Open Source Discord Alternatives for Linux

There are many alternatives to Discord for Linux if you are looking for a replacement. The best open source Linux alternative is Element. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Element or Mumble. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Discord and many of them are open source and available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source Linux alternatives to Discord are Signal, Zulip, Matrix and Jami.

filter to find the best alternatives

Discord alternatives are mainly Group Chat Apps, but if you're looking for Instant Messengers or Encrypted Chat Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Online, iPhone, Chrome OS, Open Source, Self-Hosted, Screen Sharing and Self-Hosted + Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Discord.
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Alternatives list

  1. Element icon
     804 likes

    Provides secure collaboration with end-to-end encryption, supporting chat, voice, and video calls. Available on all major platforms, it enables digital sovereignty with a decentralized design and interoperability through bridges to systems like Slack and Teams. Includes enterprise-grade SaaS.

    321 Element alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Matrix.org
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    • Snapcraft
     
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    20
  2. Mumble icon
     490 likes

    Free, open source voice chat featuring low-latency, high quality audio, secure encrypted communication, self-hosting options, in-game overlays, positional audio, scripting support, low resource usage, and robust user permission controls for gaming and collaboration.

    62 Mumble alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • iPhone
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
     
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    15
  3. Stoat Chat icon
     128 likes

    Instant messaging platform supporting text and voice channels, live video calls, secure screen sharing, private group chats, customizable permissions, moderation tools, bot integration, privacy-focused design, open-source development, and cross-platform use.

    64 Stoat Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Rust
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
     
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    12
  4. Signal icon
     1397 likes

    An open-source messaging app emphasizing privacy with encrypted communication. Share texts, calls, photos, and videos without ads or trackers, available across major platforms. Developed by Signal Technology Foundation and praised globally for security measures.

    226 Signal alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu
    • Debian
     
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    3
  5. Zulip icon
     269 likes

    Threaded group conversations combine live and asynchronous messaging, separating topics for organized collaboration, supporting open-source, cloud, and self-hosted deployments, secure communication with encryption, and multi-platform access for diverse teams.

    235 Zulip alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • F-Droid
     
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    15
  6. Matrix icon
     400 likes

    Open standard protocol enabling decentralized, encrypted instant messaging, VoIP signaling, IoT device connectivity, and persistent data management across federated servers without central control or single points of failure, bridging communication platforms.

    179 Matrix alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • WebRTC
    • Python
    • JavaScript
    • Go (Programming Language)
    • Cloudron
    • Java
    • Perl
     
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    4
  7. Jami icon
     246 likes

    Open source decentralized communication platform supporting secure end-to-end encrypted calls, messaging, group conferencing, file and media sharing, SIP compatibility, multi-device sync, and strong privacy, available across desktop and mobile systems.

    168 Jami alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
     
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    2
  8. Fluxer icon
     35 likes

    Free and open-source instant messaging and VoIP platform with private DMs, group chats, markdown, file sharing, video calls, screen sharing, moderation tools, quick search, custom emojis, CSS themes, AGPLv3 self-hosting, and multi-device access.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
     
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    1
  9. Spacebar icon
     25 likes

    Open source group chat, voice, and video platform with self-hostable private servers, Discord compatibility, extensible plugin and theme system, end-to-end encryption, support for multiple instances, and community-driven development offering high flexibility.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
     
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    1
  10. RetroShare icon
     163 likes

    Open source, decentralized platform enabling encrypted chat, secure voice and video calls, anonymous file sharing with swarming, censorship-resistant forums, channels, link sharing, and offline messaging. Uses OpenPGP and OpenSSL for robust privacy and security.

    142 RetroShare alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
    • OpenPGP
     
  11. Rocket.Chat icon
     160 likes

    Open-source chat server supporting real-time group, direct, and private messaging, video calls, file sharing, helpdesk chat, API integrations, desktop notifications, emojis, LDAP authentication, cross-platform apps, and customizable extensions for teams.

    149 Rocket.Chat alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
     
  12. FluffyChat icon
     40 likes

    Encrypted messenger supporting multi-platform access, unlimited group and private chats, file and voice message sharing, decentralized operation, open-source code, custom themes including dark mode, advanced moderation, push notifications, and no advertisements.

    195 FluffyChat alternatives

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Snapcraft
    • Matrix.org
    • Flathub
    • Ubuntu Touch
    • F-Droid
     
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    1
12 of 36 Discord alternatives