Script with C-performance

Terra is a simple and expressive statically typed compiled language built on top of LuaJIT, the fastest JIT-compiler in the West. This unique combination allows Terra to deliver performance comparable to C while maintaining the flexibility and ease of a scripting language.

High Performance via LuaJIT

Terra leverages LuaJIT’s powerful JIT (Just-In-Time) compilation capabilities, which use the same LLVM backend as Apple’s C compilers. This means Terra code achieves near-C performance—often within 5% of equivalent C code compiled with Clang, as demonstrated by benchmarks like nbody and fannhakunen from the Programming Language Benchmark Game. Here’s a simple example from Terra’s introduction: