---
title: "American alligator vs Nile crocodile — size, weight and speed "
description: "Nile crocodile is 1.5× American alligator on weight. Compared on 3 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-alligator-vs-nile-crocodile/
site: "At One Place"
---

# American alligator vs Nile crocodile

**American alligator vs Nile crocodile: Nile crocodile is larger on weight**

Nile crocodile is 1.5× American alligator on weight.

An American alligator and a Nile crocodile can be compared on 3 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | American alligator | Nile crocodile |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 70–500 kg | 225–750 kg |
| Length | 2.6–4.6 m | 2.4–6 m |
| Typical lifespan | 35–70 yr | 45–80 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Nile crocodile is 1.5× American alligator on weight.
- Nile crocodile is somewhat greater than American alligator on length — about 1.2×.
- American alligator and Nile crocodile are near enough identical on typical lifespan.

*Weight compared.*

- Nile crocodile: 225–750 kg
- American alligator: 70–500 kg

## American alligator

A broad-snouted crocodilian of the US Southeast, recovered from near-extinction to over a million animals.

## Nile crocodile

Africa's largest crocodilian and, by most counts, the animal responsible for the most human deaths on the continent.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, American alligator or Nile crocodile?

Nile crocodile is 1.5× American alligator on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do American alligators and Nile crocodiles compare on length?

American alligator: 2.6–4.6 m. Nile crocodile: 2.4–6 m. Nile crocodile is somewhat greater than American alligator on length — about 1.2×.

### How do American alligators and Nile crocodiles compare on typical lifespan?

American alligator: 35–70 yr. Nile crocodile: 45–80 yr. American alligator and Nile crocodile are near enough identical on typical lifespan.

## Related pages

- [American alligator vs grizzly bear](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-alligator-vs-grizzly-bear/)
- [American alligator vs tiger](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-alligator-vs-tiger/)
- [American alligator vs lion](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-alligator-vs-lion/)
- [American alligator vs saltwater crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-alligator-vs-saltwater-crocodile/)
- [Nile crocodile vs saltwater crocodile](https://atoneplace.net/vs/nile-crocodile-vs-saltwater-crocodile/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)