Small, probably non-representative benchmark of JSON Changelog with SQLite https://blog.budgetwithbuckets.com/2018/08/27/sqlite-changelog.html

results.txt

python testsqlite.py 10000 :memory: 0
6.65568494797 seconds to do 10000 records db=:memory:, triggers=False
6.66251087189 seconds to do 10000 records db=:memory:, triggers=False
6.69321203232 seconds to do 10000 records db=:memory:, triggers=False

python testsqlite.py 10000 :memory: 1
6.76699709892 seconds to do 10000 records db=:memory:, triggers=True
6.82708096504 seconds to do 10000 records db=:memory:, triggers=True
6.82913088799 seconds to do 10000 records db=:memory:, triggers=True

python testsqlite.py 10000 somefile 0 ; rm somefile
6.72162890434 seconds to do 10000 records db=somefile, triggers=False
6.71077203751 seconds to do 10000 records db=somefile, triggers=False
6.69169092178 seconds to do 10000 records db=somefile, triggers=False

python testsqlite.py 10000 somefile 1 ; rm somefile
6.76263403893 seconds to do 10000 records db=somefile, triggers=True
6.75209498405 seconds to do 10000 records db=somefile, triggers=True
6.85438203812 seconds to do 10000 records db=somefile, triggers=True

testsqlite.py

import sqlite3
import time
import sys

numrecords, dbname, triggers = sys.argv[1:]
numrecords = int(numrecords)
triggers = True if triggers == "1" else False

create_sql = [
    """
    -- Data table
    CREATE TABLE people (
        id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
        created TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
        name TEXT,
        age INTEGER
    )""",
    """
    -- Change log table
    CREATE TABLE change_log (
        id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
        created TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
        action TEXT,
        table_name TEXT,
        obj_id INTEGER,
        oldvals TEXT
    )
    """,
]
trigger_sql = [
    """
    -- Insert Trigger
    CREATE TRIGGER people_track_insert
    AFTER INSERT ON people
    BEGIN
      INSERT INTO change_log (action, table_name, obj_id)
      VALUES ('INSERT', 'people', NEW.id);
    END;
    """,
    """
    -- Update Trigger
    CREATE TRIGGER people_track_update
    AFTER UPDATE ON people
    BEGIN
      INSERT INTO change_log (action, table_name, obj_id, oldvals)
      SELECT
        'UPDATE', 'people', OLD.id, changes
      FROM
        (SELECT
          json_group_object(col, oldval) AS changes
        FROM
          (SELECT
            json_extract(value, '$[0]') as col,
            json_extract(value, '$[1]') as oldval,
            json_extract(value, '$[2]') as newval
          FROM
            json_each(
              json_array(
                json_array('id', OLD.id, NEW.id),
                json_array('created', OLD.created, NEW.created),
                json_array('name', OLD.name, NEW.name),
                json_array('age', OLD.age, NEW.age)
              )
            )
          WHERE oldval IS NOT newval
          )
        );
    END;
    """,
    """
    -- Delete Trigger
    CREATE TRIGGER people_track_delete
    AFTER DELETE ON people
    BEGIN
      INSERT INTO change_log (action, table_name, obj_id, oldvals)
      SELECT
        'DELETE', 'people', OLD.id, changes
      FROM
        (SELECT
          json_group_object(col, oldval) AS changes
        FROM
          (SELECT
            json_extract(value, '$[0]') as col,
            json_extract(value, '$[1]') as oldval,
            json_extract(value, '$[2]') as newval
          FROM
            json_each(
              json_array(
                json_array('id', OLD.id, null),
                json_array('created', OLD.created, null),
                json_array('name', OLD.name, null),
                json_array('age', OLD.age, null)
              )
            )
          WHERE oldval IS NOT newval
          )
        );
    END;
    """,
]

db = sqlite3.connect(dbname)
for statement in create_sql:
    db.execute(statement)
if triggers:
    for statement in trigger_sql:
        db.execute(statement)

c = db.cursor()
start = time.time()
for i in xrange(numrecords):
    c.execute("INSERT INTO people (name, age) VALUES (?, ?)", (i, i))
    c.execute("UPDATE people SET age=age+1 WHERE name=?", (i,))
end = time.time()

seconds = end-start
print "{seconds} seconds to do {numrecords} records db={dbname}, triggers={triggers}".format(**locals())