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Show HN: Apache Fory Rust – 10-20x faster serialization than JSON/Protobuf

(fory.apache.org)
66 points chaokunyang | 2 comments | 28 Oct 25 17:58 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source

Serialization framework with some interesting numbers: 10-20x faster on nested objects than json/protobuf.

  Technical approach: compile-time codegen (no reflection), compact binary protocol with meta-packing, little-endian layout optimized for modern CPUs.

  Unique features that other fast serializers don't have:
  - Cross-language without IDL files (Rust ↔ Python/Java/Go)
  - Trait object serialization (Box<dyn Trait>)
  - Automatic circular reference handling
  - Schema evolution without coordination

  Happy to discuss design trade-offs.

  Benchmarks: https://fory.apache.org/docs/benchmarks/rust
1. stmw ◴[28 Oct 25 19:58 UTC] No.45738270[source]▶
Regarding design tradeoffs: I am very skeptical that this can be made to work for the long run in a cross-language way without formalizing the on-the-wire contract via IDL or similar.

In my experience, while starting from a language to arrive at the serialization often feels more ergonomic (e.g. RPC style) in the start, it hides too much of what's going on from the users and over time suffers greatly from programming language / runtime changes - the latter multiplied by the number of languages or frameworks supported.

replies(1): >>45742179 #
2. chaokunyang ◴[29 Oct 25 03:08 UTC] No.45742179[source]▶
That’s a fair point — with more languages in the mix, having a formal schema can definitely help prevent drift.

The way I think about it is: • Single‑language projects often work best without an IDL — it keeps things simple and avoids extra steps. • Two languages – both IDL and no‑IDL approaches can work, depending on the team’s habits. • Three or more – an IDL can be really useful as a single source of truth and to avoid manually writing struct definitions in every language.

For Apache Fory, my plan is to add optional IDL support, so teams who want that “single truth” can generate definitions automatically, and others can continue with language‑first development. My hope is to give people flexibility to choose what fits their situation best.