Rust crate alternatives · data Oct 24, 2026
Alternatives to time
Short answerThe closest alternatives to time on crates.io data are jiff (982K real downloads a day), chrono (2.4M real downloads a day), parse-zoneinfo (125K real downloads a day). Of the 8 we list, the most used is chrono, and 5 shipped a release in the last year. time itself gets 2,434,189 a day with 6,747 dependents.
Every alternative we found
| Alternative | Real downloads a day | vs time | Dependents | Last release | Why it is listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jiff Widely used | 981,794 | 0.40x | 1,531 | 18d | category Date and time, category No standard library, keyword "calendar", keyword "date" | side by side |
| chrono Foundational | 2,369,156 | 0.97x | 38,126 | 5mo | category Date and time, keyword "calendar", keyword "date" | side by side |
| parse-zoneinfo Pulled in | 125,301 | 0.05x | 8 | 15mo | keyword "calendar", keyword "date" | compare |
| humantime Widely used | 838,529 | 0.34x | 1,364 | 4mo | category Date and time, keyword "duration", keyword "time" | side by side |
| jiff-static Pulled in | 646,337 | 0.27x | 1 | 18d | category Date and time, keyword "date", keyword "time" | compare |
| chrono-tz Widely used | 491,997 | 0.20x | 1,135 | 15mo | category Date and time, keyword "date", keyword "time" | compare |
| httpdate Established | 1,757,620 | 0.72x | 659 | 3.2y | keyword "date", keyword "time" | side by side |
| iana-time-zone Established | 2,009,518 | 0.83x | 109 | 9mo | category Date and time, keyword "time" | compare |
How to choose
- Same job, not the same API. Each line is listed because it shares a crates.io category or keyword with time; 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 time: 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 time, 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 gaining. 981,794 real downloads a day.jiffRust crate. A date-time library that encourages you to jump into the pit of success. This library is heavily inspired by the Temporal project. Real use: 982K downloads a...Read it next →Also worth your time