ServiceStack.Text Json Performance

[mylvghb]

I compared three JSON serialization and deserialization frameworks, and after testing, I found that the performance of ServiceStack was not ideal.

Code:

var faker = new Faker<User>()
    .CustomInstantiator(f => new User(
        Guid.NewGuid(),
        f.Name.FirstName(),
        f.Name.LastName(),
        f.Name.FullName(),
        f.Internet.UserName(f.Name.FirstName(), f.Name.LastName()),
        f.Internet.Email(f.Name.FirstName(), f.Name.LastName())
    ));

Stopwatch stopwatch;
string text;
var users  = faker.Generate(10000);

stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
text = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(users);
stopwatch.Stop();
Console.WriteLine($"JSON.NET Serialized {users.Count} users in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");

stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
text = JsonSerializer.SerializeToString(users);
stopwatch.Stop();
Console.WriteLine($"ServiceStack Serialized {users.Count} users in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");

stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();
text = System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.Serialize(users);
stopwatch.Stop();
Console.WriteLine($"Microsoft Serialized {users.Count} users in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds}ms");

Results:

JSON.NET Serialized 10000 users in 117ms
ServiceStack Serialized 10000 users in 195ms
Microsoft Serialized 10000 users in 42ms

Can the performance of ServiceStack in JSON processing be improved?

[mylvghb]

Now, Microsoft's JSON serializer stands out in terms of performance.

[mythz]

Can you put this in a new project so we can clone and run the same implementation please.

[mylvghb]

Okay

[mylvghb]

I put it on github: https://github.com/mylvghb/JsonPerformanceTests.git

[mylvghb]

Wait a minute, there's something wrong

[mylvghb]

All codes have been submitted

[mythz]

I'm assuming you got an unpredictable run as the first 3 runs after build shows ServiceStack.Text is consistently between JSON.NET and System.Text.Json which is expected:

Going to ignore unless I can repro it being consistently slower than JSON.NET.

[mylvghb]

Could you please run the benchmark?

var summary = BenchmarkRunner.Run<SerializeBigDataBenchmark>();
Console.WriteLine(summary);

[mythz]

Can't explain why you're seeing different results, getting similar results on my M2 MacBook Air:

[mythz]

Ok yeah, this shows being marginally slower than JSON.NET

But not enough to prioritize over other features we're working on, may revisit later.

[mylvghb]

Other important features take priority, as long as you pay attention to this issue.

[mylvghb]

I'm just raising the issues I found

[mythz]

FYI from v8.1 ServiceStack now uses System.Text.Json by default in its Endpoint Routing APIs for Serializing/Deserializing its JSON APIs.

[mylvghb]

Thank you for your timely notification!