Is there any interest in a native Qt/C++ Discord client?
I've been building a third-party cross-platform Discord client called kind (kind is not discord) in C++ and Qt 6. No Electron, no web wrapper. A proper native app for Windows, macOS, and Linux.The UI always loads instantly. On first load, things take as long to appear as Discord's network responses. On subsequent loads, everything comes from cache and is validated against REST in the background. It feels as fast as opening a plaintext file.It's further along than I expected when I started. What's working right now: gateway with exponential backoff and reconnect, REST with per-route rate limiting, SQLite-backed cache with async reads/writes, full Discord permission resolution, and a composable block renderer that handles every Discord message type including embeds, attachments, reactions, stickers, and components. There's a full markdown parser, an async image cache with memory LRU and disk persistence, an unread and mute state system that survives restarts, and 370 passing unit and integration tests.Voice is a post-launch problem. So are Nitro features.Is there actually an audience for this outside of Linux power users? I know that's where the pain is most acute, but I'm genuinely curious whether Windows users would switch for the performance alone or whether the official client is good enough there that it doesn't matter.
FL score
out of 100
Verdict
high confidence
Competition
8
competitors found, emerging market
Trend
No signal yet
A technically impressive native Qt/C++ Discord client targeting performance-hungry users, but faces high platform risk and intense competition from free alternatives.
The pain
The gap
Build angle
Strengths
- Addresses a real and specific pain point (Electron performance).
- Builder has demonstrated exceptional technical skill and significant progress.
- Potential for a genuinely fast and resource-light user experience.
- Clear target audience (performance-focused users, particularly on Linux).
Risks
- High risk of user account bans due to Discord's Terms of Service violations.
- Crowded market with many free, open-source native client alternatives, including a very similar Qt/C++ project (CPPCord).
- Very difficult monetization prospects due to free competition and platform risk.
- Continuous maintenance burden to keep up with Discord API changes and feature parity.
- Limited audience reach due to the sensitive nature of promoting third-party clients.
Next steps
- Release a very limited, opt-in beta for a specific user segment (e.g., Linux users) and gather detailed feedback on performance and most desired features.
- Crucially, survey users about their willingness to risk account bans and their perceived value for payment, given existing free alternatives.
- Investigate and articulate a clear plan for mitigating the risk of account bans or openly addressing it in the product's value proposition.
- Evaluate if the unique caching/performance angle is sufficiently differentiated from CPPCord and other alternatives, or if a narrower niche (e.g., specific OS, specific feature set) can be owned.
Fly Labs Method
Is the pain real, is there a gap, is it the right time, can one person build it.
- Problem clarity
- 24
- Solution gap
- 14
- Willingness to pay
- 12
- Buildability
- 10
A native Discord client addresses a real pain of Electron performance, but the space for third-party clients is already crowded with free options, and the risk of account bans is a major deterrent to adoption and monetization.
Value Equation
Dream outcome and how likely it feels, against the time and effort it costs.
The idea has a clear value proposition of performance but faces significant market and platform risks that limit its monetization potential.
One-Person Business
Curiosity pull, identity fit, and a path from free value to paid for a solo creator.
High technical fit and clear problem, but significant challenges in audience reach, product simplicity, and monetization due to platform risk and competition.
Viral Frameworks
Hook strength, shareability, and how cheaply it can be tested.
Addresses a clear performance pain, but target audience reach, business model, and significant platform risk make it a challenging micro-SaaS.
Builder Lens
Evidence the problem exists, timing, defensibility, and a model that fits on a napkin.
Strong demand from a specific niche for performance, but significant platform risk and competition in the third-party client space.
Why this verdict
Five lenses, one composite. How scoring works
The angle
This weekend
- Release a very limited, opt-in beta for a specific user segment (e.g., Linux users) and gather detailed feedback on performance and most desired features.
- Crucially, survey users about their willingness to risk account bans and their perceived value for payment, given existing free alternatives.
- Investigate and articulate a clear plan for mitigating the risk of account bans or openly addressing it in the product's value proposition.
- Evaluate if the unique caching/performance angle is sufficiently differentiated from CPPCord and other alternatives, or if a narrower niche (e.g., specific OS, specific feature set) can be owned.
Who is already there, emerging market
- AbaddonVisit
An alternative Discord client made with C++ and GTK that aims to mimic the official web client to avoid detection.
Pricing: Free and open source.
- Dissent (formerly gtkcord4)Visit
A third-party Discord client for Linux desktops built with GTK4 and libadwaita, focusing on a smooth, native experience.
Pricing: Free and open source.
- QTCordVisit
A lightweight, native Discord client written in Python with Qt, aiming for a lightweight experience.
Pricing: Free and open source.
- CPPCordVisit
A native, high-performance Discord client built with C++23 and Qt 6, designed as a lightweight alternative to the official client.
Pricing: Free and open source.
- PaicordVisit
A native Discord client written in Swift using SwiftUI, with a goal of feature parity with customization and quality-of-life additions.
Pricing: Free and open source.
- SwiftcordVisit
A native Discord client for macOS built 100% in Swift, aiming for Discord-like UI and experience with native app performance.
Pricing: Free and open source (supporters get early feature releases).
- VesktopVisit
A custom app that aims to provide better performance and improve Linux support for Discord.
Pricing: Free and open source.
- RipcordVisit
A commercial, closed-source desktop chat client for Discord and Slack, known for its native performance and low resource usage.
Pricing: $15 one-time purchase.
What they charge
Recent news
- Ask HN: Is there any interest in a native Qt/C++ Discord client?
Hacker News, April 05 2026
- Best BetterDiscord Alternatives in 2026: 5 Options Compared
WP Reset, March 24 2026
- RIP Discord: Self-Hosted Discord Alternatives Tested (TeamSpeak, Stoat, Fluxer, Matrix, & More)
YouTube (LevelOneTechs), March 15 2026
- Linq's $20 Million Bet on AI in Messaging
YouTube, February 11 2026
Market signals
The market for Discord alternatives, especially native and open-source clients, appears to be a niche driven by users seeking better performance, privacy, and customization than the official Electron-based client. While Discord itself is a large and growing market with hundreds of millions of users, funding rounds specifically for third-party Discord clients are not publicly reported, suggesting this remains a community-driven, open-source effort rather than a venture-backed industry.
What frustrates people
- Risk of account bans for using third-party clients, as it violates Discord's Terms of Service.
- Official Discord client is Electron-based, leading to high resource usage and slower performance.
- Lack of customization options and themes in the official client.
- Privacy concerns and data collection by the official Discord client.
- Poor customer support from Discord, with issues like unhelpful automated responses and ignored follow-ups.
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