If you’ve been exploring Tauri, you’ve probably noticed that it’s built on top of Rust. That naturally raises the question: Do you need to learn Rust to use it?
The short answer is no. Most web developers can build and ship Tauri apps without touching a single line of Rust. But there are a few scenarios where Rust comes in handy and in this post we’ll walk through both sides.
Building Tauri Apps with Just JavaScript
Tauri is designed to let developers keep using the frameworks and tools they already know. React, Vue, Svelte, or plain JavaScript and use them in a secure, Rust-powered environment.
For most projects, that’s all you’ll ever need. The Tauri team maintains a rich ecosystem of first-party plugins, which expose native functionality through easy-to-use JavaScript APIs. Here are a few examples:
- SQLite for local databases.
- Shell for running processes.
- Updater for seamless app updates.
- Even NFC on mobile has a plugin.
This means you can build feature-rich apps that feel native—without diving into Rust.
When Rust Enters the Picture
The places you may want to reach down to Rust are for things that are performance critical or require low level flexibility. For example, writing the fuzzy finder in the Tauri basics course. In cases like these, Rust gives you the speed and control that JavaScript cannot match, while integrating back into your Tauri app.
So, do you need to know Rust to use Tauri? Not at all. Most apps can be built with JavaScript alone using the plugin ecosystem. Rust becomes useful especially when you need extra performance or low-level control.