Why Everyone's Switching to Rust (And Why You Shouldn't)

Summary

This video explores Rust in 2025, examining whether its widespread acclaim is justified. Highlighting Rust's unique combination of C-level performance, Java-like memory safety, and Python-like expressiveness, it compares Rust to C, C++, Go, and Zig. Real-world examples from Discord, Dropbox, Microsoft, and AWS demonstrate measurable performance gains and security improvements. The video also dives into the developer experience, discussing the steep learning curve of ownership and borrowing, tooling like Cargo, and compilation times. Ultimately, Rust excels in performance-critical, long-running, and security-sensitive systems, but adoption depends on project context, team readiness, and trade-offs rather than hype alone.

Takeaways

• 🔥 Rust offers memory safety without garbage collection, using the borrow checker to prevent memory bugs at compile time.
• ⚡ Rust combines the performance of C, the safety of Java, and the expressiveness of Python.
• 🛠️ Major companies like Discord, Dropbox, and Microsoft are adopting Rust for performance-critical and security-sensitive applications.
• 🚀 Rust’s borrow checker prevents bugs upfront, but it introduces a steep learning curve, requiring 3–6 months to get comfortable.
• 💡 Rust’s tooling, especially Cargo, is robust and helps developers manage dependencies and errors effectively, though compile times can be long.
• 🔧 Rust excels in CLI tools and system-level programming, providing measurable performance and reliability improvements.
• ⏳ Rust may not be suitable for rapid prototyping, tight deadlines, or projects requiring deep legacy integration.
• 🧠 Rust requires a different programming mindset, emphasizing ownership, borrowing, lifetimes, and explicit memory management.
• 📈 While Rust adoption is growing, it is not universal; languages like Go or C++ are sometimes more practical depending on project needs.
• 🎯 Rust is not hype—it solves real-world problems at scale—but choosing it should consider trade-offs, team expertise, and project goals.
• 📚 Learning Rust involves concept fatigue, as developers must understand traits, generics, macros, async/await, and other language features.
• 🌐 Rust’s ecosystem is mature for systems programming but still limited in GUI development, machine learning, and other specialized domains.

Q & A

What is Rust, and what is its main promise?

Rust is a systems programming language that promises memory safety without using a garbage collector, offering performance comparable to C while being as safe as Java and expressive like Python.

How does Rust achieve memory safety without a garbage collector?

Rust uses a feature called the borrow checker, which enforces ownership and borrowing rules at compile time, preventing common memory bugs before the code runs and avoiding runtime overhead.

How does Rust compare to other languages like C, C++, Go, and Zig?

C provides raw speed but requires manual memory management, C++ adds modern conveniences but is complex, Go emphasizes simplicity with less low-level control, and Zig offers low-level control with strong tooling but a small ecosystem. Rust balances performance, safety, and modern features.

What are some real-world examples of Rust improving software performance?

Discord rewrote a backend service in Rust and achieved 10× performance improvement, Dropbox rewrote their desktop sync engine using Rust over four years, and Microsoft rewrote 152,000 lines of Windows code in Rust, gaining 5–15% performance improvements and improved security.

What are the main challenges developers face when learning Rust?

Developers often struggle with the borrow checker, ownership, borrowing, lifetimes, and Rust's concept-heavy design, including traits, generics, macros, and async/await, which together create a steep learning curve.

Why might some teams choose Go over Rust for a project?

Teams may choose Go because it is easier to port existing codebases, has faster development cycles, simpler memory management, and avoids writing unsafe code or building custom garbage collection strategies, even though Rust may offer better performance.

What is Cargo, and how does it affect Rust development?

Cargo is Rust's package manager and build system. It simplifies dependency management and provides helpful error messages, but it is opinionated and can result in longer compilation times, especially for small projects.

In what types of projects does Rust provide the most value?

Rust excels in performance-critical systems, security-sensitive applications, long-running services, serverless computing, and CLI tools where memory safety and speed are crucial.

What are the limitations of Rust that prevent universal adoption?

Rust's steep learning curve, integration challenges with existing legacy systems, long compile times, and concept fatigue make it less suitable for rapid prototyping, tight deadlines, or projects requiring extensive legacy integration.

Is Rust overhyped according to the script, and why or why not?

Rust is not overhyped. Its performance, safety, and reliability are real and measurable, and it solves genuine problems at scale. However, it is not always the right tool for every project or team, and adoption should consider context and trade-offs.

How does Rust's community and ecosystem affect its adoption?

Rust has a growing community and a mature ecosystem for systems programming and CLI tools, but it is less developed for GUI applications and machine learning, which can limit adoption in certain domains.

Why do some developers experience Rust differently than others?

Rust requires a different mindset, especially regarding ownership and borrowing. Some developers quickly adapt and excel, while others, including experienced engineers, may struggle due to the mental model required for safe Rust programming.