Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 1 hr ago
Discord is rebuilding its desktop app in Rust to reduce memory use
Discord is rebuilding its desktop app in Rust, a programming language used to make the new version faster and more efficient.
The current desktop app uses Electron, a framework that lets developers build apps with web technologies but can use a lot of computer memory.
A demonstration showed the new Windows app using 290MB of RAM, while the current app can reach 1GB or more for some users.
Discord’s chief technology officer also showed the new app starting faster than the existing version.
The change could make Discord easier to use on computers with limited memory, an important concern as RAM prices are high.
Discord hopes to start testing the new app with users soon, but it has not said when the full switch will happen.
Discord is rebuilding its desktop app in Rust, replacing its Electron-based client to reduce memory use and improve performance.
Chief technology officer Stanislav Vishnevskiy showed the new client launching faster than the current version in a side-by-side comparison.
Vishnevskiy shared an image showing the Windows client using 290MB of RAM, while usage on the current app can reach 1GB or more.
Discord has not said when it will fully switch to Rust, but Vishnevskiy said the company hopes to begin user testing soon.
The change follows years of criticism that Discord’s desktop app uses substantial memory and can perform slowly.
- Who
- Discord, whose chief technology officer is Stanislav Vishnevskiy, is rebuilding its desktop app.
- What
- The company is replacing its Electron-based desktop client with one built in Rust to reduce memory use and improve performance.
- When
- The articles were published on November 5, 2026. The full switch date is not stated.
- Where
- The new client was demonstrated on Windows 11 computers. Discord’s planned user testing date is not stated.
- Why
- Discord aims to make the app faster and more efficient, including reducing its memory use.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Discord has used Rust in parts of its technology stack, according to Vishnevskiy.
Vishnevskiy discussed the move to a Rust desktop client and shared a memory-use image.
- Replacement technology
- Rust
- Current desktop framework
- Electron
- Memory shown in image
- 290MB of RAM
- Reported current-app usage
- Can reach 1GB or more
- User testing
- Discord hopes to begin testing soon
3 sources
What people are saying
We’ve been early adopters of Rust since 2018 and a lot of our infra, voice tech, and even some of the current client is already Rust, the holy grail was getting the whole client there
That means Electron goes away, and so does React Native, mobile keeps native UI but shares app code with desktop via Rust
hope to get it into testing with users soon
Posts on X
We've been early adopters of Rust since 2018 and a lot of our infra, voice tech, and even some of the current client is already Rust, the holy grail was getting the whole client there. That means Electron goes away, and so does React Native, mobile keeps native UI but shares app
The new Discord client using less RAM is just part of the story. Clicking around feels instant, I can't go back. Check out the boot time.