Rust crate alternatives · data Oct 24, 2026
Alternatives to bytes
Short answerThe closest alternatives to bytes on crates.io data are socket2 (4M real downloads a day), yoke (2.6M real downloads a day), zerovec-derive (2.6M real downloads a day). Of the 8 we list, the most used is socket2, and 8 shipped a release in the last year. bytes itself gets 3,424,140 a day with 17,656 dependents.
Every alternative we found
| Alternative | Real downloads a day | vs bytes | Dependents | Last release | Why it is listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| socket2 Widely used | 4,034,112 | 1.18x | 1,539 | 3mo | category Network programming, keyword "io" | side by side |
| yoke Established | 2,599,767 | 0.76x | 104 | 2d | category Data structures, keyword "zero-copy" | compare |
| zerovec-derive Pulled in | 2,561,390 | 0.75x | 6 | 2d | category Data structures, keyword "zero-copy" | compare |
| zerovec Pulled in | 2,516,803 | 0.74x | 60 | 2d | category Data structures, keyword "zero-copy" | compare |
| zerofrom Pulled in | 2,490,667 | 0.73x | 27 | 5mo | category Data structures, keyword "zero-copy" | compare |
| yoke-derive Pulled in | 2,432,865 | 0.71x | 14 | 24d | category Data structures, keyword "zero-copy" | compare |
| zerofrom-derive Pulled in | 2,353,727 | 0.69x | 3 | 39d | category Data structures, keyword "zero-copy" | compare |
| tower Widely used | 2,342,590 | 0.68x | 5,816 | 9mo | category Network programming, keyword "io" | compare |
How to choose
- Same job, not the same API. Each line is listed because it shares a crates.io category or keyword with bytes; 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 bytes: 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 bytes, 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: Widely used and losing ground. 4,034,112 real downloads a day.socket2Rust crate. Utilities for handling networking sockets with a maximal amount of configuration possible intended. Real use: 4M downloads a day on quiet days; 1,539 crates...Read it next →Also worth your time