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What is perftrace?

raisinten/perftrace — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-17 · repo last pushed 2024-11-06

★ 55JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5StaleSetup · easy

In one sentence

A lightweight tracing tool that records how long parts of your JavaScript code take and lets you view the timing as a visual timeline in Google's Perfetto viewer.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((perftrace))
    What it does
      Traces JS performance
      Visual timeline
      Uses Perfetto viewer
    Tech stack
      JavaScript
      Node.js
      Browser
    Use cases
      Debug slow startup
      Find slow requires
      Trace network waits
    Setup
      npm install
      Add trace calls
      Open in Perfetto
    Benefits
      Lightweight
      Standards-based
      Shareable traces

Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Trace a slow Node.js server startup to find which module or require call is eating the most time.

USE CASE 2

Profile a sluggish web app's loading sequence and view the results as a timeline in Perfetto.

USE CASE 3

Share a standard-format performance trace with teammates or analyze it later with other Perfetto-compatible tools.

What is it built with?

JavaScriptNode.js

How does it compare?

raisinten/perftracecyc2002tommy/deep-research-agentahouseofbards/bonfire-jellyprofiles
Stars555554
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Last pushed2024-11-06——
MaintenanceStale——
Setup difficultyeasyhardmoderate
Complexity2/54/53/5
Audiencedeveloperresearcherops devops

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to install perftrace with npm and add tracing calls around my slow Node.js startup code.
Prompt 2
Using perftrace, help me find out why my web app takes 5 seconds to load by tracing module requires.
Prompt 3
Explain how to open a perftrace output file in Google's Perfetto viewer and read the timeline.
Prompt 4
Add perftrace instrumentation to my Express server to measure how long each request handler takes.

Frequently asked questions

What is perftrace?

A lightweight tracing tool that records how long parts of your JavaScript code take and lets you view the timing as a visual timeline in Google's Perfetto viewer.

What language is perftrace written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript, Node.js.

Is perftrace actively maintained?

Stale — no commits in 1-2 years (last push 2024-11-06).

How hard is perftrace to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is perftrace for?

Mainly developer.

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