Regular Rust code uses references almost exclusively. (Unless you're working in kernel space or building fancy data structures.)

The big difference between C++ and Rust is what happens when you get something wrong. C++ has lots of undefined behavior and nasty surprises for the unwary. (I led a C++ project for a decade and saw it all.) In Rust, if you get something wrong, the compiler typically refuses to compile it. Which is also very frustrating, but the frustration is all up front.