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Discord co-founder Stanislav Vishnevskiy shared a video comparing the existing Electron client with an early Rust-based Windows client. In the demonstration, the Rust app loaded faster and showed about 290 MB of RAM use while running two accounts, but Discord has not published a like-for-like benchmark.
Discord co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy shared a cold-start comparison showing the company’s new Rust-based Windows client loading its friends list before the current Electron app finished starting. The early client also displayed 290.2 MB of RAM use while two accounts were signed in, though Discord has not released a controlled, like-for-like performance comparison.
The comparison, filmed on two Lenovo ThinkPads running Windows 11, showed the existing Discord app opening first and displaying a blank window before its interface loaded. The Rust client was launched about a second and a half later; its window appeared within roughly a second, and its friends list was ready before the Electron app completed loading. The clip was shared by Vishnevskiy and Discord’s official account.
Discord employees said both apps were opened from a cold start, rather than the new client being restored from the system tray. Coral, who leads audio and video at Discord, said the new architecture starts quickly enough that it does not need the current app’s “Starting” screen. Coral also said the client updates in the background; Discord is not currently using the Microsoft Store or Windows Update Orchestration Platform for those updates.
Vishnevskiy said the 290.2 MB reading covered two accounts running concurrently, a capability supported by the new client. The current account switcher supports adding up to five accounts. The figure is an early-build snapshot, not a standardized comparison: Discord has not published matching memory measurements for both versions, and results can vary by system and usage.
What the Client Rebuild Could Change
The demo offers a concrete example of how replacing a web-based desktop framework can affect startup speed and memory use, two common concerns for users who keep messaging apps open all day. Discord’s reported two-account operation also points to a potential benefit for people separating work and personal profiles: they may be able to keep both active without repeatedly switching or restarting the client.
Those advantages are not yet established across everyday use. A brief video and a single memory reading cannot show how the app performs across different PCs, longer sessions, voice and video calls, or heavy server activity. The change also matters to Windows developers watching whether a native-style interface can offer a better experience than an Electron app, but Discord’s results should not be treated as proof that every Electron application will improve by the same amount.
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From Electron to GPUI
Discord’s current desktop client is built with Electron, which uses Chromium and Node.js to run web technologies as a desktop application. Discord’s new client instead uses Rust and GPUI, a GPU-accelerated interface framework developed by the makers of the Zed code editor. The source report says GPUI draws the interface without HTML; the client is not a Tauri app, which would use a system webview for its interface.
Discord has also tried changes within its existing framework. The company’s September patch notes said an Electron 42 upgrade reduced median CPU use by about 17%, alongside a roughly 4% regression in median memory use. That earlier update addressed performance without replacing Electron. The Rust client represents a larger architectural shift, but Discord has not provided a public release schedule in the material available for this 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
What the Demo Does Not Establish
The clip does not establish typical performance for all users or confirm how the client will behave after extended use. Discord has not published a controlled comparison covering equivalent hardware, account activity, voice and video use, or background processes. The reported memory figure is a snapshot from an early build, and the source report’s comparison with the current app’s memory use on other PCs is not a like-for-like test.
Discord has also not stated when the new client will be generally available, whether it will replace the Electron app for all Windows users, or whether the same performance results apply to other operating systems. Its background update method and support for the current account-switching features may also change before release.
Awaiting a Wider Client Release
The next useful milestone is a broader release that allows independent testing of the client on different Windows systems. That would make it possible to compare startup time, memory use, and performance during ordinary messaging and calls against the existing Electron version.
Until Discord announces availability and publishes more detailed comparisons, the video remains an early demonstration, not a final performance verdict. Discord has not yet disclosed a release date or a full migration plan for Windows users.
Key Questions
What did Discord demonstrate?
Discord showed its early Rust-based Windows client loading a friends list before the existing Electron app finished starting in a cold-start video comparison.
How much RAM did the new client use?
The Task Manager reading shown in the demo was 290.2 MB, with two Discord accounts signed in. It is a snapshot, not a published benchmark against the current app under matching conditions.
Is Discord replacing Electron with Tauri?
No. The source report says Discord is using Rust and GPUI, a GPU-accelerated UI framework, rather than Tauri’s system-webview approach.
When will the new client be available?
Discord has not announced a general release date in the information available here. The client shown is described as an early build.
Does the video prove Electron apps are always slower?
No. It shows one comparison involving Discord’s current and early clients. It does not establish that all Electron apps perform the same way or that Discord’s results will apply to other applications.
Source: windowslatest.com
