WebAssembly runtimes compared

The text provides an overview of WebAssembly (Wasm) and its runtime environments, highlighting its potential to revolutionize software portability and performance by enabling code to run at near-native speeds across various platforms. WebAssembly is presented as a promising alternative to JavaScript for tasks requiring high processing power, such as music production and 3D rendering, thanks to its compact, sandboxed binary format and compatibility with advanced programming languages like Rust and C++. The article discusses several Wasm runtimes, including Wasmer, Wasmtime, Lucet, and WebAssembly Micro Runtime (WAMR), each offering unique features like lightweight container execution, fast specialization, and compatibility with the WebAssembly System Interface (WASI). WASI is particularly emphasized for its role in extending WebAssembly’s capabilities beyond the browser, potentially enabling cross-platform applications and reducing the complexity of compiling different languages. The text also touches on the challenges of ensuring security in a highly universal interface environment, suggesting that new security systems will be necessary as WebAssembly's adoption grows.