diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 22b3863..234562f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -217,6 +217,11 @@ add_executable(bench_thread_pipeline benchmarks/bench_thread_pipeline.cpp)
 target_link_libraries(bench_thread_pipeline nanobench Threads::Threads)
 target_include_directories(bench_thread_pipeline PRIVATE src)
 
+add_executable(bench_format_comparison benchmarks/bench_format_comparison.cpp
+                                       src/arena_allocator.cpp src/format.cpp)
+target_link_libraries(bench_format_comparison nanobench)
+target_include_directories(bench_format_comparison PRIVATE src)
+
 # Debug tools
 add_executable(
   debug_arena tools/debug_arena.cpp src/json_commit_request_parser.cpp
@@ -238,3 +243,4 @@ add_test(NAME arena_allocator_benchmarks COMMAND bench_arena_allocator)
 add_test(NAME commit_request_benchmarks COMMAND bench_commit_request)
 add_test(NAME parser_comparison_benchmarks COMMAND bench_parser_comparison)
 add_test(NAME thread_pipeline_benchmarks COMMAND bench_thread_pipeline)
+add_test(NAME format_comparison_benchmarks COMMAND bench_format_comparison)
diff --git a/benchmarks/bench_format_comparison.cpp b/benchmarks/bench_format_comparison.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5c41e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benchmarks/bench_format_comparison.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+#include "arena_allocator.hpp"
+#include "format.hpp"
+#include <cstdio>
+#include <iomanip>
+#include <nanobench.h>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <string>
+
+#if __cpp_lib_format >= 201907L
+#include <format>
+#define HAS_STD_FORMAT 1
+#else
+#define HAS_STD_FORMAT 0
+#endif
+
+// Test data for consistent benchmarks
+constexpr int TEST_INT = 42;
+constexpr double TEST_DOUBLE = 3.14159;
+const std::string TEST_STRING = "Hello World";
+
+// Benchmark simple string concatenation: "Hello " + "World" + "!"
+void benchmark_simple_concatenation() {
+  std::cout << "\n=== Simple String Concatenation: 'Hello World!' ===\n";
+
+  ankerl::nanobench::Bench bench;
+  bench.title("Simple Concatenation").unit("op").warmup(100).epochs(1000);
+
+  // Arena-based static_format
+  bench.run("static_format", [&] {
+    ArenaAllocator arena(64);
+    auto result = static_format(arena, "Hello ", "World", "!");
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+  // Arena-based format
+  bench.run("format", [&] {
+    ArenaAllocator arena(64);
+    auto result = format(arena, "Hello %s!", "World");
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+  // std::stringstream
+  bench.run("std::stringstream", [&] {
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << "Hello " << "World" << "!";
+    auto result = ss.str();
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+#if HAS_STD_FORMAT
+  // std::format (C++20)
+  bench.run("std::format", [&] {
+    auto result = std::format("Hello {}!", "World");
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+#endif
+
+  // Raw snprintf with malloc
+  bench.run("snprintf + malloc", [&] {
+    char buffer[64];
+    int len = std::snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "Hello %s!", "World");
+    char *result = static_cast<char *>(std::malloc(len + 1));
+    std::memcpy(result, buffer, len + 1);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+    std::free(result);
+  });
+}
+
+// Benchmark mixed type formatting: "Count: 42, Rate: 3.14159"
+void benchmark_mixed_types() {
+  std::cout << "\n=== Mixed Type Formatting: 'Count: 42, Rate: 3.14159' ===\n";
+
+  ankerl::nanobench::Bench bench;
+  bench.title("Mixed Types").unit("op").warmup(100).epochs(1000);
+
+  // Arena-based static_format
+  bench.run("static_format", [&] {
+    ArenaAllocator arena(128);
+    auto result =
+        static_format(arena, "Count: ", TEST_INT, ", Rate: ", TEST_DOUBLE);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+  // Arena-based format
+  bench.run("format", [&] {
+    ArenaAllocator arena(128);
+    auto result = format(arena, "Count: %d, Rate: %.5f", TEST_INT, TEST_DOUBLE);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+  // std::stringstream
+  bench.run("std::stringstream", [&] {
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << "Count: " << TEST_INT << ", Rate: " << std::fixed
+       << std::setprecision(5) << TEST_DOUBLE;
+    auto result = ss.str();
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+#if HAS_STD_FORMAT
+  // std::format (C++20)
+  bench.run("std::format", [&] {
+    auto result = std::format("Count: {}, Rate: {:.5f}", TEST_INT, TEST_DOUBLE);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+#endif
+
+  // Raw snprintf with malloc
+  bench.run("snprintf + malloc", [&] {
+    char buffer[128];
+    int len = std::snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "Count: %d, Rate: %.5f",
+                            TEST_INT, TEST_DOUBLE);
+    char *result = static_cast<char *>(std::malloc(len + 1));
+    std::memcpy(result, buffer, len + 1);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+    std::free(result);
+  });
+}
+
+// Benchmark complex formatting with precision and alignment
+void benchmark_complex_formatting() {
+  std::cout << "\n=== Complex Formatting: '%-10s %5d %8.2f' ===\n";
+
+  ankerl::nanobench::Bench bench;
+  bench.title("Complex Formatting").unit("op").warmup(100).epochs(1000);
+
+  // Arena-based format (static_format doesn't support printf specifiers)
+  bench.run("format", [&] {
+    ArenaAllocator arena(128);
+    auto result = format(arena, "%-10s %5d %8.2f", TEST_STRING.c_str(),
+                         TEST_INT, TEST_DOUBLE);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+  // std::stringstream
+  bench.run("std::stringstream", [&] {
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << std::left << std::setw(10) << TEST_STRING << " " << std::right
+       << std::setw(5) << TEST_INT << " " << std::setw(8) << std::fixed
+       << std::setprecision(2) << TEST_DOUBLE;
+    auto result = ss.str();
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+#if HAS_STD_FORMAT
+  // std::format (C++20)
+  bench.run("std::format", [&] {
+    auto result = std::format("{:<10} {:>5} {:>8.2f}", TEST_STRING, TEST_INT,
+                              TEST_DOUBLE);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+#endif
+
+  // Raw snprintf with malloc
+  bench.run("snprintf + malloc", [&] {
+    char buffer[128];
+    int len = std::snprintf(buffer, sizeof(buffer), "%-10s %5d %8.2f",
+                            TEST_STRING.c_str(), TEST_INT, TEST_DOUBLE);
+    char *result = static_cast<char *>(std::malloc(len + 1));
+    std::memcpy(result, buffer, len + 1);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+    std::free(result);
+  });
+}
+
+// Benchmark error message formatting (common use case)
+void benchmark_error_messages() {
+  std::cout << "\n=== Error Message Formatting: 'Error 404: File not found "
+               "(line 123)' ===\n";
+
+  ankerl::nanobench::Bench bench;
+  bench.title("Error Messages").unit("op").warmup(100).epochs(1000);
+
+  constexpr int error_code = 404;
+  constexpr int line_number = 123;
+  const std::string error_msg = "File not found";
+
+  // Arena-based static_format (using std::string_view)
+  bench.run("static_format", [&] {
+    ArenaAllocator arena(128);
+    std::string_view error_msg_sv = error_msg;
+    auto result = static_format(arena, "Error ", error_code, ": ", error_msg_sv,
+                                " (line ", line_number, ")");
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+  // Arena-based format
+  bench.run("format", [&] {
+    ArenaAllocator arena(128);
+    auto result = format(arena, "Error %d: %s (line %d)", error_code,
+                         error_msg.c_str(), line_number);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+  // std::stringstream
+  bench.run("std::stringstream", [&] {
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << "Error " << error_code << ": " << error_msg << " (line "
+       << line_number << ")";
+    auto result = ss.str();
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+#if HAS_STD_FORMAT
+  // std::format (C++20)
+  bench.run("std::format", [&] {
+    auto result = std::format("Error {}: {} (line {})", error_code, error_msg,
+                              line_number);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+#endif
+}
+
+// Benchmark memory allocation overhead by testing arena reuse
+void benchmark_memory_reuse() {
+  std::cout << "\n=== Memory Allocation Patterns ===\n";
+
+  ankerl::nanobench::Bench bench;
+  bench.title("Memory Patterns").unit("op").warmup(100).epochs(100);
+
+  // Arena with fresh allocation each time (realistic usage)
+  bench.run("fresh arena", [&] {
+    ArenaAllocator arena(128);
+    auto result = format(arena, "Test %d: %s %.2f", TEST_INT,
+                         TEST_STRING.c_str(), TEST_DOUBLE);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+  // Pre-allocated arena (reuse scenario)
+  ArenaAllocator shared_arena(1024);
+  bench.run("reused arena", [&] {
+    auto result = format(shared_arena, "Test %d: %s %.2f", TEST_INT,
+                         TEST_STRING.c_str(), TEST_DOUBLE);
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+
+  // Fresh std::string allocations
+  bench.run("std::stringstream", [&] {
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << "Test " << TEST_INT << ": " << TEST_STRING << " " << std::fixed
+       << std::setprecision(2) << TEST_DOUBLE;
+    auto result = ss.str();
+    ankerl::nanobench::doNotOptimizeAway(result);
+  });
+}
+
+int main() {
+  std::cout << "Format Function Benchmark Comparison\n";
+  std::cout << "====================================\n";
+
+#if HAS_STD_FORMAT
+  std::cout << "C++20 std::format: Available\n";
+#else
+  std::cout << "C++20 std::format: Not available\n";
+#endif
+
+  benchmark_simple_concatenation();
+  benchmark_mixed_types();
+  benchmark_complex_formatting();
+  benchmark_error_messages();
+  benchmark_memory_reuse();
+
+  std::cout << "\n=== Summary ===\n";
+  std::cout
+      << "* static_format: Best for simple concatenation with known types\n";
+  std::cout
+      << "* format: Best for printf-style formatting with arena allocation\n";
+  std::cout
+      << "* std::stringstream: Flexible but slower due to heap allocation\n";
+  std::cout << "* std::format: Modern C++20 alternative (if available)\n";
+  std::cout << "* snprintf + malloc: Low-level but requires manual memory "
+               "management\n";
+
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/format.hpp b/src/format.hpp
index 8d454d3..f3eb73e 100644
--- a/src/format.hpp
+++ b/src/format.hpp
@@ -254,6 +254,25 @@ inline constexpr int max_decimal_length_v = decltype(term(T{}))::kMaxLength;
 
 inline constexpr DoubleTerm term(double s) { return DoubleTerm(s); }
 
+// Runtime string term for std::string_view (works with std::string, const
+// char*, etc.)
+struct StringViewTerm {
+  explicit constexpr StringViewTerm(std::string_view s) : s(s) {}
+  static constexpr int kMaxLength =
+      512; // Conservative upper bound for runtime strings
+  void write(char *&buf) const {
+    std::memcpy(buf, s.data(), s.size());
+    buf += s.size();
+  }
+
+private:
+  std::string_view s;
+};
+
+inline constexpr StringViewTerm term(std::string_view s) {
+  return StringViewTerm(s);
+}
+
 } // namespace detail
 
 /**