Voice and text chat apps are widely used by both gamers and professionals around the world because they really streamline the workflow by allowing all team members to stay in real-time.
A good chat app can really make a big difference in the collective efforts of individual teams, which is why so many people use Discord.
However, if for some reason you don’t want to use Discord – be it the app’s less professional user interface or some other personal reason – there are several other apps out there that you can use.
To help you find a great app that you and your team can use, we’ve compiled a list of the best Discord alternatives (free and paid), each with its own pros and cons.
Best Discord Alternatives You Can Try
1. TeamSpeak 3
Long before Discord was a thing, many players relied on TeamSpeak for their in-game communication needs and many dedicated fans are still around. Like Discord, TeamSpeak 3 uses the Opus codec for low latency voicemail. As a longtime user of this service, I can attest to its capabilities as a great voice and text chat application.
TeamSpeak allows users to create custom servers for their needs, and other users can join those servers to communicate with each other about general topics – be it for gaming or performance. To keep your calls safe and private, TeamSpeak uses AES encryption which ensures that all your calls are safe from prying eyes.
Unlike Discord, you need to download the TeamSpeak client to use it on your device as it doesn’t have browser support. While TeamSpeak is free to use on multiple platforms, you will have to pay to set up a new server.
Supported platforms: Windows, Android, macOS, Linux, iOS
2. Mumble
Next on our list of the best alternatives from Discord, Mumble is an open-source VoIP platform also designed for low latency audio calls. Like TeamSpeak 3, Mumble requires a standalone client to run and does not include browser support, which many Discord users love about the service.
However, like Discord, Mumble is completely free and available on multiple platforms. Mumble also enables chat encryption, which is great for people who care about their privacy. The authentication feature prevents random people from entering your chat room, but it doesn’t offer DDoS protection like Discord. Mumble is also very efficient as it only uses up to 20kbps of your bandwidth to function properly, a feat Discord may not be able to accomplish.
Compared to Discord, Mumble’s sound quality is also quite good and has a voice positioning function that sets it apart from other VoIP programs and VoIP phone system
Supported Platforms: Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows
3. Overtone
Overtone is a user-friendly alternative to Discord that looks and feels a lot like its competitors. Based on Vivox, one of the best built-in voice chat services is used by popular games like Fortnite, PUBG, League of Legends, and others.
Overtone aims to bring exclusive technology straight to players around the world. Simple and easy to use, it doesn’t take up a lot of your system resources and is quite easy to set up. Like Discord, Overtone is free and includes most of the necessary voice and text chat features that support text messaging, voice chat, and group chat.
Apart from that, Overtone has several social features that let you connect with people with the same interests and find teams that play the same games.
Like Discord, you can also launch Overtone in a web browser so you don’t have to download a separate client for your communication needs.
Supported Platforms: Windows, Web
4. Steam Chat
Other alternatives to the hassle you can try are Steam Chat, Valve’s own messaging service, and voice chat for gamers. It’s also a great alternative if you don’t want to use Discord. The steam chat function is free to use. You can create your own group of friends and chat with them using text or voice chat.
In addition, to make it easier for everyone to join your group, Steam lets users share a unique URL (eg Discord) which they can click on and join directly to pre-created groups. With Steam, group admins can also assign members to roles that give them different levels of permission, including the ability to ban other members, manage group information, and set chat restrictions.
While Discord only allows one user to have a role on the server, Steam group members can take on multiple roles to moderate the group and its content.
Like Discord and Overtone, Steam Chat has a web client too. This means you can use the service without having to download Steam to your system first.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
5. RaidCall
RaidCall is another great free in-game VoIP app available for PC and mobile devices. The platform is fairly lightweight and doesn’t use as much system resources as some of the other apps on this list, although it supports up to 100,000 users in a group.
RaidCall has a number of features like voice recording, polling, messaging, noise reduction etc. And it even allows users to share links and files. The RaidCall server also supports customization which will allow you to make your server a full server. However, compared to Discord or Overtone, the user interface is not that easy to use.
The sound quality on RaidCall is quite acceptable but definitely doesn’t match up to Mumble or Overtone. However, if you are looking for the best alternative to disputes that include large groups, survey support, etc., then you should check out RaidCall.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
6. Ventrilo
Ventrilo is one of the best alternatives to lightweight Discord. This is a great option that offers low latency voice calls in a lightweight design that won’t interfere with your gaming.
The platform also has a client-server architecture with encryption for all communications on the platform to ensure data protection. Like Mumble, Ventrilo also offers a positional voice feature that adds depth to the voice chat and even allows users to customize the sound to their liking.
While the TeamSpeak folks find navigating the Ventrilo interface fairly easy, it may be a little tricky for beginners compared to services like Discord and Overtone.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android
7. Skype
If you’re not looking for bells and whistles, all of the above apps have to offer and you just want a simple, familiar service that gets the job done. Then you should consider Skype for your in-game communication needs.
The popular text and voice chat service is quite easy to use and has all the basic features you need to communicate with friends in groups.
Skype even allows users to share files in chats, as well as a video chat feature which may not be useful during gameplay but can be used when used in a professional setting.
It’s worth noting that Skype has a heavy load on system resources, which can affect your gaming experience depending on how your system is configured.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
8. Tox
If you’ve used Discord for anything other than gaming and you need a platform that’s a little more privacy-conscious then you should check out Tox. Tox uses military-grade encryption, which means that all your conversations on the platform are safe from prying eyes.
Tox is also quite easy to use and has a clean, but the dated interface, which you can get to grips within a few minutes. There’s support for text, voice, and video chats, as well as a nifty screen sharing feature that can come in really handy when you want to show your team something on your system.
There is also a file sharing feature which is also a great addition and makes Tox great for professional setups. What makes Tox so unique is the fact that there is no central server and the entire network is made up of users, so you don’t have to deal with server outages that could affect your workflow.
It’s worth noting that Tox is still under development, so you may encounter unexpected bugs.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
9. Riot.im
While Discord is a great app for gamers, it doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption, which means your calls aren’t as secure as you’d like them to be.
If you’re serious about privacy and looking for the best alternative to Discord that offers even better privacy, be sure to check out Riot.im – an end-to-end text and voice chat app. -Encryption. Riot.im is primarily designed for team collaboration, so it includes a number of tools that you can use to optimize your team workflow.
Riot.it is based on the Matrix open communication protocol and allows you to talk to anyone in the Matrix.org ecosystem. This can be very useful if someone you want to talk to uses another Matrix-based software.
Although Riot.im is not designed for gaming, it can also be used by gamers and allows users to share messages, pictures, videos and files of any kind into groups of any size.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Web
10. Slack
If you’re looking for the best professional alternative to Discord, check out Slack – a team messaging platform that’s very similar to Discord. The service has the same clean and simplified user interface as Discord, but aims for a more professional environment so you won’t find any games. Instead, you will find a number of useful features that can help you improve your job performance. However, if you’re looking for voicemail right away, you should consider a few other options.
Slack differs from Discord by providing integrations for more than 800 third party software used by businesses. You can also receive notifications about the software you use without opening the application.
Sharing files is also easier and more convenient on Slack, as uploads are limited to 1GB, while Discord only allows the sharing of files up to 8MB on the platform.
Slack is definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a business chat app that you won’t use while playing with friends.
Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS
Ready to Give These Discord Alternatives a Shot?
That completes our list of the best Discord alternatives for you to try. As you can see, there are a number of similar applications on the market, each with its own function, which you can use for gaming or in a professional environment.
While some of these apps are more gamer-focused (like Discord), others have great features that can help you with your Office workflow.
Of the many, I use TeamSpeak 3 the most because I’ve been using it for a long time and I’m just used to the user interface. However, if TeamSpeak doesn’t quite fit your needs, you can try one of the other Discord alternatives mentioned here.