sysbench
sysbench is a free, scriptable, multithreaded benchmark tool based on LuaJIT, most often used for database benchmarking.
What sysbench is
sysbench is a free, scriptable, multithreaded benchmark tool based on LuaJIT, most often used for database benchmarking. Its bundled tests cover OLTP-like database workloads, filesystem I/O, CPU, memory, threads, and POSIX mutexes; it can also run complex workloads without a database server. Results include rates and latency statistics such as percentiles and histograms. Users can build custom benchmarks in Lua by implementing predefined hooks, and the executable can also serve as a Lua interpreter for scripts. Command-line options set run-time or event limits, worker thread counts, and average event rates. Build instructions describe MySQL support by default and PostgreSQL as an optional configuration. sysbench is available for Linux and macOS; Windows users are directed to Windows Subsystem for Linux because native Windows builds were dropped as of version 1.0. The repository lists the project under GPL-2.0. Installation guidance covers Linux distributions and architectures, while macOS packages are available through Homebrew. The repository provides GitHub Issues for questions and bug reports.
Good
- Free tool under the GPL-2.0 license
- Includes database, filesystem, CPU, and memory benchmarks
- Reports latency percentiles and histograms
- Custom workloads can be scripted in Lua
- Supports Linux and macOS
Watch out
- Native Windows builds are unsupported
- Windows use requires Windows Subsystem for Linux
Who it suits
sysbench suits users comfortable running command-line benchmarks and configuring scripts. It is relevant for database benchmarking and for building custom system workloads.
Verdict
sysbench provides bundled benchmarks and Lua scripting for custom workloads, with statistics for rates and latency. Windows users need to run it through Windows Subsystem for Linux.
Plans and prices
From sysbench's own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| sysbench | Free | Open-source benchmark tool · GPL-2.0 license |
The facts
Each one read from sysbench's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Bundled benchmarks
- Bundled benchmarks cover OLTP-like database workloads, filesystem I/O, CPU, memory, threads, and POSIX mutexes.checked 11 Oct 2026
- CLI or automation
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
- Concurrency
- The README says sysbench has low overhead with thousands of concurrent threads and can generate and track hundreds of millions of events per second.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Custom benchmarks
- Users can create benchmarks by implementing predefined hooks in Lua scripts.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Custom test profiles
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
- Custom workloads
- Users can create benchmarks by implementing predefined hooks in Lua scripts.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Database support
- Build instructions describe MySQL support by default and PostgreSQL support as an optional build configuration.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The README describes sysbench for database benchmarking and for building custom system workloads, so it is aimed at users who can run command-line benchmarks and configure scripts.checked 11 Oct 2026
- License
- The repository lists the project under the GPL-2.0 license.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Lua interpreter
- sysbench can also run as a general-purpose Lua interpreter for scripts using its executable in place of lua.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Operating systems
- Linux,macOS,Windows via Windows Subsystem for Linuxchecked 24 Sep 2026
- Other workloads
- It can create complex workloads that do not involve a database server.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- sysbench is a scriptable, multithreaded benchmark tool based on LuaJIT, most often used for database benchmarks.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Release status
- The releases page lists version 1.0.20 as the latest release.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Release versioning
- The README says sysbench aims to follow Semantic Versioning as much as possible.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Security
- GitHub reports that the project has no detected security policy and no published security advisories.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Statistics
- It reports rate and latency statistics, including latency percentiles and histograms.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The repository provides GitHub Issues for project questions and bug reports.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Use and limits
- The command-line options allow limits on run time or total events, and set worker thread count and average event rate.checked 11 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 24 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Linux availability
- Linux packages are offered through package repositories for x86_64, i386, and aarch64, with installation instructions for Debian/Ubuntu, RHEL/CentOS, Fedora, and Arch Linux.checked 11 Oct 2026
- Linux packages
- The README describes Linux binary packages for x86_64, i386, and aarch64, with installation instructions for Debian/Ubuntu, RHEL/CentOS, Fedora, and Arch Linux.checked 11 Oct 2026
- macOS
- The README says current macOS packages are available through Homebrew.checked 11 Oct 2026
- macOS availability
- The README directs macOS users to install the package through Homebrew.checked 11 Oct 2026
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- 1
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SPECapc for Siemens NX 2024
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UNIGINE Valley Benchmark
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