.exs files are also compiled, it just automatically happens before it runs. Obviously that means you keep paying that cost, but for a tiny script like this, you’re not gonna notice it. Also measurements are of execution time, not startup.
Building a release does not apply any performance optimizations, it just compiles the code like you would otherwise with MIX_ENV=prod mix compile, AFAIK. There are no mentions in the Distillery docs of releases being faster. It’s not what releases are for.
