<h1>Rust vs Zig vs Go: Performance (Latency - Throughput - Saturation - Availability)</h1>
<p>In this article, we delve into a performance comparison of three prominent programming languages: Rust, Zig, and Go, with a focus on how they handle HTTP requests. The benchmarks were carried out using the Actix HTTP framework for Rust, Zig’s framework, and the standard Go library. The performance metrics scrutinized included latency, throughput, saturation, and availability. These tests were meticulously run in a Kubernetes cluster environment on large EC2 and Graviton-based instances.</p>
<h3>Performance Metrics Analyzed</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Latency:</strong> The response time from the server once a request is made.</li>
<li><strong>Throughput:</strong> The number of requests processed by the server per second.</li>
<li><strong>Saturation:</strong> The point at which the server becomes fully loaded and can no longer handle additional requests effectively.</li>
<li><strong>Availability:</strong> The uptime and reliability of the server to handle incoming requests without errors.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Benchmark Comparisons</h3>
<p><strong>Rust and Zig</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Both Rust and Zig showed very close numbers across most metrics. The Actix HTTP framework in Rust and the Zig framework performed admirably in terms of low latency and high throughput.</li>
<li>Rust eventually took the lead in memory usage efficiency, staying stable longer before degradation started.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Go</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Go demonstrated a higher CPU usage and increased latency when compared to Rust and Zig.</li>
<li>Under heavy load conditions, Go began to degrade faster, especially noticeable at high request rates. Despite several optimizations, this trend persisted.</li>
<li>Around the 98,000 requests per second mark, Rust showcased a more significant degradation in memory usage but still managed to outperform Go, which showed a more severe performance drop.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>This detailed comparison highlights that while Rust and Zig are closely matched in terms of performance across various metrics, Go tends to degrade faster, particularly under heavy loads. Rust’s efficient memory usage gives it a slight edge over Zig in the long run. However, each language has its unique strengths, and the optimal choice can depend on specific use cases and project requirements.</p>


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A performance comparison of Rust, Zig, and Go focusing on handling HTTP requests, measuring latency, throughput, saturation, and availability. Benchmarks conducted using the Actix HTTP framework for Rust, Zig's framework, and the standard Go library reveal that while Rust and Zig are closely matched, Go demonstrates higher CPU usage and latency, degrading faster under heavy load. Rust's efficient memory usage gives it a slight edge over Zig in the long run.