Crates / approx / Alternatives
Rust crate alternatives · data Oct 24, 2026
Alternatives to approx
Short answerThe closest alternatives to approx on crates.io data are float-cmp (483K real downloads a day), zmij (3.4M real downloads a day), ryu (3.1M real downloads a day). Of the 8 we list, the most used is zmij, and 3 shipped a release in the last year. approx itself gets 533,813 a day with 2,697 dependents.
Every alternative we found
| Alternative | Real downloads a day | vs approx | Dependents | Last release | Why it is listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| float-cmp Established | 483,211 | 0.91x | 318 | 2.1y | keyword "approximate", keyword "comparison" | side by side |
| zmij Pulled in | 3,408,700 | 6.39x | 96 | 3mo | keyword "float" | compare |
| ryu Established | 3,105,583 | 5.82x | 390 | 8mo | keyword "float" | compare |
| static_assertions Widely used | 1,442,265 | 2.70x | 1,688 | 7.0y | keyword "assert" | compare |
| cast Established | 788,776 | 1.48x | 108 | 5.1y | keyword "float" | compare |
| pretty_assertions Widely used | 522,294 | 0.98x | 5,760 | 2.1y | keyword "assert" | compare |
| dtoa Pulled in | 496,627 | 0.93x | 48 | 10mo | keyword "float" | compare |
| equator-macro Pulled in | 358,178 | 0.67x | 1 | 12mo | keyword "assert" | compare |
How to choose
- Same job, not the same API. Each line is listed because it shares a crates.io category or keyword with approx; read its description before you swap.
- More dependents means more answered questions and a smaller chance it disappears.
- Check the last release against how fast you need fixes. For approx: is it still maintained?
Rules
Alternatives = tracked crates (top 1000 by downloads) that share a specific crates.io category (2 points each) or keyword (3 points each) with approx, most similar first; its own parts (same name prefix) and crates it depends on or that depend on it are left out, because those are companions, not substitutes. Real downloads = quiet-day median, crates.io data Oct 24, 2026. Built when we find 3 or more.
Up next
The closest alternative: Established and quiet for years. 483,211 real downloads a day.float-cmpRust crate. Floating point approximate comparison traits. Real use: 483K downloads a day on quiet days; 318 crates depend on it.Read it next →Also worth your time