If you want to write your entire web app in Rust — frontend and backend — you're looking at two options: Leptos and Dioxus. Both let you build reactive UIs with Rust. Both compile to WebAssembly. Both will make you question why JavaScript exists.
But they take different paths to get there.
The Core Difference
Dioxus uses a virtual DOM. It's familiar if you've used React — you describe what the UI should look like, and Dioxus figures out the minimal changes to make.
Leptos uses fine-grained reactivity. No virtual DOM. When state changes, only the affected DOM nodes update. Directly.
This isn't a religious debate. It's a tradeoff:
- Dioxus: Easier to reason about, more community examples, multi-platform (web, desktop, mobile, SSR)
- Leptos: Smaller bundle sizes, faster updates, HTML-like syntax some find more readable
Signals: The Common Ground
Both frameworks built their reactivity systems around signals — observable values that trigger UI updates when changed. This is borrowed from SolidJS, and it's the right abstraction.
// Leptos
let (count, set_count) = create_signal(0);
view! { <button on:click=move |_| set_count(count() + 1)> {count()}</button> }
// Dioxus
let mut dioxus_count = use_signal(|| 0);
rsx! { <button onclick={move |_| *dioxus_count.write() += 1}> {dioxus_count()} </button> }
The syntax differs, but the mental model is the same. You have reactive primitives, you mutate them, the UI updates.
Performance: The Numbers
Leptos tends to win on raw performance — fine-grained updates mean less work when something changes. Dioxus has to diff the virtual DOM first.
But "tends to win" is doing heavy lifting here. For most apps, both are fast enough that the difference won't matter. The more honest answer: Dioxus is more mature, with a larger ecosystem, more examples, and better documentation for edge cases.
The Multi-Platform Question
Here's where Dioxus pulls ahead if you need it: Dioxus runs everywhere.
- Web (CSR and SSR)
- Desktop (via Tauri)
- Mobile (iOS, Android)
- LiveView-style server rendering
Leptos is primarily focused on web and SSR. Desktop support exists but isn't as polished.
If your goal is a Tauri app that works on mobile too, Dioxus has the lead.
If your goal is a fast web app and you don't need mobile, Leptos is simpler and often faster.
The Hidden Cost
Both frameworks require buy-in to their ecosystem. You're not just picking a UI library — you're picking a way of building apps.
- Leptos prefers its own router, its own SSR solution, its own everything
- Dioxus similarly, though it's more flexible about integrating with other Rust web stacks
This matters less than you think. Both are solid. But once you pick one, switching costs real time.
My Take
If you're starting fresh in 2026 and want to build a web app in Rust:
- Choose Dioxus if you want the safer bet — more examples, more contributors, mobile support, bigger ecosystem
- Choose Leptos if performance is critical and you're building primarily for the web
The gap is closing. Both are excellent. The "wrong" choice doesn't exist — the wrong choice is waiting for a consensus that won't come.
Start building.