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Rust Project Ideas

30 projects to master systems programming with safety

Rust is a systems programming language focused on safety, speed, and concurrency. Perfect for building reliable and efficient software without sacrificing performance. These projects will help you master ownership, borrowing, and Rust's powerful type system.

10
Beginner Projects
10
Intermediate Projects
10
Advanced Projects
30
Total Projects

Beginner Projects

Learn Rust fundamentals

CLI Calculator

Easy2-3 days

Command-line calculator with expression parsing and error handling

Skills you'll learn:

Basic SyntaxError HandlingPattern MatchingCLI Arguments

File Organizer

Easy2-3 days

Organize files by extension with safe file operations

Skills you'll learn:

File I/OPath HandlingError HandlingPattern Matching

Word Counter

Easy2 days

Count words, lines, and characters in text files

Skills you'll learn:

File ReadingString ProcessingCollectionsIterator Patterns

Number Guessing Game

Easy1-2 days

Interactive guessing game with input validation

Skills you'll learn:

User InputRandom NumbersLoopsMatch Expressions

Todo CLI Application

Easy3-4 days

Command-line task manager with JSON persistence

Skills you'll learn:

SerializationJSON HandlingCommand ParsingData Structures

Temperature Converter

Easy1-2 days

Convert between temperature scales with validation

Skills you'll learn:

FunctionsInput ValidationMathematical OperationsError Types

Log Parser

Easy2-3 days

Parse log files and extract specific information

Skills you'll learn:

Regular ExpressionsFile ProcessingString ManipulationError Handling

Password Generator

Easy2 days

Generate secure passwords with customizable criteria

Skills you'll learn:

Random GenerationString BuildingCLI DesignSecurity Concepts

Simple HTTP Client

Easy2-3 days

Make HTTP requests and handle responses

Skills you'll learn:

HTTP ClientsAsync ProgrammingJSON ParsingError Handling

Directory Tree Viewer

Easy2-3 days

Display directory structure in tree format

Skills you'll learn:

File SystemRecursionTree StructuresCLI Output

Intermediate Projects

Advanced Rust features

Web Server with Actix

Medium2-3 weeks

HTTP server with routing, middleware, and database integration

Skills you'll learn:

Actix WebAsync ProgrammingDatabase IntegrationREST APIs

Chat Server

Medium2-3 weeks

Multi-client chat server using async networking

Skills you'll learn:

Async NetworkingWebSocketsConcurrent ProgrammingMessage Broadcasting

Database ORM

Medium3-4 weeks

Simple ORM with query building and migrations

Skills you'll learn:

Database ProgrammingSQL GenerationMacrosType Safety

Image Processing Tool

Medium2-3 weeks

Apply filters and transformations to images

Skills you'll learn:

Image ProcessingParallel ProcessingMemory ManagementPerformance

Key-Value Store

Medium3-4 weeks

Persistent key-value database with indexing

Skills you'll learn:

Storage EnginesSerializationIndexingFile Formats

Web Scraper

Medium2-3 weeks

Concurrent web scraper with rate limiting

Skills you'll learn:

HTTP ClientsHTML ParsingConcurrencyRate Limiting

System Monitor

Medium2-3 weeks

Monitor system resources with real-time updates

Skills you'll learn:

System ProgrammingReal-time DataCross-platform CodePerformance Monitoring

Compression Tool

Medium2-3 weeks

File compression using various algorithms

Skills you'll learn:

Compression AlgorithmsBinary DataPerformance OptimizationFile Formats

Network Proxy

Medium3 weeks

HTTP/HTTPS proxy with filtering and logging

Skills you'll learn:

Network ProgrammingProxy ProtocolsTLS HandlingRequest Filtering

Game Engine Core

Medium4-5 weeks

2D game engine with entity-component system

Skills you'll learn:

Game ProgrammingECS ArchitectureGraphics ProgrammingPerformance

Advanced Projects

Systems programming mastery

Operating System Kernel

Hard10-12 weeks

Minimal OS kernel with memory management and scheduling

Skills you'll learn:

Systems ProgrammingAssembly LanguageMemory ManagementHardware Interface

Compiler Frontend

Hard8-10 weeks

Lexer, parser, and AST generator for a programming language

Skills you'll learn:

Compiler DesignParsingLanguage DesignCode Generation

Distributed Database

Hard10-12 weeks

Distributed key-value store with consensus and replication

Skills you'll learn:

Distributed SystemsConsensus AlgorithmsReplicationNetwork Programming

WebAssembly Runtime

Hard8-10 weeks

WebAssembly virtual machine with JIT compilation

Skills you'll learn:

Virtual MachinesJIT CompilationWebAssemblyPerformance Optimization

Blockchain Implementation

Hard8-10 weeks

Proof-of-work blockchain with smart contracts

Skills you'll learn:

BlockchainCryptographyP2P NetworksSmart Contracts

Graphics Renderer

Hard8-10 weeks

Software-based 3D graphics renderer with shaders

Skills you'll learn:

Computer Graphics3D MathematicsShader ProgrammingPerformance

Container Runtime

Hard10-12 weeks

Docker-compatible container runtime with isolation

Skills you'll learn:

Container TechnologyLinux NamespacesSecuritySystem Programming

Memory Allocator

Hard6-8 weeks

Custom memory allocator with different strategies

Skills you'll learn:

Memory ManagementPerformance OptimizationSystem ProgrammingAlgorithms

Network Stack

Hard10-12 weeks

TCP/IP stack implementation from scratch

Skills you'll learn:

Network ProtocolsSystems ProgrammingProtocol ImplementationPerformance

Machine Learning Framework

Hard10-12 weeks

Neural network framework with GPU acceleration

Skills you'll learn:

Machine LearningGPU ProgrammingLinear AlgebraPerformance Optimization

Rust Development Resources

🚀 Ready to Rust?

Getting Started:

  • • Install Rust from rustup.rs
  • • Read "The Rust Book" chapters 1-4
  • • Start with "Number Guessing Game"
  • • Focus on ownership and borrowing concepts

Rust Strengths:

Systems ProgrammingWeb BackendsGame DevelopmentWebAssembly