diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 258d06e1..0232eee1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ If you are using cpython, it is recommended to install with `[speedups]` to enab
 pip install python-kasa[speedups]
 ```
 
+With `[speedups]`, the protocol overhead is roughly an order of magnitude lower (benchmarks available in devtools).
+
 Alternatively, you can clone this repository and use poetry to install the development version:
 ```
 git clone https://github.com/python-kasa/python-kasa.git
diff --git a/devtools/README.md b/devtools/README.md
index fc3ce883..92e91fd7 100644
--- a/devtools/README.md
+++ b/devtools/README.md
@@ -59,3 +59,13 @@ id
 <id>-HS110(EU)   5.0  0.055700  0.016174  0.042086  0.045578  0.048905  0.059869  0.082064
 <id>-KP303(UK)   5.0  0.010298  0.003765  0.007773  0.007968  0.008546  0.010439  0.016763
 ```
+
+## benchmark
+
+* Benchmark the protocol
+
+```shell
+% python3 devtools/bench/benchmark.py
+New parser, parsing 100000 messages took 0.6339647499989951 seconds
+Old parser, parsing 100000 messages took 9.473990250000497 seconds
+```
diff --git a/devtools/bench/benchmark.py b/devtools/bench/benchmark.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2cdbd43e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devtools/bench/benchmark.py
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+"""Benchmark the new parser against the old parser."""
+
+import json
+import timeit
+
+import orjson
+from kasa_crypt import decrypt, encrypt
+from utils.data import REQUEST, WIRE_RESPONSE
+from utils.original import OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol
+
+
+def original_request_response() -> None:
+    """Benchmark the original parser."""
+    OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol.encrypt(json.dumps(REQUEST))
+    json.loads(OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol.decrypt(WIRE_RESPONSE[4:]))
+
+
+def new_request_response() -> None:
+    """Benchmark the new parser."""
+    encrypt(orjson.dumps(REQUEST).decode())
+    orjson.loads(decrypt(WIRE_RESPONSE[4:]))
+
+
+count = 100000
+
+time = timeit.Timer(new_request_response).timeit(count)
+print(f"New parser, parsing {count} messages took {time} seconds")
+
+time = timeit.Timer(original_request_response).timeit(count)
+print(f"Old parser, parsing {count} messages took {time} seconds")
diff --git a/devtools/bench/utils/__init__.py b/devtools/bench/utils/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d49281d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devtools/bench/utils/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"""Benchmark utils."""
diff --git a/devtools/bench/utils/data.py b/devtools/bench/utils/data.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..13a49e87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devtools/bench/utils/data.py
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+"""Test data for benchmarks."""
+
+
+import json
+
+from .original import OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol
+
+REQUEST = {
+    "system": {"get_sysinfo": None},
+    "anti_theft": {"get_rules": None, "get_next_action": None},
+    "schedule": {
+        "get_rules": None,
+        "get_next_action": None,
+        "get_realtime": None,
+        "get_daystat": {"year": 2023, "month": 6},
+        "get_monthstat": {"year": 2023},
+    },
+    "time": {"get_time": None, "get_timezone": None},
+    "emeter": {
+        "get_realtime": None,
+        "get_daystat": {"year": 2023, "month": 6},
+        "get_monthstat": {"year": 2023},
+    },
+}
+RESPONSE = {
+    "anti_theft": {
+        "get_next_action": {"err_code": -2, "err_msg": "member not support"},
+        "get_rules": {"enable": 0, "err_code": 0, "rule_list": [], "version": 2},
+    },
+    "emeter": {
+        "get_daystat": {
+            "day_list": [{"day": 30, "energy_wh": 0, "month": 6, "year": 2023}],
+            "err_code": 0,
+        },
+        "get_monthstat": {
+            "err_code": 0,
+            "month_list": [{"energy_wh": 0, "month": 6, "year": 2023}],
+        },
+        "get_realtime": {
+            "current_ma": 0,
+            "err_code": 0,
+            "power_mw": 0,
+            "slot_id": 0,
+            "total_wh": 0,
+            "voltage_mv": 119390,
+        },
+    },
+    "schedule": {
+        "get_daystat": {
+            "day_list": [{"day": 30, "month": 6, "time": 3, "year": 2023}],
+            "err_code": 0,
+        },
+        "get_monthstat": {
+            "err_code": 0,
+            "month_list": [{"month": 6, "time": 3, "year": 2023}],
+        },
+        "get_next_action": {"err_code": 0, "type": -1},
+        "get_realtime": {"err_code": -2, "err_msg": "member not support"},
+        "get_rules": {"enable": 1, "err_code": 0, "rule_list": [], "version": 2},
+    },
+    "system": {
+        "get_sysinfo": {
+            "alias": "TP-LINK_Power Strip_5C33",
+            "child_num": 6,
+            "children": [
+                {
+                    "alias": "Plug 1",
+                    "id": "8006AF35494E7DB13DDE9B8F40BF2E001E77031900",
+                    "next_action": {"type": -1},
+                    "on_time": 231,
+                    "state": 1,
+                },
+                {
+                    "alias": "Plug 2",
+                    "id": "8006AF35494E7DB13DDE9B8F40BF2E001E77031901",
+                    "next_action": {"type": -1},
+                    "on_time": 231,
+                    "state": 1,
+                },
+                {
+                    "alias": "Plug 3",
+                    "id": "8006AF35494E7DB13DDE9B8F40BF2E001E77031902",
+                    "next_action": {"type": -1},
+                    "on_time": 231,
+                    "state": 1,
+                },
+                {
+                    "alias": "Plug 4",
+                    "id": "8006AF35494E7DB13DDE9B8F40BF2E001E77031903",
+                    "next_action": {"type": -1},
+                    "on_time": 231,
+                    "state": 1,
+                },
+                {
+                    "alias": "Plug 5",
+                    "id": "8006AF35494E7DB13DDE9B8F40BF2E001E77031904",
+                    "next_action": {"type": -1},
+                    "on_time": 231,
+                    "state": 1,
+                },
+                {
+                    "alias": "Plug 6",
+                    "id": "8006AF35494E7DB13DDE9B8F40BF2E001E77031905",
+                    "next_action": {"type": -1},
+                    "on_time": 231,
+                    "state": 1,
+                },
+            ],
+            "deviceId": "8006AF35494E7DB13DDE9B8F40BF2E001E770319",
+            "err_code": 0,
+            "feature": "TIM:ENE",
+            "hwId": "955F433CBA24823A248A59AA64571A73",
+            "hw_ver": "2.0",
+            "latitude_i": 297852,
+            "led_off": 0,
+            "longitude_i": -954074,
+            "mac": "C0:06:C3:42:5C:33",
+            "mic_type": "IOT.SMARTPLUGSWITCH",
+            "model": "HS300(US)",
+            "oemId": "32BD0B21AA9BF8E84737D1DB1C66E883",
+            "rssi": -41,
+            "status": "new",
+            "sw_ver": "1.0.3 Build 201203 Rel.165457",
+            "updating": 0,
+        }
+    },
+    "time": {
+        "get_time": {
+            "err_code": 0,
+            "hour": 9,
+            "mday": 30,
+            "min": 32,
+            "month": 6,
+            "sec": 54,
+            "year": 2023,
+        },
+        "get_timezone": {"err_code": 0, "index": 13},
+    },
+}
+
+WIRE_RESPONSE = OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol.encrypt(json.dumps(RESPONSE))
diff --git a/devtools/bench/utils/original.py b/devtools/bench/utils/original.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..67aeaa33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/devtools/bench/utils/original.py
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+"""Original implementation of the TP-Link Smart Home protocol."""
+import struct
+from typing import Generator
+
+
+class OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol:
+    """Original implementation of the TP-Link Smart Home protocol."""
+
+    INITIALIZATION_VECTOR = 171
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _xor_payload(unencrypted: bytes) -> Generator[int, None, None]:
+        key = OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol.INITIALIZATION_VECTOR
+        for unencryptedbyte in unencrypted:
+            key = key ^ unencryptedbyte
+            yield key
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def encrypt(request: str) -> bytes:
+        """Encrypt a request for a TP-Link Smart Home Device.
+
+        :param request: plaintext request data
+        :return: ciphertext to be send over wire, in bytes
+        """
+        plainbytes = request.encode()
+        return struct.pack(">I", len(plainbytes)) + bytes(
+            OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol._xor_payload(plainbytes)
+        )
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _xor_encrypted_payload(ciphertext: bytes) -> Generator[int, None, None]:
+        key = OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol.INITIALIZATION_VECTOR
+        for cipherbyte in ciphertext:
+            plainbyte = key ^ cipherbyte
+            key = cipherbyte
+            yield plainbyte
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def decrypt(ciphertext: bytes) -> str:
+        """Decrypt a response of a TP-Link Smart Home Device.
+
+        :param ciphertext: encrypted response data
+        :return: plaintext response
+        """
+        return bytes(
+            OriginalTPLinkSmartHomeProtocol._xor_encrypted_payload(ciphertext)
+        ).decode()