Performance brake pads promise stronger, more consistent stopping - but there is no free lunch in friction. The bite that makes a pad grab hard usually comes with trade-offs in wear, dust, and noise. Here is the honest picture on whether performance pads wear faster.
The friction trade-off
A pad's job is a balance between grip, heat tolerance, longevity, quietness, and dust. Aggressive performance compounds are tuned for high friction and heat resistance, which is great for hard driving - but often at the cost of faster wear on both the pad and the rotor, more brake dust, and more noise. Compare with everyday pads in performance vs OE pads.
It depends on the pad and how you drive
Not all "performance" pads are the same. A street-performance ceramic may last nearly as long as a stock pad while giving a firmer bite, whereas a true track compound can wear quickly and even needs heat to work well - it may actually feel worse cold on the street. Match the pad to your real use; see how long pads last.
When performance pads make sense
If you tow, drive mountains, carry heavy loads, or do track days, a performance or heavy-duty pad resists fade far better and is worth the faster wear - see best pads for towing and what is brake fade. For those uses the trade is well worth it.
For most drivers, quality OE-style wins
For normal commuting, a quality ceramic OE-style pad usually beats an aggressive performance pad: quieter, cleaner, longer-lasting, and plenty of stopping power - see do ceramic pads stop better. Choose the right brake pads for your driving and fit them with fresh hardware.