Zig Memory Management: Small Binaries, Big Impact
Zig Memory Management: Small Binaries, Big Impact
2025-02-18
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Production LLM architecture patterns using Rust, AWS, and Bedrock.
Check out our course!Zig's memory management enables exceptionally small binaries while maintaining safety. Here's how its allocator system outperforms Rust in Docker and embedded contexts.
Core Allocators
GeneralPurposeAllocator (GPA)
var gpa = std.heap.GeneralPurposeAllocator(.{}){};
const allocator = gpa.allocator();
defer _ = gpa.deinit();
// 300KB static binary vs Rust's 2.8MB
const list = std.ArrayList(u8).init(allocator);
ArenaAllocator
var arena = std.heap.ArenaAllocator.init(allocator);
defer arena.deinit();
// Bulk allocations with zero tracking overhead
const json = try std.json.parseFromTokens(
Value,
&parser,
arena.allocator()
);
FixedBufferAllocator
var buffer: [1024]u8 = undefined;
var fba = std.heap.FixedBufferAllocator.init(&buffer);
// Zero runtime, perfect for embedded
const small_str = try fba.allocator().alloc(u8, 5);
PageAllocator
const page = std.heap.page_allocator;
const big_buffer = try page.alloc(u8, 1024 * 1024);
defer page.free(big_buffer);
Docker Impact
Production Binary Sizes:
- Basic HTTP Server: 300KB (Zig) vs 2.8MB (Rust)
- JSON + SQLite: 850KB (Zig) vs 4.2MB (Rust)
- Full REST API: 1.2MB (Zig) vs 6.8MB (Rust)
Minimal Dockerfile
FROM alpine:3.18 as builder
COPY . /app
WORKDIR /app
RUN wget https://ziglang.org/download/0.11.0/zig-linux-x86_64-0.11.0.tar.xz && \
tar -xf zig-linux-x86_64-0.11.0.tar.xz
RUN ./zig-linux-x86_64-0.11.0/zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseSmall
FROM scratch
COPY --from=builder /app/zig-out/bin/server /server
ENTRYPOINT ["/server"]
Key Benefits
- Zero Runtime: No mandatory safety checks
- Explicit Control: Choose exactly what overhead you need
- True Static Linking: Complete musl integration
Memory Usage Under Load
# Idle
zig-server 1.2MB
rust-server 8.4MB
# 1000 req/s
zig-server 2.8MB
rust-server 12.6MB
The difference comes from Zig's allocator philosophy: pay only for what you use. Each allocator serves a specific need, from GPA's safety to FixedBuffer's embedded efficiency, enabling precise optimization for your use case.
Recommended Courses
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