3 Python 3.8.0 Java openjdk 14 2020-03-17 OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 14+36-1461) OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 14+36-1461, mixed mode, sharing) all Python 3 programs & measurements all Java programs & measurements