Article by Ayman Alheraki on January 11 2026 10:35 AM
Qt is one of the pillars of open-source software and among the most popular frameworks for developing cross-platform applications. It heavily relies on C++ as its core language due to its high performance and robust features, which suit interactive and complex software. However, with the rise of Rust, promising increased safety and reduced errors, some have begun to ask: could Qt transition to Rust?
High Memory Safety: Rust is designed to prevent memory errors such as buffer overflows or dangling pointers, which are common issues in C++. Adopting Rust could make Qt more reliable and secure.
Enhanced Resource Management: Rust’s ownership model resolves many issues that typically require additional libraries or tools in C++. This could be a significant advantage for a large project like Qt.
Strong Concurrency Support: Rust provides excellent thread-safe concurrency support, a critical factor for modern applications that rely on parallel processing.
Growing Popularity: Rust’s rising popularity could attract more young developers to Qt, expanding its user and contributor base.
High Cost: Rewriting Qt in Rust would require enormous resources in terms of both money and time. Qt contains millions of lines of C++ code, and converting them would mean rewriting the majority of this codebase.
Compatibility with Existing Projects: Many projects depend on the C++ version of Qt, meaning any change could create compatibility issues.
Integration with Existing Tools: Rust still lacks full support for certain features and integrations that Qt relies on, which might complicate the transition.
The Qt community and many of its developers possess extensive expertise in C++. Transitioning to Rust could result in a loss of this valuable knowledge base.
Although Rust is very close to C++ in terms of performance, C++ still retains a slight edge in some scenarios, especially for projects requiring the utmost speed.
Rewriting a large project like Qt to switch its core language is no easy feat. This undertaking would require:
Careful Planning: To assess whether the transition is economically and technically feasible.
Large Teams: Comprising developers and experts proficient in both Rust and C++.
Several Years of Work: Rewriting the code alone could take 5–10 years, along with thorough testing to ensure the stability of the new framework.
Qt Company has the resources and expertise, but it might face significant constraints:
Business Priorities: The company might find it more beneficial to invest in improving the existing framework rather than risking such a radical change.
Dependence on the Community: Qt relies heavily on community contributions, and the community may not be ready or willing to transition to Rust.
If Qt decides to transition to Rust, the process could take approximately 8–12 years, starting from the initial studies to releasing a fully stable version. During this period, it might adopt a gradual approach, such as:
Partial Rust Support: Developing specific libraries or modules using Rust.
Integration with Rust: Instead of a complete rewrite, Qt could enhance its integration with Rust, allowing it to be used alongside C++.
Theoretically, Qt could transition to Rust, but this depends on various factors such as business priorities, technical feasibility, and the community's acceptance of such a shift. For now, it seems likely that Qt will continue focusing on improving its Rust support in a complementary manner rather than entirely replacing C++.
It is more plausible that Qt will evolve to include stronger integration with Rust, enabling developers to leverage Rust’s features without abandoning C++. This approach seems to be the most realistic in the short to medium term.