Guilded
Built specifically for gamers and communities, with calendars, scheduling, tournaments, voice chat, and rich server customization. It's very similar to Discord but adds gaming-focused tools. Completely free with no premium tiers required for core features.\nMatrix (via clients like Element) Decentralized, open-source protocol with end-to-end encryption by default. Supports rooms (like servers), voice/video calls, bridges to other platforms, and self-hosting. It's more privacy-secure and federated (you can join servers across instances), though the UI/learning curve can feel less "fun" than Discord for casual use.
Strong Voice-Focused / Gaming AlternativesTeamSpeak
Classic low-latency VoIP with excellent audio quality, strong encryption, and server customization. Still popular among gamers for performance. Self-hostable or use public servers; very lightweight compared to Discord.
Mumble
Open-source, extremely low-latency voice chat with positional audio (great for games). Minimalist but high-quality; excellent for privacy-conscious groups. Self-hostable and free.
Other Notable OptionsSlack or Microsoft Teams — Better for professional/work teams with integrations, file sharing, and structured channels. Less ideal for casual gaming hangouts.
Signal or Telegram — Great for secure, encrypted messaging (Signal especially), but voice/video is more basic and lacks full server/channel structures.
Zulip — Threaded conversations (unique UI), good for organized discussions, open-source, and supports voice.
Rocket.Chat — Open-source, self-hostable Slack/Discord hybrid with video calls and integrations.
If privacy or avoiding centralized control/ID checks is your main concern, Stoat, Matrix/Element, or self-hosted Mumble/TeamSpeak stand out right now. For pure gaming similarity, Stoat or Guilded are the easiest transitions.What kind of community or features are you looking for (gaming, friends hangout, work, privacy-first, self-hosted)? That can help narrow it down further!","offTopic":false},{"id":"8c4908d9-c7be-4e1f-aed5-1bec3b2e95e6","excerpt":"Discord Alternatives — ##### TLDR:\nMy suggestion would be to check out [Fluxer](https://fluxer.app/) (desktop + mobile webapp) or [Nerimity](https://nerimity.com/) (Desktop + Android) and if neither of those work out for you then check out [GameVox](https://www.gamevox.com/) (all platofrms) or [Stoat](https://stoat.cha","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/1r5catk/discord_alternatives/","role":"pricing","weight":1.0469898,"occurredAt":"2026-02-15T11:23:54.000Z","sourceKey":"reddit","sourceName":"Reddit","credibility":0.62,"venue":"degoogle","intent":"pricing_complaint","painScore":0.27164757,"sentiment":0.7586207,"confidence":0.8233333,"matchedPatterns":["free_tier","manual_process"],"statement":"(please let me manually organize the channels in a guild matrix!).","title":"Discord Alternatives","body":"##### TLDR:\nMy suggestion would be to check out [Fluxer](https://fluxer.app/) (desktop + mobile webapp) or [Nerimity](https://nerimity.com/) (Desktop + Android) and if neither of those work out for you then check out [GameVox](https://www.gamevox.com/) (all platofrms) or [Stoat](https://stoat.chat/) (Desktop + beta mobile apps)\n\n---\n### Preamble\nI have seen a lot of complaining about discord (rightfully so) and asking about what alternatives there are so I've made this list and will do my best to update with any good suggestions but this really does just come down to my personal taste. (apps in the same category not in any particular order.)\n\n---\nFor clarity's sake I will be using unified language throughout regardless of what the specific platform calls something.\n- Channel = Individual text/voice chats or rooms\n- Guild = communities/groups/clubs i.e. discord \"servers\"\n- Server = The software that is being run on a machine somewhere remote that is actually hosting the guild/channel.\n### My top picks\n- [Fluxer](https://fluxer.app/) (open source) (desktop + mobile is web app only at this time)\n\t- Pros\n\t\t- Good UI and intuitive for discord users.\n\t\t- Voice, video, and screen share support\n\t\t- Comprehensive free tier. With access to all features while self hosting.\n\t\t- Easy to make and customize guilds\n\t- Cons\n\t\t- No mobile apps at this time\n\t\t- Docs are really just non existent at this time\n\t\t- Helping out on the github is limited at this time (dev is testing on a major refactor before more active community development can take place)\n\t\t- Self hosting is not suggested at this time (will have more support soon)\n- [Nerimity](https://nerimity.com/) (open source) (desktop + android)\n\t- Pros\n\t\t- Good UI and intuitive for discord users.\n\t\t- Voice, video, and screen share support\n\t\t- No paywalled features\n\t\t- NSFW content fully banned (if you don't like that sort of thing)\n\t- Cons\n\t\t- NSFW content fully banned (if you like that sort of thing)\n\t\t- No iOS app\n\n### Runners up\n- [GameVox](https://www.gamevox.com/) (**Closed Source**) (Desktop)\n\t- Pros\n\t\t- Good UI and intuitive for discord users.\n\t\t- Voice, video, and screen share support\n\t\t- Easy to make and customize guilds\n\t\t- No email required for sign up.\n\t- Cons\n\t\t- Private company\n\t\t- Free guilds limited to 50 members, 3 voice channels, 8 text channels, and 2gb of file storage\n\t- Other\n\t\t- Subscription features are per server not per user. Free tier is likely sufficient for guilds just between friends tho.\n- [Stoat](https://stoat.chat/) (open source) (Desktop + beta android and iOS apps)\n\t- Pros\n\t\t- Good UI and intuitive for discord users.\n\t\t- Self hostable\n\t\t- Easy to make and customize guilds\n\t- Cons\n\t\t- No video or screen share at this time\n\t\t- The servers struggling under new user influx so sign up verification is slow (10+hrs for me) and app runs a bit slowly.\n\t\t- The iOS app is especially rough in its beta (android feels good tho)\n\n### These are options too\n- [Matrix](https://matrix.org/) (Open Source) (all platforms on multiple clients)\n\t- Matrix is really a server backend. There are many clients available for it but I would personally suggest [element](https://element.io/en).\n\t- Pros\n\t\t- Federated\n\t\t- Multiple client options\n\t\t- Voice, video, and screen share support\n\t- Cons\n\t\t- Some concerning metadata collection issues and historical ties that seem almost conspiracy theory level but I just don't have the capability to disprove any of the concerns [Here](https://hackea.org/notas/matrix.html)\n\t\t- Definite learning curve coming from discord.\n\t\t- Guilds are not the most featureful or intuitive. (please let me manually organize the channels in a guild matrix!).\n\t\t- It seems like mod tools are not the best from what I'm reading.\n- [Root](https://www.rootapp.com/) (**Closed Source**) (all platforms)\n\t- Pros\n\t\t- Voice, video, and screen share support\n\t\t- Easy to make and customize guilds (some ui learning curve coming from discord)\n\t\t- NSFW content fully banned (if you don't like that sort of thing)\n\t- Cons\n\t\t- NSFW content fully banned (if you like that sort of thing)\n\t\t- Odd feeling UI\n\t\t- They got big venture capitol invest last year and are a private company so they will do their best to extract maximum shareholder value.\n- [Chanty](https://www.chanty.com/): More aimed towards slack type people, also download is only available on Microsoft store for windows and my windows version doesn't have that so I cant really test it out.\n- [Rocket.Chat](https://www.rocket.chat/): Must be self hosted or subscription to make any guild. (free to join others guilds)\n- [Mattermost](https://mattermost.com/): Really really not aimed at gamers or clubs or communities. It's probably good if you want to get your workplace off of microsoft teams tho.\n- [TeamSpeak](https://www.teamspeak.com/en/): Free to make an account but guilds must be self hosted or subscription.\n- [Slack](https://slack.com/intl/en-in/): I ain't even gonna try this one. It ain't it chief.\n- MicrosoftTeams: This ain't it either fellas.\n### Not ready yet\n- [Spacebar](https://spacebar.chat/): I want this to be ready so badly but it just needs some more time in the development. Reverse engineered discord, open source and self hostable (not really any vc at this time).\n\n### Not really the same type of software but in my search on random internet articles I have seen recommended so here they are.\n- [Tox](https://tox.chat/index.html): Not really comparable feature wise. Aimed at secure private messaging between individuals mostly, no guilds just group chats.\n- [Mumble](https://www.mumble.info/): Just for voice chat not text or community guilds.\n- [Ventrilo](https://www.ventrilo.com/index.php): Also really just a voice chat platform.\n\nEdit: added nerimity and fluxer and moved matrix down.\nEdit: full reformatting and some additional community feedback added and expansion on the apps listed without pros and cons in the works","offTopic":false},{"id":"a1b0ff2a-fb3d-4d5f-a920-4fbee06a9bee","excerpt":" — But I remember when Discord began, I was actually the person who got around 10~ people onboarded onto the platform back in 2015-2018, because I simply thought it was the best way to communicate with a group of people or single person, in multiple ways like text, voice and video, with extremely low friction to do all","url":"https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46959116","role":"pain","weight":0.8405667,"occurredAt":"2026-02-10T12:58:17.000Z","sourceKey":"hackernews","sourceName":"Hacker News","credibility":0.7,"venue":"news","intent":"problem_report","painScore":0.51,"sentiment":0.25,"confidence":0.5566667,"matchedPatterns":["terrible"],"statement":"Matrix would be the one I would love most to succeed, but everytime I used Matrix and Element, it's been a massive struggle, encryption constantly breaks (still), joining rooms still fails, rooms are spread about randomly, either stan…","title":null,"body":"But I remember when Discord began, I was actually the person who got around 10~ people onboarded onto the platform back in 2015-2018, because I simply thought it was the best way to communicate with a group of people or single person, in multiple ways like text, voice and video, with extremely low friction to do all of these things. Eventually the hold-outs joined too on their own volition, and that was because of network effects.
A platform does not start growing because of network effects, that's what keeps a platform alive and growing later on, but it starts its growth because people really prefer it to the alternatives (which back then for me was Skype and TeamSpeak).
Nowadays I'm not too happy with Discord anymore, some of it because of enshittification, but most of it is me being spoiled by what we already have, and being used to having this huge centralized (as in, can handle lots of different activities without switching to another platform) social tool that does everything I want it to, without me having to think about it at all.
Thing is, the alternatives, are not as good as Discord, and it really isn't close enough for me. Matrix would be the one I would love most to succeed, but everytime I used Matrix and Element, it's been a massive struggle, encryption constantly breaks (still), joining rooms still fails, rooms are spread about randomly, either standalone or in the new Spaces, searching for rooms is usually broken except on the large matrix.org instance, recently a bunch of rooms migrated because the event syncing completely failed and the decentralized state was broken. Not to mention the contant CSAM attacks (Does anyone know why this happens so much on Matrix? Is it really only because of the bad moderation and the fact that it auto-downloads the illegal images? Just feels so disappointing...).
I really hope we get a really good Discord alternative, maybe even an open-source and decentralized one, if possible. I would really rather not jump onto another proprietary platform.","offTopic":true},{"id":"1b7813f9-429d-4b72-8b73-fbf12065b888","excerpt":"Change my mind: There is no good alternative to Discord (yet?) — There is no alternative which offers:\n\n* (group) voice chat, (group) text chat, live screen sharing, permission system\n* easy selfhosting with docker\n* open source\n* respects privacy (looking at you matrix)\n* decentralized at best\n* costs nothing\n\n \nChec","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/selfhosted/comments/1r5stz9/change_my_mind_there_is_no_good_alternative_to/","role":"demand","weight":0.8641291,"occurredAt":"2026-02-15T22:59:07.000Z","sourceKey":"reddit","sourceName":"Reddit","credibility":0.62,"venue":"selfhosted","intent":"alternative_search","painScore":0.27,"sentiment":1,"confidence":0.68041664,"matchedPatterns":["alternative_to"],"statement":"Change my mind: There is no good alternative to Discord (yet?).","title":"Change my mind: There is no good alternative to Discord (yet?)","body":"There is no alternative which offers:\n\n* (group) voice chat, (group) text chat, live screen sharing, permission system\n* easy selfhosting with docker\n* open source\n* respects privacy (looking at you matrix)\n* decentralized at best\n* costs nothing\n\n \nChecked: \n\n* XMPP based services\n* Matrix\n* Stoat\n* Mattermost","offTopic":false},{"id":"5e39975a-f8e7-4921-b5ac-99b1be0006fe","excerpt":" — I was considering making a similar list since I was very interested in checking out alternative chat programs, but I have to say this list isn't that good. A lot of the alternatives here aren't ACTUALLY Discord alternatives.
Most people use Discord for its community features and being able to join massiv","url":"https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46959167","role":"pain","weight":0.7888762,"occurredAt":"2026-02-10T13:02:40.000Z","sourceKey":"hackernews","sourceName":"Hacker News","credibility":0.7,"venue":"news","intent":"problem_report","painScore":0.41714287,"sentiment":-0.14285715,"confidence":0.5566667,"matchedPatterns":["manual_process"],"statement":"It's not a platform, you need to register and login to each server manually.","title":null,"body":"I was considering making a similar list since I was very interested in checking out alternative chat programs, but I have to say this list isn't that good. A lot of the alternatives here aren't ACTUALLY Discord alternatives.
Most people use Discord for its community features and being able to join massive servers with 1+ million people, follow news, talk in forums, etc... It also has a lot of features people hand-waive like a really good roles system, moderation and server management tools, a bot ecosystem, etc.
Signal is a Whatsapp alternative for 1-on-1 chats with friends and small groups.
Rocket chat is a Slack alternative for people wanting to host a server for a community. It's not a platform, you need to register and login to each server manually.
I haven't used Zulip but AFAIK it's like Rocket Chat.
Ditto on Mattermost.
Discourse is a forum.
Stoat is basically the only thing here that actually competes on Discord and it's really barebones. There isn't a genuine Discord alternative because it turns out it's really hard (and expensive!) to do what it does, kind of like a Youtube alternatives scenario.","offTopic":false},{"id":"cf800fdd-c171-4cf5-8092-274819e959af","excerpt":"Stoat: A Good Alternative to Discord? — I've been looking for alternatives to discord recently, but its been kinda hard. Most of them are either too corporate, unsafe(looking at you Matrix) or just outright bad
But then I found Stoat, and it seems almost like a 1:1 to discord, with a few differences:
1) it","url":"https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47069597","role":"demand","weight":0.7769315,"occurredAt":"2026-02-19T03:37:21.000Z","sourceKey":"hackernews","sourceName":"Hacker News","credibility":0.7,"venue":"news","intent":"alternative_search","painScore":0.27,"sentiment":1,"confidence":0.6117571,"matchedPatterns":["alternative_to"],"statement":"Stoat: A Good Alternative to Discord?.","title":"Stoat: A Good Alternative to Discord?","body":"I've been looking for alternatives to discord recently, but its been kinda hard. Most of them are either too corporate, unsafe(looking at you Matrix) or just outright bad
But then I found Stoat, and it seems almost like a 1:1 to discord, with a few differences:
1) it's hosted in europe, so has better privacy and follows good laws(looking at you, american cloud act)\n2) Open source\n3) May become federated, if the massive user demand is heard.
Is it worth it?","offTopic":false}],"breakdown":[{"sourceKey":"hackernews","sourceName":"Hacker News","count":4},{"sourceKey":"reddit","sourceName":"Reddit","count":2}],"total":6}}