Discord rebuilds desktop app in Rust to cut memory use

Discord is replacing Electron in its desktop app with a version built fully in Rust, aiming to reduce memory use and improve performance. The change matters because Discord’s current Windows app can consume substantial RAM, particularly for people in several servers.

Chief technology officer Stanislav Vishnevskiy said Electron and React Native will be removed; mobile will keep its native interface while sharing app code with desktop through Rust. He shared an image showing the Windows client using 290MB of RAM, compared with reports that the current app can reach 1GB or more. Discord has not announced a full switch date, but hopes to begin user testing soon.