diff --git a/bench/bench-before b/bench/bench-before
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..003e172
Binary files /dev/null and b/bench/bench-before differ
diff --git a/bench/bench.odin b/bench/bench.odin
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c15d3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bench/bench.odin
@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+package bench
+
+import "core:fmt"
+import "core:mem"
+import "core:os"
+import "core:strconv"
+import "core:time"
+import "../mustache"
+
+Tag :: struct {
+	name: string,
+	slug: string,
+}
+
+Nav_Item :: struct {
+	url:   string,
+	label: string,
+}
+
+Post :: struct {
+	title:   string,
+	url:     string,
+	date:    string,
+	year:    string,
+	excerpt: string,
+	author:  string,
+	tags:    [dynamic]Tag,
+}
+
+Comment :: struct {
+	author: string,
+	date:   string,
+	body:   string,
+}
+
+Page_Data :: struct {
+	title:     string,
+	now:       string,
+	posts:     [dynamic]Post,
+	comments:  [dynamic]Comment,
+	nav_items: [dynamic]Nav_Item,
+}
+
+TEMPLATE_DIR :: #directory
+
+main :: proc() {
+	iterations := 250
+	dump_path := ""
+
+	i := 1
+	for i < len(os.args) {
+		if os.args[i] == "--dump" && i + 1 < len(os.args) {
+			dump_path = os.args[i + 1]
+			i += 2
+		} else {
+			n, ok := strconv.parse_int(os.args[i])
+			if ok && n > 0 {
+				iterations = n
+			}
+			i += 1
+		}
+	}
+
+	data_arena: mem.Dynamic_Arena
+	mem.dynamic_arena_init(&data_arena)
+	defer mem.dynamic_arena_destroy(&data_arena)
+
+	temp_arena: mem.Dynamic_Arena
+	mem.dynamic_arena_init(&temp_arena)
+	defer mem.dynamic_arena_destroy(&temp_arena)
+
+	context.allocator = mem.dynamic_arena_allocator(&data_arena)
+	context.temp_allocator = mem.dynamic_arena_allocator(&temp_arena)
+
+	base := parse_file("base.html")
+	page := parse_file("page.html")
+	defer mustache.delete_template(&base)
+	defer mustache.delete_template(&page)
+
+	partials := make(map[string]mustache.Template)
+	partials["base"] = base
+	partials["post"] = parse_file("partials/post.html")
+	partials["comment"] = parse_file("partials/comment.html")
+	defer mustache.delete_partials(partials)
+
+	data := generate_data()
+
+	if dump_path != "" {
+		result, err := mustache.render(page, data, partials, allocator = context.temp_allocator)
+		if err != nil {
+			b := mustache.body(err)
+			fmt.eprintln("render error:", b.msg)
+			os.exit(1)
+		}
+		werr := os.write_entire_file_from_string(dump_path, result)
+		if werr != nil {
+			fmt.eprintln("failed to write", dump_path, ":", werr)
+			os.exit(1)
+		}
+		fmt.println("wrote", len(result), "bytes to", dump_path)
+		return
+	}
+
+	for _ in 0..<3 {
+		_, _ = mustache.render(page, data, partials, allocator = context.temp_allocator)
+		mem.dynamic_arena_free_all(&temp_arena)
+	}
+
+	start := time.now()
+	for _ in 0..<iterations {
+		_, _ = mustache.render(page, data, partials, allocator = context.temp_allocator)
+		mem.dynamic_arena_free_all(&temp_arena)
+	}
+	elapsed := time.since(start)
+
+	seconds := time.duration_seconds(elapsed)
+	per_render_ms := seconds * 1000 / f64(iterations)
+
+	fmt.printfln("iterations=%d  total=%.3fs  per_render=%.3fms",
+		iterations, seconds, per_render_ms)
+}
+
+parse_file :: proc(name: string) -> mustache.Template {
+	path := fmt.aprintf("%s/templates/%s", TEMPLATE_DIR, name)
+	data, err := os.read_entire_file_from_path(path, context.allocator)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.eprintln("failed to read", path, ":", err)
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	source := string(data)
+	tmpl, perr := mustache.parse(source, path)
+	if perr != nil {
+		b := mustache.body(perr)
+		fmt.eprintln("parse error in", path, ":", b.msg)
+		os.exit(1)
+	}
+	return tmpl
+}
+
+generate_data :: proc() -> Page_Data {
+	years := []string{
+		"2025", "2024", "2023", "2022", "2021",
+		"2020", "2019", "2018", "2017", "2016",
+	}
+
+	posts := make([dynamic]Post, 0, 500)
+	for year in years {
+		for i in 0..<50 {
+			tags := make([dynamic]Tag, 0, 3)
+			append(&tags, Tag{name = fmt.aprintf("%s-notes", year), slug = fmt.aprintf("%s-notes", year)})
+			append(&tags, Tag{name = "writing", slug = "writing"})
+			append(&tags, Tag{name = "archive", slug = "archive"})
+
+			month := (i % 12) + 1
+			day := (i % 28) + 1
+
+			author := ""
+			if i % 3 != 0 {
+				author = fmt.aprintf("Author %d", i % 5)
+			}
+
+			append(&posts, Post{
+				title = fmt.aprintf("Post %d from %s", i, year),
+				url = fmt.aprintf("/%s/post-%d", year, i),
+				date = fmt.aprintf("%s-%02d-%02dT10:00:00Z", year, month, day),
+				year = year,
+				excerpt = "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.",
+				author = author,
+				tags = tags,
+			})
+		}
+	}
+
+	comments := make([dynamic]Comment, 0, 100)
+	for i in 0..<100 {
+		year := years[i % len(years)]
+		month := (i % 12) + 1
+		day := (i % 28) + 1
+		append(&comments, Comment{
+			author = fmt.aprintf("Commenter %d", i),
+			date = fmt.aprintf("%s-%02d-%02dT12:00:00Z", year, month, day),
+			body = fmt.aprintf("Great post! This is comment number %d.", i),
+		})
+	}
+
+	nav_items := make([dynamic]Nav_Item, 0, 8)
+	append(&nav_items, Nav_Item{url = "/", label = "Home"})
+	append(&nav_items, Nav_Item{url = "/archive", label = "Archive"})
+	append(&nav_items, Nav_Item{url = "/about", label = "About"})
+	append(&nav_items, Nav_Item{url = "/tags", label = "Tags"})
+	append(&nav_items, Nav_Item{url = "/feed.xml", label = "RSS"})
+	append(&nav_items, Nav_Item{url = "https://github.com/example", label = "GitHub"})
+	append(&nav_items, Nav_Item{url = "https://twitter.com/example", label = "Twitter"})
+	append(&nav_items, Nav_Item{url = "mailto:nobody@example.com", label = "Email"})
+
+	return Page_Data{
+		title = "Post Archive",
+		now = "2025-07-21T12:00:00Z",
+		posts = posts,
+		comments = comments,
+		nav_items = nav_items,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/bench/templates/base.html b/bench/templates/base.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f51cc8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bench/templates/base.html
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+<head>
+    <title>{{$title}}{{/title}}</title>
+    {{$head}}{{/head}}
+</head>
+<body>
+    {{$nav}}{{/nav}}
+    {{$content}}{{/content}}
+    {{$sidebar}}{{/sidebar}}
+    {{$footer}}{{/footer}}
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/bench/templates/page.html b/bench/templates/page.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1523b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bench/templates/page.html
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+{{<base}}
+{{$title}}Archive{{/title}}
+{{$head}}
+    <meta name="description" content="Post archive">
+{{/head}}
+{{$nav}}
+    <nav>
+        <ul>
+            {{#nav_items}}
+            <li><a href="{{url}}">{{label}}</a></li>
+            {{/nav_items}}
+        </ul>
+    </nav>
+{{/nav}}
+{{$content}}
+    <main>
+        <h1>Archive</h1>
+        {{#posts | group_by year}}
+        <section class="year">
+            <h2>{{key}}</h2>
+            <ul>
+                {{#items}}
+                {{> post}}
+                {{/items}}
+            </ul>
+        </section>
+        {{/posts}}
+    </main>
+{{/content}}
+{{$sidebar}}
+    <aside>
+        <h3>Recent Comments</h3>
+        <ul>
+            {{#comments}}
+            {{> comment}}
+            {{/comments}}
+        </ul>
+    </aside>
+{{/sidebar}}
+{{$footer}}
+    <footer>
+        <p>Generated {{now}}</p>
+    </footer>
+{{/footer}}
+{{/base}}
diff --git a/bench/templates/partials/comment.html b/bench/templates/partials/comment.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f45e1df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bench/templates/partials/comment.html
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<li class="comment">
+    <strong>{{author}}</strong>
+    <time datetime="{{date}}">{{date | format}}</time>
+    <p>{{body}}</p>
+</li>
diff --git a/bench/templates/partials/post.html b/bench/templates/partials/post.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84eed76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bench/templates/partials/post.html
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<li class="post">
+    <article>
+        <h3><a href="{{url}}">{{title}}</a></h3>
+        <time datetime="{{date}}">{{date | format}}</time>
+        <p class="excerpt">{{excerpt}}</p>
+        {{#author}}<address>{{author}}</address>{{/author}}
+        {{#tags}}<a href="/tag/{{slug}}" class="tag">{{name}}</a>{{/tags}}
+    </article>
+</li>