Discord is an extremely popular platform for communities and gamers, who use it to collaborate, join groups, and share information quickly. But not all of its users are content with the program and are looking for the top Discord alternatives that meet their expectations.
In this article, we explore our list of the best Discord alternatives to find your perfect match.
Why use a Discord alternative?
The attractive design and their passion for gaming are two primary reasons why people utilize Discord however, it’s always a good idea to explore other options other than Discord. We’re not saying it’s a bad thing, but it’s not the most ideal option for organizations and businesses since it’s restricted to a specific group of gamers.
Here are a few reasons to consider looking at Discord alternatives.
- Not-so-professional UI
- No self-hosting available
- Frequent server raids
- Chat-bombing
- No robust integrations
- Privacy concerns
Top 10 Discord Alternatives
1. Slack
Slack is a communication tool for employees that is a well-known method to establish social media online. Although crypto enthusiasts and gamers frequently make use of Discord, Slack is popular among professional communities.
Slack offers a variety of well-known features that make the best Discord alternatives. You can create forums for various types of discussion and send announcements to the entire community and hold video and voice calls, and use powerful notification controls. The threads that are available in Slack are an excellent way to organize conversations and are more readable than Discord’s versions.
When you create your community on Slack, you’re using an external platform. It has its advantages in that people are already familiar with this tool, but also disadvantages, like it being difficult to remove the Slack branding or to customize your community.
Slack offers a free plan that has limitations on integrations and saved message history. Plans for Pro begin at $6.67 per month.
Also read: How to Stream Netflix on Discord: An Easy Guide
2. Teamspeak
Teamspeak is one of the fantastic Discord alternatives for gamers. It is a tool that specializes in voice or video chat made possible via VoIP and is utilized at professional competitions.
The players can take advantage of a variety of options that make it suitable for high-end gaming. They include low latency, minimal use of resources, and military grade security.
The in-game chat is crystal clear thanks to the reduction of background noise, the background, and Echo cancellation. Permissions settings help allow you to be in control, permitting you to choose who is allowed to talk and join the channels. It is accessible on all major mobile and desktop devices.
For basic community building, it’s best to choose one of the other options we have listed. However, Teamspeak is a great choice for those who want a top-quality video and audio solution. Prices start at $55 per year for an annual license for a virtual server that has 64 slots.
3. Chanty
Chanty is a collaboration tool for the workplace. It’s an excellent Discord choice if searching for a solution that will allow collaboration in your workplace or with remote teams.
The program has strong video conferencing capabilities, so you can interact face-to-face. Screen sharing allows you to be present in real-time to allow other people to be able to observe what you’re doing. Video capabilities can handle 4K and up to 1000 participants. It is also possible to send messages using text or audio.
The tool is distinctive thanks to the task management features that improve productivity. You can convert emails into task lists, establish deadlines, and share your work. This feature lets you replace an application such as Asana or Trello, or Discord.
Chanty offers a no-cost plan that allows up to ten team members. The paid plan costs $3 per month for each user and includes unlimited calls for groups, integrations, and more.
4. Mumble
Mumble is a completely free tool that provides high-quality, low-latency audio chat. It is a great alternative to Discord to use for gamers and is used by anyone looking for the most reliable option for group voice chats.
The app can handle hundreds of users at once and has high-quality audio. Additionally, it comes with a variety of privacy and permissions features that will protect your chats.
The most appealing thing about the tool? The tool is free for download and usage. The drawback? It’s not as user-friendly as Discord, and you’ll need to learn how to configure the software, even though there’s a wizard available to assist. The program also does not include the community-building features similar to those found in other programs listed on this list.
5. Skype
Skype may not appear to be an ideal Discord competitor, however, it’s worth a look when all you need is the capability to conduct video calls and send texts to people you are familiar with.
It’s primarily a tool for video, but with many pertinent options. Screen sharing and group video calls with up to 99 people, and the capability to change your background. Skype is an excellent platform for chatting with colleagues, joining study groups, and collaborating effectively in the workplace.
Skype isn’t equipped with any of the features that the community members of Discord provide, like threads and servers. However, the app has advantages that Discord does not have, like the capability to make calls using audio to any phone number, which allows you to talk with other users who don’t use the application.
You can connect to Skype through an app or on the internet, which makes it extremely accessible. It’s also completely free to use, much like Discord.
6. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a solid alternative to Discord, ideal for connecting organizations, though it’s versatile enough for anyone to use.
The app comes with a variety of options, including areas, video chat and text chat, and voice calls. It also offers powerful web conferencing that includes the capability of sharing screen, capturing, personalizing the background, and even chatting during the call.
The primary reason you should use Teams over other programs that are listed is their near integration with Office 365. If you spend the majority of your time in applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams, then it will be an ideal choice because of features such as the capability to collaborate and open documents on documents within the program.
The free version of Microsoft Teams supports meetings with up to 100 participants and provides each user with 5 GB of storage. Paid versions start at $4 a month.
7. Telegram
Telegram is a messaging app that offers features that are focused on privacy. All messages sent through the platform are secured, making the messages safe from hackers. It is also possible to make sensitive messages self-destruct after a set time period, so users won’t be able to view the messages after that period.
There’s something more in Telegram than privacy-related features, however. Chat groups can be created with 200,000 or more members — enough to accommodate all but the most massive communities. It can also be used to upload files up to four GB. Some Discord alternatives come with fewer restrictions on file sharing and storage.
Telegram is completely free to use. There’s an upgraded version that unlocks features such as 4GB file uploads for files, speedier downloads, stickers, and improved chat management.
8. Steam Chat
Steam Chat is an online communication platform integrated into Steam. It’s one of the best Discord alternatives for gamers on the platform and they don’t want to change to a different application.
The software comes with plenty of gaming features. Friend lists make navigating your social connections simple. You can highlight your top people or arrange your list according to those who are playing various games. It’s also simple to create chat rooms and channels for teams using this list.
Voice features allow users to speak clearly in games. They are also secure because the data is transferred via Steam servers, not P2P networks.
The tool is completely free to anyone who has a Steam account. It can be accessed through Steam’s Steam client, browser on the web, or Android and iOS mobile applications. Steam Chat isn’t available Steam Chat outside the platform, however.
Also read: Top 10 YouTube Alternatives for Streaming
9. Mattermost
Mattermost is a free collaboration tool specifically designed by developers. It comes with features you’ve come to apps like Discord, including channels and communication, however, it also adds additional features like tasks and project management.
The cool thing concerning Mattermost is that since it’s an open-source platform, you can decide to run it on your server. However, the company also provides cloud-based deployments if you prefer to have someone else handle the servers.
The program has a variety of integrations with third-party software used by developers. These integrations can be used to create workflows that automate essential tasks, ranging from tasks like creating Jira tickets using Mattermost messages to the ability to find GIFs by using the /gif command. If you’re not able to find the integration you want, then you can develop your own.
Mattermost offers a free plan for small groups. Paid plans start at $10 per month per user.
10. Flock
Flock is a messaging system that helps you manage your company easily. This tool permits users to create channels for different departments or teams. They can be made public, either private or public, and also invite members of your team who are relevant to the mission.
The program comes with integrated video conferencing. This lets you communicate with groups of up to 20 people, which makes it a great tool for communicating with your group. You can also share your screen on these calls to help clarify important information. You can leave your voice message that will explain your ideas in the event that you are unable to hold an appointment in real time.
Flock also comes with productivity tools. It lets you create lists of tasks, which are helpful if you are using the chat app in a working environment, and file sharing options that let you share documents up to 100 MB. For larger files, you can take advantage of the integration of third-party cloud services like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, and Dropbox.
The tool comes with a no-cost plan that allows unlimited users and 10 channels that are public channels. The premium plan costs $4.50 per month and includes advanced features, such as video conference calls for groups and the ability to search for unlimited messages.
Ending Point
Although Discord is a favorite option for streaming to small audiences because of its screen sharing feature, voice chat, and text chat, there are Discord alternatives available that could be better suited to specific streaming requirements.
For business or team use, Microsoft Teams and Slack provide robust video chat and collaboration tools to suit professional settings.
If you’re in search of Discord alternatives that are specifically tailored to streaming, platforms such as Zoom or Chanty might offer the ideal combination of features that will provide seamless streaming.
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