10 Popular Discord Alternatives for Better Communication (2025)

Not finding Discord as a perfect fit because of concerns over privacy, security, or feature limitations? No worries, as many Discord alternatives are present on the web designed specifically for gaming communities, social groups, and even businesses.

If you are looking for free Discord alternatives, good Discord alternatives, or apps like Discord, there are plenty of choices available that offer similar or even better functionalities, depending on your needs. Now, it is up to you to assess your requirements and choose the one that suits you.

I have created this guide to enlist and explain the top 10 best platforms like Discord so you can chat and engage with others.

Discord is a popular communication platform for communities, friends, and groups to connect and collaborate.

Users can interact via text, voice, and video, and also provides features like file sharing, screen sharing, and live streaming. Originally popular among gamers, Discord has expanded to cover communities of all sorts: study groups, hobbyists, professional teams, and more.

It works using “servers,” which are like individual hubs or chatrooms. Each server can have multiple channels dedicated to specific topics, making it easy to organize discussions. You can join public servers or create private ones for your personal use.

It’s available on desktop, mobile, and web browsers, and it’s free to use, though it offers a premium subscription called Discord Nitro for additional perks like higher-quality video and custom emojis.

While most people search for Discord alternatives Reddit, many other dedicated platforms are also available. I have explained the top 10 options here, including other apps like Discord and websites like Discord.

1. Slack – Best for professional teams

Slack is one of the best alternatives for workspaces and professional communication. It was designed to improve team collaboration and is widely used in workplaces. Some of its key features include:  

• Organized conversations through channels  
• Integration with productivity tools like Google Drive, Monday, and Zoom  
• File sharing and easy collaboration  
• Strong moderation and user role management  

Comparison with Discord

Unlike Discord, Slack is built for structured professional teams rather than open gaming communities. If you need a platform for work or study groups, Slack is an excellent choice.  

2. Microsoft Teams – Best for enterprises and large groups

Secondly, I have placed Microsoft Teams in this rundown on the best Discord alternatives. It is another corporate focused platform that excels in business and education settings. Its major benefits include:  

• Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 apps  
• High quality video and voice conferencing  
• Strong security with end to end encryption  
• Channel based discussions similar to Discord  

Comparison with Discord

Though primarily designed for professionals, Microsoft Teams can also serve as a community platform for those who need structured communication like students. Therefore, it is often classified among the best Discord alternatives for school.

3. Telegram – Best for privacy and simplicity

Telegram is counted among the best Discord alternatives free. It is a cloud based collaboration messaging app and is widely famous for its speed, security, and ease of use. While it does not offer dedicated servers like Discord, it has several advantages:  

• End to end encrypted chats for secure conversations  
• Support for groups of up to 200,000 members  
• Group voice and video chats that work like Discord’s voice channels  
• Support for bots to manage communities and automate tasks  

Comparison with Discord

Telegram is an excellent choice for users who prioritize privacy while still needing a platform for large group discussions.  

4. Guilded – Best for gaming communities

Guilded is one of the best Discord alternatives for gamers as it offers similar features to Discord with additional tools. Thus, gaming communities can have an exciting and customized experience. This platform provides:  

• High quality voice chat with lower latency  
• Tournament organization tools for esports teams  
• Advanced role customization and moderation features  
• More free features compared to Discord’s Nitro subscription  

Comparison with Discord

Guilded is ideal for gaming communities that search for a more powerful and feature rich alternative to Discord.  

5. Mumble – Best for low latency voice chat

Next, Mumble has secured its position in this rundown because of its extremely low latency and high voice quality. That’s why it is considered as one of the better Discord alternatives open source. Some of its standout features include:

• High performance voice chat for competitive gaming  
• End to end encryption for secure communication  
• Self hosting options for better privacy  
• Lightweight software that runs smoothly on most systems  

Comparison with Discord

Mumble lacks the text based communication features of Discord, but is perfect for users who need high quality and real time voice chat.

6. TeamSpeak– Best for secure voice messaging

TeamSpeak is a voice chat software that offers features like high quality voice, channel management, and secure server hosting. It is often used as Discord alternatives for gaming to communicate with other players on the same team. 

• No central servers to ensure private and unmonitored conversations  
• Strong encryption for both text and voice communication  
• Open source and completely free to use  
• Simple and lightweight interface  

Comparison with Discord

TeamSpeak is among the similar sites like Discord with screen share features. Also, it is a great choice for users who value privacy above all else. 

7. Element – Best for open source and decentralization

Element is a cloud based collaboration and messaging platform built on the Matrix protocol and offers users a greater control over their data. It is particularly popular among those looking for an open source alternative. Some of its notable features include:  

• Decentralized communication across different Matrix servers  
• End to end encryption for secure chats  
• Cross platform compatibility with Slack, Discord, and Telegram  
• Self hosting options for those who want full control over their data  

Comparison with Discord

Element is the best Discord alternatives self hosted and is ideal for communities and organizations that need a secure and customizable communication platform.  

8. Ventrilo – Best for classic gamers

Ventrilo was one of the first widely used voice chat Apps like Discord for gamers before Discord became popular. While it has lost some of its user base, it still offers several advantages:  

• Extremely lightweight and low-resource usage  
• Simple interface that is easy to set up  
• High quality voice communication with minimal lag  
• Self hosting options for private servers  

Comparison with Discord

Ventrilo is still used by some old school gaming communities who prefer its simplicity and reliability. That’s why it is also referred to as the best Discord alternatives for kids.

9. Skype – Best for casual voice and video calls

There is no need to introduce Skype as it is the most popular voice and video chat service. No matter how many other platforms are launched, it remains a viable alternative to Discord for personal use. Its key features include:  

• Free group video and voice calls with up to 100 participants  
• Screen sharing for presentations or gaming  
• Integration with Microsoft services like Outlook  
• Available on desktop, smartphones, and web  

Comparison with Discord

While Skype is not ideal for large community servers, it remains a good choice for personal conversations and small group chats.  

10. Steam Chat – Best for gamers using Steam

Lastly, I am ending this list of the best Discord alternatives by placing Steam Chat. It is Valve’s built-in messaging service that provides an easy way for gamers to communicate. While it lacks some of Discord’s advanced features, it offers several benefits:  

• Integrated with Steam Friends to allow seamless communication with gaming buddies  
• Group voice chat functionality similar to Discord  
• Low system resource usage, which makes it ideal for gaming  
• No additional software required, as it is built into Steam  

Comparison with Discord

Steam Chat is a convenient alternative for Steam users who mainly need a platform to chat with friends while gaming.  

These are the details about the best Discord alternatives you should try in 2025. While there are numerous ones available on the web, not all of them are secure and possess the required features. That’s why I have enlisted the top 10 best platforms like Discord after performing research and using them.

Whether you’re looking for Discord alternatives for gaming, Discord alternatives for voice chat, or a Discord competitor, there is an alternative that suits your requirements. Just understand their aspects and pick the most suitable option.