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Discord co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy shared a video comparing the current Electron app with a new Rust-based Windows client: the new client loaded its friends list sooner and showed 290.2 MB of RAM use while running two accounts. The video is a demonstration, not a controlled benchmark, and Discord has not published a like-for-like performance comparison or a release date.
Discord co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy shared a video comparing the company’s current Windows app with a new Rust-based client, showing the new version load its friends list while the Electron app was still starting. The clip also showed the new client using 290.2 MB of RAM with two accounts signed in, a result that has drawn attention to the performance costs of Electron apps on Windows 11—but is not a controlled, like-for-like benchmark.
The video, posted on X and also shared by Discord’s official account, shows both clients launched on Lenovo ThinkPads running Windows 11. Windows Latest reported that the clip had 2.3 million views at the time of its report. Discord employees said both apps were opened from a cold start, rather than the new client being restored from the system tray.
In the clip, the current app opens a blank dark window and displays a starting tip before reaching its interface. The new client’s window appears shortly after it is launched, and its friends list is ready while the older app is still loading. These timings are observations from a short video, not results from a published benchmark with controlled conditions or repeated tests.
Vishnevskiy said the 290.2 MB reading came while two accounts were running concurrently in the new client. He described faster, more responsive interaction as part of the improvement. Discord’s audio and video lead, identified in the report as Coral, said the client starts quickly enough that it no longer needs the current app’s starting modal, and that updates happen in the background. Coral also said Discord does not currently use the Microsoft Store or Windows Update Orchestration Platform to deliver those updates.
What Faster Starts Could Change
The demonstration matters because Electron is widely used to build desktop apps with web technologies, but its reliance on Chromium and Node.js can carry memory and startup costs. Discord’s apparent improvement offers a prominent example of a company rebuilding a mature desktop app with a different architecture rather than relying only on incremental tuning. For people who keep chat apps open alongside games or other demanding software, lower memory use and a faster launch could make a practical difference.
But this clip does not establish that all Windows 11 apps should abandon Electron. The measured memory figure belongs to one early client build, at one point in a video, and Discord has not published comparable readings for the old and new clients under identical conditions. Other apps have different interfaces, features and engineering needs. The evidence supports interest in Discord’s rebuild, not a universal performance conclusion.
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Discord’s Move Beyond Electron
Discord’s current desktop app uses Electron, which combines Chromium with Node.js to run a desktop interface built with web technologies. Discord has previously tried to improve the existing app: its September patch notes said an upgrade to Electron 42 reduced median CPU usage by about 17%, alongside a roughly 4% increase in p50 memory usage. Those figures describe a specific software change and are not a direct comparison with the new client.
The replacement is built with Rust and GPUI, a GPU-accelerated interface framework from the makers of the Zed code editor. Windows Latest reported that Discord chose GPUI rather than Tauri, which uses a system webview to display web-based interfaces. The new app is also described as supporting multiple accounts at once; Vishnevskiy said users would be able to keep work and personal accounts active without tearing down the client.
The change is part of a broader effort to move Discord away from Electron on desktop. The report also says the company plans to replace React Native in its mobile apps, but the demonstration at issue concerns the Windows client. Discord has used Rust since 2018, according to the report.
“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.”
— Stanislav Vishnevskiy, Discord co-founder and CTO, in a post on X
Benchmark and Rollout Questions
The demonstration does not show a controlled comparison of memory use, startup time or responsiveness across repeated runs. Discord has not provided a published, like-for-like RAM benchmark for the Electron and Rust clients, and Windows Latest said it had not yet tested the new version directly. The 290.2 MB figure is a snapshot from an early build, with two accounts active; it should not be treated as a typical or guaranteed reading.
The report does not give a public release date, explain whether the new client will reach all Windows users at once, or detail feature parity with the current app. It also does not establish how performance will vary across different PCs and workloads. Discord’s comments describe background updating, but do not specify the update mechanism or provide a timeline for broader availability.
Awaiting Hands-On Tests and Release
The next useful evidence will be a public or hands-on comparison measuring both clients under the same conditions, including startup time and memory use with matching account and activity settings. Windows Latest said it planned to test the Rust client once it had access to it. Discord has not announced when that access or a general release will occur.
Until then, the company’s video and staff comments establish what Discord says the new architecture can do, while leaving its real-world performance and rollout scope open. Users should wait for availability and broader testing before treating the clip as proof that the new client will deliver the same gains on every Windows 11 system.
Key Questions
What did Discord’s video show?
It showed the Rust-based client loading its friends list before the current Electron app finished starting. Discord employees said both apps were launched from a cold start.
How much RAM did the new client use?
The video showed 290.2 MB of RAM while two accounts were signed in. That is a single reading from an early build, not a published benchmark or a guaranteed figure for typical use.
Is Discord replacing Electron with Tauri?
No. The report says Discord’s new desktop client uses Rust and GPUI, a GPU-accelerated interface framework. Tauri was discussed by commenters but is not the framework identified for this client.
When will the Rust client be available?
The source material gives no public release date. Discord has not specified a rollout schedule or confirmed when all Windows users will receive the new app.
Does the demonstration prove Electron apps are slower?
No. It shows a difference in one Discord demonstration, but there is no published controlled, like-for-like test. Results for other apps will depend on their design, features and implementation.
Source: windowslatest.com
