# Discord is replacing its Electron desktop app with a Rust rebuild: early build shows 290MB of RAM

> Discord's CTO says the desktop client is being rewritten in Rust with the GPUI framework, dropping Electron and React Native. An early Windows build was shown using about 290MB of memory, but there is no release date and no independent testing yet.

Published Nov 6, 2026 by TechMeasured Staff · Gadgets · Canonical: https://techmeasured.com/gadgets/discord-drops-electron-rust-gpui-desktop-app-290mb-ram-what-we-know

**Discord** is rebuilding its desktop app in **Rust** and dropping **Electron**, the web-based framework the client has run on for years. Co-founder and CTO **Stanislav Vishnevskiy** confirmed the move in a post on X, according to Windows Latest and Cybernews, and an early Windows 11 build appeared in Task Manager as "Discord Phoenix" using about **290MB** of memory.

Why it matters: Electron apps bundle their own copy of the Chromium browser engine, and Discord's has a reputation for heavy memory use. Discord itself has acknowledged the current client can reach **4GB**, Windows Latest reports. For gamers who keep Discord open next to a game, memory the chat app doesn't use is memory the game can.

## What Discord has said

- **Rust everywhere.** Electron is going away, and so is **React Native** on mobile, Vishnevskiy said, per Windows Latest. Mobile keeps native UI, but app code will be shared with desktop through Rust. Cybernews notes Discord has used Rust internally since 2018; this extends it to the whole client.
- **Not a web view.** Vishnevskiy said it's "not Tauri, it's GPUI." That matters because Tauri apps usually still render their interface in the operating system's built-in web view. GPUI draws the interface natively, so this is not a repackaged web app, Windows Latest explains.
- **Testing "soon."** Cybernews quotes Vishnevskiy hoping to get the app "into testing with users soon." No date, beta sign-up or rollout plan has been announced.
- **Platforms.** Only a Windows 11 build has been shown. Cybernews expects the change to reach Windows, macOS and mobile; neither report confirms Linux.

## How big is the memory gap?

| Client | Memory figure | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Rust "Phoenix" build | ~290MB | One early Windows 11 screenshot (Windows Latest, Cybernews) |
| Current Electron app, typical | under 1GB | A Discord employee on Reddit in December 2025 (via Windows Latest) |
| Current Electron app, worst case | up to 4GB | Discord, via Windows Latest |
| Current Electron app, one writer's PC | 1–2GB at idle | Windows Latest author's own machine |

Treat the comparison carefully. The 290MB number comes from a development build, not a controlled test, and Cybernews points out that the screenshot gives no baseline for the current app on the same machine. A dev build may also be missing features that add memory once they're in. Windows Latest says it has not tested the new client yet. Discord's previous memory work was incremental: it reported a 5% cut in p95 memory use last year, per Windows Latest.

Windows Latest also expects the new client to skip the familiar "Starting" splash screen, since it no longer has to load a bundled copy of Chromium — so launch should feel quicker.

## The open questions

Rewriting a client used by millions is risky. Commenters quoted by Cybernews worry about new bugs during the transition and question whether a language change alone will fix performance. The things to check when the beta arrives:

- **Feature parity:** screen sharing, overlays, Go Live streaming, plugins and accessibility features have to come across intact.
- **Real memory use** after hours on large servers with video and voice, not a fresh launch.
- **Client mods:** Discord hasn't said what happens to unofficial mods that hook into the Electron app, so users of those should wait for details.

## What to do

Nothing yet: keep using the current app and update it as normal. When Discord opens testing, Windows users who run Discord alongside games are the people best placed to see the difference — and the first independent memory measurements will tell us whether 290MB holds up.


## Sources

1. [Windows Latest — Discord is killing its Electron app that can eat 4GB of RAM on Windows 11, and the Rust rebuild uses just 290MB](https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/11/05/discord-is-killing-its-electron-app-that-can-eat-4gb-of-ram-on-windows-11-and-the-rust-rebuild-uses-just-290mb/)
2. [Cybernews — Discord Rust rewrite promises lower RAM use](https://cybernews.com/tech/discord-app-overhaul/)