hex vs data-encoding

Short answerBy steady daily use, hex is bigger: 1,974,541 real downloads a day against 1,416,151 for data-encoding (1.4x). 14,719 crates depend on hex and 854 on data-encoding. hex last shipped 5.6 years ago, data-encoding 3 months ago.

hex

Foundational

Foundational and quiet for years.

14,719 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.

Encoding and decoding data into/from hexadecimal representation.

data-encoding

Established

Established and steady.

854 crates depend on it; downloads don't spike on releases.

Efficient and customizable data-encoding functions like base64, base32, and hex

hexdata-encoding · 100% = that crate's normal quiet day, so a spike to 300% is triple its usual traffic

Every number, side by side

Same window, same method	hex	data-encoding
Real downloads a day	1,974,541	1,416,151
Crates that depend on it	14,719	854
Last release	0.4.3, 5.6 years ago	2.11.1, 3 months ago
Trend vs the field	+1%	+7%
Release-window share	0.0%	2.0%
Downloads in the window	180,155,340	129,347,667
All-time downloads	739,090,817	480,384,192
Versions published	9	26
License	MIT OR Apache-2.0	MIT
MSRV	not set	1.48
First published	Oct 23, 2015	Dec 5, 2015

Which to pick

Downloads tell you what is common, not what fits. Each crate's own description above says what it is for; when the jobs differ, pick by the job.
When both fit, prefer the one more crates depend on (hex, 14,719 dependents): more eyes, more answered questions, and you may already have it in your tree.
Check the release dates against your own pace: hex 5.6 years ago, data-encoding 3 months ago.

Also in this space

base64Foundationalencodes and decodes base64 as bytes or utf84,638,981 a day, 19,537 dependents serde_coreEstablishedSerde traits only, with no support for derive -- use the `serde` crate instead3,794,333 a day, 229 dependents toml_datetimePulled inA TOML-compatible datetime type3,215,444 a day, 29 dependents tomlFoundationalA native Rust encoder and decoder of TOML-formatted files and streams. Provides implementations of the...2,960,881 a day, 20,777 dependents

Compare 4 of them side by side →

Method

Real downloads = the median day with no release that day or the day before, from the crates.io API (Jul 27, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026). Raw crates.io counts include CI and bots and run high (why); the method is from our 90-day study.

Up next

Another comparison: Same method, same window. Foundational and steady vs widely used and steady.reqwest vs ureqRead it next →

Also worth your time