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Discord is rebuilding its desktop client in Rust with GPUI, according to co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy, moving away from its Electron-based app. Windows Latest reports an early Windows 11 build used 290.2MB of RAM, but Discord has not published a general release date or comparable memory test results.
Discord is rebuilding its desktop client in Rust with the GPUI interface framework, co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy said, marking a move away from the Electron app used on Windows. An early Windows 11 screenshot reported by Windows Latest showed the new client, identified as Discord Phoenix, using 290.2MB of RAM, though that figure is an early observation rather than a published performance guarantee.
Vishnevskiy said Discord has used Rust in parts of its infrastructure, voice technology and existing client since 2018, and that moving the whole desktop client to the language was a long-term goal. In comments quoted by Windows Latest, he said the change means Electron will be removed; he also said React Native would go away, while the mobile app would retain a native interface and share code with desktop through Rust. He specified that Discord is using GPUI, not Tauri.
The memory figure comes from an early Windows 11 screenshot described by Windows Latest, not a broad test across devices or usage patterns. The outlet’s report says Discord acknowledged in a December 2025 Reddit post that its Windows app could reach 4GB of memory and was testing a restart once usage crossed that threshold. In that post, a Discord employee said normal usage was below 1GB and reported a 5% reduction in p95 memory during the company’s work at that time. Those figures describe the existing app and a prior test, not performance measurements for the Rust rebuild.
Windows Latest also reports that the redesigned client may no longer show the familiar “Starting” screen because it will not need to load Electron libraries. The outlet expects that could improve launch times, but Discord has not supplied a public benchmark confirming faster startup. The new client’s memory use, speed, feature coverage and availability remain to be independently tested.
A Different Desktop App Architecture
Discord is used as a background communication app by people who may keep it open while gaming, working or using other memory-intensive software. A client that consumes less memory under comparable conditions could leave more resources available for those tasks, particularly on systems with limited RAM. The reported 290.2MB snapshot points to a possible change, but it cannot yet establish how the app performs during long sessions, video calls or heavy server use.
The architectural shift also matters beyond a single measurement. Electron applications use web technologies packaged with a desktop runtime; Discord says its new desktop interface will use Rust and GPUI instead. That is a substantial rewrite, and the benefits will depend on how well the company preserves the features users rely on while improving performance. Until the new build is available for testing, the memory comparison remains preliminary.
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Discord’s Memory Use Before the Rewrite
Discord’s current Windows desktop app is built on Electron. Windows Latest describes its own experience with the app as using roughly 1GB to 2GB of RAM while running in the background, with usage rising during use. That is the outlet’s observation, not a measurement that applies to every user or system. Discord’s reported statement that normal usage is below 1GB provides a different reference point, but the source material does not specify a common test setup for comparing the two.
In December 2025, Discord said it was testing an automatic restart when the client exceeded 4GB of memory. The employee quoted in the report characterized that as a test and said the company was still working on memory issues, including problems it had traced to platform, operating-system, driver or hardware factors. The company’s earlier effort was a response to high memory use in the existing app; the Rust rewrite is a separate, larger change to the client’s foundations.
Vishnevskiy’s comments clarify why the framework choice matters: Rust alone would not show whether Discord planned to keep a web-based interface. He said the project uses GPUI, while ruling out Tauri, which generally presents a web interface through an operating-system webview. Discord has not provided enough public implementation detail to assess every technical trade-off.
“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.”
— Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord co-founder and CTO, in comments quoted by Windows Latest
Performance and Release Details Await Testing
Discord has not announced a public release date, a rollout plan or which users will get access to the Rust client first. The source material also does not establish whether the early Windows build includes every feature in the current client, or whether it was measured under conditions comparable to the existing app.
The 290.2MB reading is one reported snapshot. It does not show how memory use changes with extended use, multiple servers, calls, streaming or different hardware. Discord has not published a controlled comparison, and no independent testing of a publicly available version is included in the report. Faster startup is also an expectation reported by Windows Latest, not a confirmed benchmark. It remains unclear how the mobile code-sharing plan will work in practice or whether the rebuild will change the app’s support across operating systems.
A Public Build Will Settle Comparisons
The next major milestone is for Discord to provide a test build or announce a rollout schedule. Users and reviewers will then be able to compare the Rust client with the current app under similar conditions, including memory use over time, startup speed and performance during calls and other common tasks. Discord has not stated when that testing or release will begin.
Until those details arrive, the confirmed news is the planned move from Electron to Rust and GPUI. The early memory figure is promising as a single observation, but it does not yet establish the performance users will see in the finished client.
Key Questions
Is Discord removing Electron from its desktop app?
Yes, according to CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy. In comments quoted by Windows Latest, he said Electron will go away as Discord rebuilds the desktop client in Rust with GPUI.
How much memory did the new Discord build use?
Windows Latest reported that an early Windows 11 screenshot showed 290.2MB of RAM use. That is a single reported observation, not a guaranteed figure or a published benchmark across different tasks and devices.
When will the Rust version be available?
No release date is given in the source material. Discord has not announced when a public test or general rollout will begin.
Is Discord using Tauri for the rewrite?
No. Vishnevskiy said the project uses GPUI, not Tauri. He also said the mobile app will keep a native interface while sharing code with the desktop version through Rust.
Does the new build prove Discord will use less memory?
Not yet. The 290.2MB reading comes from an early build shown in a screenshot, and the report does not provide a controlled comparison with the current app. Broader testing is needed to establish typical memory use.
Source: windowslatest.com
