diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index e893ac449..973881334 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -476,6 +476,18 @@ dependencies = [
  "opaque-debug 0.2.3",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "bstr"
+version = "0.2.13"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "31accafdb70df7871592c058eca3985b71104e15ac32f64706022c58867da931"
+dependencies = [
+ "lazy_static",
+ "memchr",
+ "regex-automata",
+ "serde",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "buf_redux"
 version = "0.8.4"
@@ -542,6 +554,15 @@ version = "1.1.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "631ae5198c9be5e753e5cc215e1bd73c2b466a3565173db433f52bb9d3e66dba"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "cast"
+version = "0.2.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "4b9434b9a5aa1450faa3f9cb14ea0e8c53bb5d2b3c1bfd1ab4fc03e9f33fbfb0"
+dependencies = [
+ "rustc_version",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "cast5"
 version = "0.7.0"
@@ -602,6 +623,17 @@ version = "0.3.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "b0fc239e0f6cb375d2402d48afb92f76f5404fd1df208a41930ec81eda078bea"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "clap"
+version = "2.33.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "37e58ac78573c40708d45522f0d80fa2f01cc4f9b4e2bf749807255454312002"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags",
+ "textwrap",
+ "unicode-width",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "clear_on_drop"
 version = "0.2.4"
@@ -695,6 +727,78 @@ dependencies = [
  "cfg-if",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "criterion"
+version = "0.3.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "70daa7ceec6cf143990669a04c7df13391d55fb27bd4079d252fca774ba244d8"
+dependencies = [
+ "atty",
+ "cast",
+ "clap",
+ "criterion-plot",
+ "csv",
+ "itertools",
+ "lazy_static",
+ "num-traits",
+ "oorandom",
+ "plotters",
+ "rayon",
+ "regex",
+ "serde",
+ "serde_cbor",
+ "serde_derive",
+ "serde_json",
+ "tinytemplate",
+ "walkdir",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "criterion-plot"
+version = "0.4.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "e022feadec601fba1649cfa83586381a4ad31c6bf3a9ab7d408118b05dd9889d"
+dependencies = [
+ "cast",
+ "itertools",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "crossbeam-channel"
+version = "0.4.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "b153fe7cbef478c567df0f972e02e6d736db11affe43dfc9c56a9374d1adfb87"
+dependencies = [
+ "crossbeam-utils",
+ "maybe-uninit",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "crossbeam-deque"
+version = "0.7.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "9f02af974daeee82218205558e51ec8768b48cf524bd01d550abe5573a608285"
+dependencies = [
+ "crossbeam-epoch",
+ "crossbeam-utils",
+ "maybe-uninit",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "crossbeam-epoch"
+version = "0.8.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "058ed274caafc1f60c4997b5fc07bf7dc7cca454af7c6e81edffe5f33f70dace"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg 1.0.0",
+ "cfg-if",
+ "crossbeam-utils",
+ "lazy_static",
+ "maybe-uninit",
+ "memoffset",
+ "scopeguard",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "crossbeam-queue"
 version = "0.2.3"
@@ -727,6 +831,28 @@ dependencies = [
  "subtle",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "csv"
+version = "1.1.3"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "00affe7f6ab566df61b4be3ce8cf16bc2576bca0963ceb0955e45d514bf9a279"
+dependencies = [
+ "bstr",
+ "csv-core",
+ "itoa",
+ "ryu",
+ "serde",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "csv-core"
+version = "0.1.10"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "2b2466559f260f48ad25fe6317b3c8dac77b5bdb5763ac7d9d6103530663bc90"
+dependencies = [
+ "memchr",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "ctor"
 version = "0.1.15"
@@ -820,6 +946,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "byteorder",
  "charset",
  "chrono",
+ "criterion",
  "deltachat_derive",
  "dirs 3.0.1",
  "email",
@@ -1455,6 +1582,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "web-sys",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "half"
+version = "1.6.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d36fab90f82edc3c747f9d438e06cf0a491055896f2a279638bb5beed6c40177"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "hashbrown"
 version = "0.8.2"
@@ -1892,6 +2025,15 @@ version = "2.3.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "3728d817d99e5ac407411fa471ff9800a778d88a24685968b36824eaf4bee400"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "memoffset"
+version = "0.5.5"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c198b026e1bbf08a937e94c6c60f9ec4a2267f5b0d2eec9c1b21b061ce2be55f"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg 1.0.0",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "mime"
 version = "0.3.16"
@@ -2088,6 +2230,12 @@ version = "1.4.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "0b631f7e854af39a1739f401cf34a8a013dfe09eac4fa4dba91e9768bd28168d"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "oorandom"
+version = "11.1.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "a170cebd8021a008ea92e4db85a72f80b35df514ec664b296fdcbb654eac0b2c"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "opaque-debug"
 version = "0.2.3"
@@ -2306,6 +2454,18 @@ version = "0.3.18"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "d36492546b6af1463394d46f0c834346f31548646f6ba10849802c9c9a27ac33"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "plotters"
+version = "0.2.15"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "0d1685fbe7beba33de0330629da9d955ac75bd54f33d7b79f9a895590124f6bb"
+dependencies = [
+ "js-sys",
+ "num-traits",
+ "wasm-bindgen",
+ "web-sys",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "png"
 version = "0.16.7"
@@ -2499,6 +2659,31 @@ dependencies = [
  "rand_core",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "rayon"
+version = "1.4.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "cfd016f0c045ad38b5251be2c9c0ab806917f82da4d36b2a327e5166adad9270"
+dependencies = [
+ "autocfg 1.0.0",
+ "crossbeam-deque",
+ "either",
+ "rayon-core",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "rayon-core"
+version = "1.8.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "91739a34c4355b5434ce54c9086c5895604a9c278586d1f1aa95e04f66b525a0"
+dependencies = [
+ "crossbeam-channel",
+ "crossbeam-deque",
+ "crossbeam-utils",
+ "lazy_static",
+ "num_cpus",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "redox_syscall"
 version = "0.1.57"
@@ -2528,6 +2713,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "thread_local",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "regex-automata"
+version = "0.1.9"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ae1ded71d66a4a97f5e961fd0cb25a5f366a42a41570d16a763a69c092c26ae4"
+dependencies = [
+ "byteorder",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "regex-syntax"
 version = "0.6.18"
@@ -2691,6 +2885,15 @@ version = "0.3.3"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "ef703b7cb59335eae2eb93ceb664c0eb7ea6bf567079d843e09420219668e072"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "same-file"
+version = "1.0.6"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "93fc1dc3aaa9bfed95e02e6eadabb4baf7e3078b0bd1b4d7b6b0b68378900502"
+dependencies = [
+ "winapi-util",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "sanitize-filename"
 version = "0.2.1"
@@ -2785,6 +2988,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde_derive",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "serde_cbor"
+version = "0.11.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "1e18acfa2f90e8b735b2836ab8d538de304cbb6729a7360729ea5a895d15a622"
+dependencies = [
+ "half",
+ "serde",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "serde_derive"
 version = "1.0.114"
@@ -3140,6 +3353,15 @@ dependencies = [
  "winapi-util",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "textwrap"
+version = "0.11.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "d326610f408c7a4eb6f51c37c330e496b08506c9457c9d34287ecc38809fb060"
+dependencies = [
+ "unicode-width",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "thiserror"
 version = "1.0.20"
@@ -3217,6 +3439,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "syn",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "tinytemplate"
+version = "1.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "6d3dc76004a03cec1c5932bca4cdc2e39aaa798e3f82363dd94f9adf6098c12f"
+dependencies = [
+ "serde",
+ "serde_json",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "tinyvec"
 version = "0.3.3"
@@ -3429,6 +3661,17 @@ version = "1.0.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "9571542c2ce85ce642e6b58b3364da2fb53526360dfb7c211add4f5c23105ff7"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "walkdir"
+version = "2.3.1"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "777182bc735b6424e1a57516d35ed72cb8019d85c8c9bf536dccb3445c1a2f7d"
+dependencies = [
+ "same-file",
+ "winapi",
+ "winapi-util",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "wasi"
 version = "0.9.0+wasi-snapshot-preview1"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 87619052c..e60a33483 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ pretty_env_logger = "0.4.0"
 proptest = "0.10"
 async-std = { version = "1.6.0", features = ["unstable", "attributes"] }
 smol = "0.1.10"
+criterion = "0.3"
 
 [workspace]
 members = [
@@ -95,6 +96,10 @@ path = "examples/repl/main.rs"
 required-features = ["repl"]
 
 
+[[bench]]
+name = "create_account"
+harness = false
+
 [features]
 default = []
 internals = []
diff --git a/benches/create_account.rs b/benches/create_account.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..949906578
--- /dev/null
+++ b/benches/create_account.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+use async_std::path::PathBuf;
+use async_std::task::block_on;
+use criterion::{black_box, criterion_group, criterion_main, Criterion};
+use deltachat::accounts::Accounts;
+use tempfile::tempdir;
+
+async fn create_accounts(n: u32) {
+    let dir = tempdir().unwrap();
+    let p: PathBuf = dir.path().join("accounts").into();
+
+    let accounts = Accounts::new("my_os".into(), p.clone()).await.unwrap();
+
+    for expected_id in 2..n {
+        let id = accounts.add_account().await.unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(id, expected_id);
+    }
+}
+
+fn criterion_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    c.bench_function("create 1 account", |b| {
+        b.iter(|| block_on(async { create_accounts(black_box(1)).await }))
+    });
+}
+
+criterion_group!(benches, criterion_benchmark);
+criterion_main!(benches);