ets_update.erl

-module(ets_update).

-compile(export_all).

setup() ->
    ets:new(test, [public, named_table]),
    ets:insert(test, {test, 0}).

lookup(N) ->
    ets:lookup(test, N).

update(N) ->
    ets:update_counter(test, N, 1).

teardown() ->
    ets:delete(test).

ets_update_test.erl

-module(ets_update_test).

-compile(export_all).

test() ->
    test(100000).

test(N) ->
    ets_update:setup(),
    T = do_test(N,fun() ->
                      ets:update_counter(test, test, 1)
              end),
    io:format("Ets call ~p ~n", [T]),
    LT = do_test(N, fun() ->
                       ets_update:update(test)
               end),
    io:format("Module -> Ets call ~p ~n", [LT]),
    ets_update:teardown(),
    ok.

do_test(N, Fun) ->
    Time = 0,
    lists:foldl(fun(_X, Acc) ->
                        {T, _Ret} = timer:tc(Fun),
                        T + Acc
                end, Time, lists:seq(1, N)).

output.txt

27> c(ets_update).         
{ok,ets_update}
28> c(ets_update_test).    
{ok,ets_update_test}
29> ets_update_test:test().
Ets call 17951 
Module -> Ets call 18601 
ok
30> ets_update_test:test().
Ets call 19645 
Module -> Ets call 18700 
ok
31> ets_update_test:test().
Ets call 18405 
Module -> Ets call 17923 
ok
32> ets_update_test:test().
Ets call 18116 
Module -> Ets call 16552 
ok
33> ets_update_test:test().
Ets call 20134 
Module -> Ets call 20120 
ok
34> ets_update_test:test().
Ets call 19054 
Module -> Ets call 18398 
ok
35> ets_update_test:test(100).
Ets call 36 
Module -> Ets call 34 
ok
36> ets_update_test:test(100).
Ets call 36 
Module -> Ets call 31 
ok
37> ets_update_test:test(100).
Ets call 35 
Module -> Ets call 34 
ok
38> ets_update_test:test(10000000).
Ets call 2075998 
Module -> Ets call 1971149 
ok
39> ets_update_test:test(10000000).
Ets call 2001510 
Module -> Ets call 2174899 
ok