Best 17 Discord Alternatives & Competitors for Group Chats | 2023

Discord is a communication platform primarily designed for gamers, but it has also gained popularity among various other communities. It allows users to communicate via text, voice, and video in private chats or as part of communities known as "servers."

When considering alternatives to Discord, it's vital to pinpoint your exact requirements. Instead of going into a direct, feature-by-feature comparison in this blog, we'll present a selection of 17 potential alternatives that, in our view, are the best options available. Some of these are paid services, while others are free. Here is our curated list of top Discord alternatives.

Stork

Stork is AI-Based Collaboration platform for Hybrid and Remote Teams. It offers rich media messaging, advanced video and voice conferencing, auto-transcribing and screen sharing. Stork is a great Discord Alternative because its Channels are voice and video enabled. It offers audio and video calls, voice calls, video chat, simple user interface, voice messages, file sharing, group video calls, voice and text chat, voice recording and a Free Plan. In Stork one can create public and private channels with superior sound and quality and intuitive user interface. This is one of the best Discord alternatives that also includes video conferencing solutions.

1. Workspaces and Channels: Users can create or join Workspaces (servers in Discord terms, basically groups or communities), and within these workspaces, they can create different text and voice channels for various topics or purposes. This is handy for large communities or groups who want to have separate spaces for different discussions or activities.
2. Voice and Video Channels: Stork offers low-latency voice and video channels that are ideal for real-time communication. These voice and video channels can stay open indefinitely, allowing users to drop in and out as they please.
3. Direct Messages: Users can also send private, direct messages to one another, or create private groups for small-scale conversations outside of workspaces (servers).
4. Screen Sharing and Video Calls: Stork allows users to share their screens or host video calls in both workspaces and private calls.
5. File Sharing: You can easily share files by dropping them into the conversation. Files can also be searched and viewed directly within Stork.
6. Speech-to-Text: Stork transcribes all voice and video conversations automatically and provides AI generated summary for all video and voice meetings inside Stork and over Call My Link feature (Zoom alternative built into Stork).
7. Searchable History: Conversations in Stork are searchable. All conversation: text, voice, video. You can search for specific content or files within the platform.
8. Screen Sharing and Screen Recording.
9. Cross-platform Compatibility: Stork is available on various platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and web browsers.
10. Free to Use: With Stork's basic plan a team can do a lot. Stork is free to download and use.
    

Steam Chat

Steam Chat is an online messaging and voice chat application for gamers. This is similar in nature to Discord since Steam's interface is very similar to the one found on Discord so the Discord replacement will be perfect. Voice & Chat channels are the same on Steam and Discord.

Troop Messenger

Troop Messenger is an easy communication and collaboration tool for small, midsize teams and for larger teams. The Troop Messenger has no searchable messaging history, but resembles Slack. It provides an additional option where teams may send and respond instantaneously and instantly. Unlike traditional info sharing utilities, instant chat is able to reduce time and increase productivity, in addition to improving decision quality. In addition, all communications will be recorded and cited. The software can be used remotely during an event without having to physically put the team together at the same location.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is another alternative to Discord. It is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent chat, video meetings, file storage (including collaboration on files), and application integration. It's part of Microsoft's Office 365 suite of tools. Here's an overview of its features:

1. Chat and Team Channels: Microsoft Teams offers both private chat and group chat options, along with the ability to organize chats into different channels for better organization. This can be useful for separating different topics or projects.
2. Meetings and Video Conferencing: Teams supports audio, video, and web conferencing, with features like scheduling assistance, note-taking, screen sharing, and meeting recording. Users can schedule video meetings and invite internal or external guests.
3. Collaboration on Office Documents: Teams is integrated with Office 365, so you can collaborate on Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote files within the Teams platform. Changes made to the documents are synced in real-time.
4. Integration with Other Apps: Microsoft Teams can be integrated with many other applications, both from Microsoft and third-party companies. For example, it can be integrated with Outlook for email and calendaring, and with SharePoint for document and content management.

Chanty

Chanty is a team collaboration tool that's designed to simplify business communications and increase team productivity. It's a messaging and team chat tool where teams can collaborate, exchange files, and hold audio and video calls. Features often include threaded conversations, task management, and integration with other productivity tools.

HeySpace

HeySpace is a project management tool that combines features of team communication software and task management platforms.

In HeySpace, you can create separate spaces for different teams or projects, chat with your team members in a chat-like interface, and turn any part of your conversation into a task with just one click. It also allows you to track the time spent on specific tasks, which can be helpful for teams that bill by the hour or that want to better understand how they're using their time.

Features often include chat functionality, task management, task tracking, time tracking, and the ability to comment on tasks. It can be useful for team collaboration, especially in remote or distributed teams.

Slack

Slack is a channel-based messaging platform used by businesses of all sizes to help teams collaborate. It provides a platform where people can communicate, share, and make decisions together. Here's an overview of its features:

1. Channels: In Slack, conversations are organized in channels, which can be created for different topics, teams, or projects. Channels help keep conversations organized and accessible.
2. Direct Messages: For more private conversations, you can use direct messages to chat with another person or a small group.
3. Integrations: Slack can integrate with a large number of third-party services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Zoom, Microsoft Office, etc.
4. Video Conferencing: You can start voice or video calls directly from within Slack. Larger meetings can be set up through integrations with services like Zoom or Google Meet.

Mumble

Mumble is an open-source, low-latency, high-quality voice chat software primarily intended for use while gaming. You can talk to your friends on a Mumble server using a desktop client or a smartphone application.

Here are a few features and aspects of Mumble:

1. Open Source: Mumble is free and open-source software, meaning it's freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.
2. Low Latency: Designed for gaming, Mumble provides low-latency communication, which allows for near real-time conversations. This is especially important in games where timing is critical.
3. High Quality Audio: Mumble uses a low-bandwidth, high-quality audio codec to provide clear communication.
4. In-game Overlay: Mumble offers an in-game overlay feature to show you who is talking while in the game.
5. Positional Audio: One of the unique features of Mumble is its positional audio support. This feature changes the audio perspective based on your position in the game. For example, if someone is to your left in the game, their voice will also come from the left.

Flock

Flock is a team communication and collaboration tool that's designed to help teams communicate faster and more efficiently. It's often compared to tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Chanty. Here's an overview of its features:

1. Channels and Direct Messages: Flock allows you to create different channels for various teams, projects, or topics. You can also send direct messages to individuals or smaller groups.
2. Video Conferencing: Flock offers built-in video conferencing functionality, which you can use for team meetings, one-on-ones, or quick discussions.
3. File Sharing and Search: You can share files directly within your conversations and search through your conversations and files to find what you need.
4. Integrations: Flock can be integrated with other tools, such as Google Drive, Asana, Trello, and more. This can help streamline your workflows.
5. To-dos and Reminders: Flock also includes features to help with task management, like the ability to create to-do lists and set reminders.

Like other team collaboration tools, the goal of Flock is to provide a central place where teams can communicate, share files, and work together more efficiently.

Overtone

Overtone is a social voice chat app designed for gamers and eSports fans. It aims to provide high-quality voice chat while maintaining a low-latency communication experience, which is crucial for real-time gaming.

Key features often include:

1. Community building: Overtone emphasizes building communities. You can create teams within the app, making it easier to manage and chat with your gaming friends or teammates.
2. High-quality audio: The platform is designed for clear and stable voice communication, providing high-quality audio.
3. Low latency: As a gaming-focused app, Overtone is engineered to deliver low-latency voice chat to avoid delays in communication during gameplay.
4. Text and voice chat: Alongside voice chat, Overtone also supports text chat, offering users different modes of communication.
5. Group chat and direct messages: You can communicate with your entire team at once or send direct messages to individual members.
   

RaidCall

RaidCall is a free, low-latency voice chat software primarily intended for group communication, particularly in the gaming community. It was very popular among gamers as it provides a way for them to communicate in real-time while playing online multiplayer games. Here are some features of RaidCall:

1. Voice Chat: RaidCall offers high-quality voice chat with low latency, making it ideal for real-time gaming.
2. Group Chat: You can create chat groups for your gaming teams, where you can communicate during games.
3. File Sharing: Users can share files with each other within the group chat.
4. Overlay: RaidCall features an in-game overlay that displays who is talking, which is helpful in multiplayer games where communication is key.
5. Flexible Group Sizes: RaidCall supports groups of virtually any size, making it a good choice for large gaming communities.
6. Free to Use: RaidCall is free to download and use, which adds to its appeal among gamers.

However, it's worth noting that the development and maintenance of RaidCall were discontinued around 2015, and the software may no longer be available or functional.

Skype

Skype is a telecommunications application that provides video chat and voice call services, allowing users to communicate with peers by voice, video, and instant messaging over the Internet. It also offers services like file transfer and video conferencing. Skype is available on computers, smartphones, tablets, and many smart TVs and gaming consoles.

Here are some of the features of Skype:

1. Voice and Video Calls: You can make voice or video calls to other Skype users. Skype also provides a paid service to call mobile and landline numbers.
2. Group Calls: Skype supports group voice and video calls, making it a useful tool for virtual meetings, webinars, or just keeping in touch with a group of friends or family.
3. Instant Messaging: In addition to voice and video calls, Skype allows users to send instant messages to other Skype users.
4. File Sharing: Users can send files, photos, and videos of any size over Skype. This can be done during a call or as a standalone message.
5. Screen Sharing: Skype includes a screen sharing feature, which can be particularly useful for presentations or technical support.
6. Skype Numbers: For a fee, users can purchase a Skype Number, a phone number that others can call, which is then forwarded to your Skype account.
7. Skype to Go: This service allows you to call people all over the world from any phone at Skype's low rates.
8. Translator: Skype includes a real-time translation feature for various languages, which can translate both text chat and voice calls.

Ventrilo

Ventrilo is a proprietary voice-over-IP (VoIP) software that allows users to communicate with each other via voice chat. It's particularly popular among gamers, as it allows for real-time communication while gaming, which is particularly useful in team-based or cooperative games. Its features include:

1. Low Latency: Ventrilo is designed to have very low latency, meaning there's very little delay between when someone speaks and when others hear it. This is crucial for real-time communication in games.
2. High Audio Quality: Ventrilo uses a high-quality audio codec to deliver clear voice communication.
3. Customizable User Interface: Users can customize the interface to suit their needs.
4. Voice Channels: Users can create separate channels for different conversations. This can be useful in games where there are multiple teams, or when you want to have a private conversation.
5. Text-to-Speech: Ventrilo includes a text-to-speech feature, which can read out text messages in voice channels.
6. Positional Audio: With the positional audio feature, Ventrilo can adjust the audio based on your position in a game. For example, if a player is to your left, their voice will come from the left.

Viber

Viber is a free, cross-platform voice over IP (VoIP) and instant messaging (IM) software application operated by Rakuten, primarily available on mobile devices but also available for desktop systems. Here's an overview of its features:

1. Voice and Video Calls: Viber allows users to make free voice and video calls to other Viber users on any device and network, in any country.
2. Messaging: Users can send free messages that include text, photos, and videos to other Viber users.
3. Group Chat: Viber offers group chat capabilities, where you can create and participate in group conversations with up to 250 other users.
4. Stickers and GIFs: Viber includes a wide array of stickers and GIFs that users can send in their chats.
5. Viber Out: This is a feature that allows users to make calls to non-Viber landline and mobile numbers at low rates.
6. Security: Viber uses end-to-end encryption, which means that messages, calls, photos, and videos are encrypted on the sender's device and can only be decrypted by the recipient's device.
7. Public Accounts: Businesses, brands, celebrities, and more can create public accounts, which Viber users can follow for updates and news.
8. Shopping: Some regions have a shopping feature in Viber, where users can search, browse, and purchase items from various brands without leaving the app.

Riot

Riot (also known as Element) is an open-source, decentralized chat application built on the Matrix protocol. It's designed to provide secure communication with end-to-end encryption, and it can be used for both private and group communication.

Here are some of the features of Riot:

1. Interoperability: Riot allows users to communicate with others even if they're using different chat services, thanks to the underlying Matrix protocol.
2. Decentralization: Users can choose to host their own servers or use a hosted solution. This decentralization allows for more control over data.
3. End-to-End Encryption: Riot supports end-to-end encryption for secure communication, ensuring that only the intended recipients can read the messages.
4. Group Chats and Communities: Riot supports group chats, and you can create communities based on your interests or teams.
5. File Sharing and Collaboration: Riot allows for file sharing and collaboration, and it also integrates with several other third-party services.
6. VoIP Calls: Riot supports voice and video communication.
7. Open Source: Riot's open-source nature allows anyone to review its code, contribute to development, or modify it for their own use.

Tox

Tox is an open-source, decentralized messaging system and voice over IP protocol, intended to provide secure communication channels. It was developed in response to increasing concerns about the privacy of established communication platforms. Features of Tox:

1. Secure Communication: Tox provides end-to-end encryption as a default and mandatory feature, ensuring that only the intended recipient can read the messages.
2. Peer-to-Peer Network: Tox uses a peer-to-peer network instead of central servers. This means that no central server has access to your personal data (like who you're chatting with or what you're saying).
3. Multiple Communication Methods: With Tox, you can send text messages, engage in voice calls, or video calls. You can also send file transfers to your contacts.
4. Group Chats: Tox supports group chats so you can talk with multiple friends at the same time.
5. Profile Customization: You can set your avatar and choose a status message to be displayed to your contacts.
6. No Ads or Tracking: As an open-source project, Tox doesn't have any ads and doesn't track user behavior.
7. Cross-platform: Tox clients exist for a variety of platforms, meaning you can chat with friends regardless of what operating system they (or you) are using.
8. Open Source: Tox's source code is open for anyone to view and contribute to, making it a community-driven project.

Wire

Wire is a secure messaging app that provides end-to-end encryption for text messages, voice and video calls, and file sharing. It's open-source and available for personal use, as well as in a premium version for businesses. It's designed to work on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers.

Here's an overview of its features:

1. End-to-End Encryption: Wire provides end-to-end encryption for all communications, which means that only the sender and recipient(s) can read the messages. Even Wire itself can't access the content of your messages.
2. Voice and Video Calls: You can make voice and video calls to other Wire users, either one-on-one or in groups.
3. File Sharing: Wire allows you to share files with your contacts. These transfers are also encrypted.
4. Group Chats: You can create group chats with multiple Wire users. This is useful for team collaboration or chatting with a group of friends.
5. Screen Sharing: Wire supports screen sharing during video calls, which can be handy for presentations or collaborative work.
6. Timed Messages: You can send messages that disappear after a set period of time. This can be useful for sensitive information.

It's important to note that while Wire offers free accounts for personal use, some features are only available in the premium version, which is geared toward businesses and organizations.

Why use Discord alternatives?

Discord is one of the better ways to communicate but it is not perfect. Although originally created as an online gaming service, Discord has no professional reputation. The game controller icons or stickers can cause misunderstanding and may be perceived as lacking in professionalism. Do you have an app that integrates Discord workflows? Often you have to seek help from an outside company to integrate other applications like Trello or Asana into Discord.

What Discord alternatives are best for your business?

Discord can be a useful and affordable solution for businesses of all sizes depending on their business needs. The product list reveals many features. Some are simply replacements for telephone calls while the rest have complete integrated communication software. You should consider your options first if you want more information. Small business needs differ too. For businesses with just five employees, there are some free option options available. Naturally, if you plan to have tens of thousands of attendees, you will need to choose a cheaper option.

FAQ

What is safer than Discord?

Telegram has been around since the late 90s as an instant messaging service offering encrypted messages with high privacy for users. This program supports sharing video or photos without restrictions. There are therefore incredibly good Discord alternatives.

What was popular before Discord?

Until the release of Discord, TeamSpeak was an important choice to talk to players. When the TeamSpeak was broken up and exploded, the majority had abandoned TeamSpeak. Discord has the advantage of being able to use a much-developed API to communicate.

Who is discords main competitor?

Overtones. Overtone combines the best voice and text chat apps with the best gaming functionality. This is made up of VIVOX – the most reliable voice system within the game industry and a very popular voice interface.

Is there a free version of Discord?

Is Discord costing a lot to make? Discord is freely available, but there are subscription services that can expand file upload size and the kinds of emoji users can post.

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