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.
Beginner Projects
Learn Rust fundamentalsCLI Calculator
Command-line calculator with expression parsing and error handling
Skills you'll learn:
File Organizer
Organize files by extension with safe file operations
Skills you'll learn:
Word Counter
Count words, lines, and characters in text files
Skills you'll learn:
Number Guessing Game
Interactive guessing game with input validation
Skills you'll learn:
Todo CLI Application
Command-line task manager with JSON persistence
Skills you'll learn:
Temperature Converter
Convert between temperature scales with validation
Skills you'll learn:
Log Parser
Parse log files and extract specific information
Skills you'll learn:
Password Generator
Generate secure passwords with customizable criteria
Skills you'll learn:
Simple HTTP Client
Make HTTP requests and handle responses
Skills you'll learn:
Directory Tree Viewer
Display directory structure in tree format
Skills you'll learn:
Intermediate Projects
Advanced Rust featuresWeb Server with Actix
HTTP server with routing, middleware, and database integration
Skills you'll learn:
Chat Server
Multi-client chat server using async networking
Skills you'll learn:
Database ORM
Simple ORM with query building and migrations
Skills you'll learn:
Image Processing Tool
Apply filters and transformations to images
Skills you'll learn:
Key-Value Store
Persistent key-value database with indexing
Skills you'll learn:
Web Scraper
Concurrent web scraper with rate limiting
Skills you'll learn:
System Monitor
Monitor system resources with real-time updates
Skills you'll learn:
Compression Tool
File compression using various algorithms
Skills you'll learn:
Network Proxy
HTTP/HTTPS proxy with filtering and logging
Skills you'll learn:
Game Engine Core
2D game engine with entity-component system
Skills you'll learn:
Advanced Projects
Systems programming masteryOperating System Kernel
Minimal OS kernel with memory management and scheduling
Skills you'll learn:
Compiler Frontend
Lexer, parser, and AST generator for a programming language
Skills you'll learn:
Distributed Database
Distributed key-value store with consensus and replication
Skills you'll learn:
WebAssembly Runtime
WebAssembly virtual machine with JIT compilation
Skills you'll learn:
Blockchain Implementation
Proof-of-work blockchain with smart contracts
Skills you'll learn:
Graphics Renderer
Software-based 3D graphics renderer with shaders
Skills you'll learn:
Container Runtime
Docker-compatible container runtime with isolation
Skills you'll learn:
Memory Allocator
Custom memory allocator with different strategies
Skills you'll learn:
Network Stack
TCP/IP stack implementation from scratch
Skills you'll learn:
Machine Learning Framework
Neural network framework with GPU acceleration
Skills you'll learn:
Rust Development Resources
Official Resources
Popular Crates
Development Tools
🚀 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