facebook/zstd
Zstandard - Fast real-time compression algorithm observed · 2026-08-28
Health v2 · maintenance only
67/100
- Activity 99
- Release rhythm 8
- Longevity 100
Flags: no_license
How is this computed?
round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10) — computed 2026-09-03. Adoption (stars, forks) is never an input.
- gap_med: n/a
- age_days: 4240
- days_rel: 560
- days_push: 10
- n_releases_24m: 1
Adoption not part of the score
27628 stars · 2566 forks observed · 2026-08-28
What it is AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, 2026-08-29, confidence not recorded
Zstandard (zstd) is a fast lossless compression algorithm and its reference C library, offering zlib-level or better compression ratios at real-time speeds with a very fast decoder. It ships as a dual BSD/GPLv2-licensed library plus a command-line utility that produces and decodes .zst, .gz, .xz, and .lz4 files, with the format stabilized as RFC 8878.
Use cases
- compress files in real time with better ratios than zlib
- compress data faster than zlib at similar or better ratios
- decompress .zst archives from the command line
- compress many small files efficiently with dictionary compression
- embed a fast lossless compressor in a C or C++ application
- convert between .zst, .gz, .xz, and .lz4 compressed files
- reduce storage and bandwidth for logs, databases, or backups
- tune the speed/compression trade-off from fast modes to high ratios
When to choose
- you need real-time compression with zlib-level or better ratios
- decompression speed matters, e.g. for serving or streaming compressed data
- you compress many small payloads and can use dictionary compression
- you want a stable, standardized format (RFC 8878) with multiple independent implementations
- you need a battle-tested C library with bindings for other languages
When to avoid
- you need maximum compression ratio regardless of speed, where xz/zpaq-style tools fit better
- you need the absolute fastest decompression only, where lz4 is faster
- you need archival features like solid archives or encryption, where 7-Zip or tar-based toolchains fit better
- your platform only supports a legacy codec and you cannot add a zstd dependency
Facets
library · maturity stable
compression cli developer-tools developer-tools files performance cross-platform cli c windows bsd lossless-compression zstd dictionary-compression real-time-compression rfc8878 data-compression c-library bindings command-line linux macos
2 sources
- readme: https://github.com/facebook/zstd · fetched 2026-08-28 · 4e437b90afcd
- homepage: http://www.zstd.net · fetched 2026-08-29 · abc5fed12e78
Member repositories
| Repository | Role | Health v2 |
|---|---|---|
| facebook/zstd | main | 67 |
For agents
Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00 · Report a problem