diff --git a/benches/bench.rs b/benches/bench.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba1c8ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benches/bench.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#![feature(test)]
+#![feature(iterator_step_by)]
+extern crate unicode_normalization;
+extern crate test;
+
+use test::Bencher;
+use unicode_normalization::UnicodeNormalization;
+
+macro_rules! bench_check {
+    ($b: ident, $s: expr, $form: ident) => {
+        let s = $s;
+        $b.iter(|| s.chars().eq(s.$form()));
+    }
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_is_nfc_ascii(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    bench_check!(b, "all types of normalized", nfc);
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_is_nfc_normalized(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    bench_check!(b, "Introducci\u{00f3}n a Unicode.pdf", nfc);
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_is_nfc_not_normalized(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    bench_check!(b, "Introduccio\u{0301}n a Unicode.pdf", nfc);
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_is_nfd_ascii(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    bench_check!(b, "an easy string to check", nfd);
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_is_nfd_normalized(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    bench_check!(b, "Introduccio\u{0301}n a Unicode.pdf", nfd);
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_is_nfd_not_normalized(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    bench_check!(b, "Introducci\u{00f3}n a Unicode.pdf", nfd);
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_nfc_ascii(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    let s = "normalize me please";
+    b.iter(|| s.nfc().count());
+}
+
+#[bench]
+fn bench_nfd_ascii(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    let s = "decompose me entirely";
+    b.iter(|| s.nfd().count());
+}