Discord AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Group Chat Apps

The best Group Chat alternative to Discord 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 loads of them are Group Chat Apps so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Group Chat App alternatives to Discord are Signal, TeamSpeak, Telegram and Zulip.

filter to find the best alternatives

Discord alternatives are mainly Group Chat Apps, but if you're looking for Instant Messengers or Video Calling Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Online, iPhone, Chrome OS, Open Source, Self-Hosted + Open Source, Windows Phone and Self-Hosted. 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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Get a badge for your siteDiscord alternatives page was last updated Sep 7, 2026

Element
837 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.
353 Element alternatives
Cost / License
Free Personal
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Snapcraft
Matrix.org
Flathub
F-Droid
Cloudron
OpenAPK
United Kingdom
+3
Good alternative?Is Element a good alternative to Discord?

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20comments
Element vs Discord Comments

Top Positive Comment
kaspian
Dec 29, 2022
8
Much better, no censorship, decentralized and End to end encryped!
Top Negative Comment
Guest
Jan 21, 2020
40
Voice features are just lacking too far behind or practically non existent compared to discord. No channels, no audio wizards setup or even basic settings like volume control or open mic threshold settings, no push to talk. It's very very barebones. If it were to have Mumbe's voice features instead of Jitsi's it would be a discord killer.
coffee415
Positive commentApr 3, 2026
0
Element is an excellent alternative for highly technical users that would like to migrate away from Discord. It is not for your average user. I strongly advise against Element if you're just an average Joe using Discord. I work in the technical department, and I still find it frustrating to set up.
3 of 20 comments
Element is Free Personal and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Element is an Instant Messenger Discord is a Video Calling App
Element is Decentralized, Privacy focused and LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Mumble
493 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.
73 Mumble alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Group Chat
Encrypted Chat
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
iPhone
BSD
iPad
Self-Hosted
Snapcraft
Flathub
PortableApps.com
Haiku
Germany
EU
+8
Good alternative?Is Mumble a good alternative to Discord?

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15comments
Mumble vs Discord Comments

Top Positive Comment
scottfrost
Jul 14, 2025
4
Mumble doesn't support screen sharing, which is a critical feature of Discord
Top Negative Comment
Julien Beauvais
May 27, 2018
4
Mumble are for real time communication not differed and persistent chat like Discord.
coffee415
Positive commentApr 3, 2026
1
Mumble is an excellent alternative to Discord for gamers who need a lightweight VoIP app. It doesn't support all of the features that Discord has. It's not exactly a 1:1 alternative, but if you need something to talk to your gaming buddies, this is the one.
3 of 15 comments
Mumble is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Mumble is a Group Chat Discord is a Video Calling App
Mumble is Lightweight and Privacy focusedDiscord is not according to our users
Stoat Chat
145 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.
82 Stoat Chat alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Group Chat
Instant Messenger
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
Android Tablet
Rust
F-Droid
United Kingdom
+3
Good alternative?Is Stoat Chat a good alternative to Discord?

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14comments
Stoat Chat vs Discord Comments

Top Positive Comment
Gruak
May 30, 2022
9
Revolt has much better privacy policy, is open source, and therefore much more trustworthy.
Top Negative Comment
Wizzrimp
Feb 10, 2025
-1
cant make a damn invite link
Alejandro V.
Positive commentAug 31, 2026
0
Yes, I tried both. Similar plafform for communications
3 of 14 comments
Stoat Chat is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Stoat Chat is a Group Chat Discord is a Video Calling App
Stoat Chat is Privacy focused, Lightweight and CustomizableDiscord is not according to our users
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Virola Messenger
Secure self-hosted platform unites private and group messaging, voice and video meetings, meeting recording, file transfer, issue tracking, screen sharing, remote control, and flexible permissions for on-premises collaboration in...

https://virola.io
Learn More
Signal
1465 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.
254 Signal alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
iPad
Snapcraft
Android Auto
Flathub
Ubuntu
Debian
OpenAPK
United States
+6
Good alternative?Is Signal a good alternative to Discord?

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4comments
Signal vs Discord Comments

Raygen
Negative commentFeb 16, 2026
0
chat app. Not call / videocall communities app.
coffee415
Negative commentApr 3, 2026
0
Signal is an amazing application for instant messaging, but it is not a direct alternative to Discord.
Guest
Negative commentMar 16, 2026
1
Signal is more aimed for one-on-one chats and small groups, rather than communities with multiple chatrooms.
3 of 4 comments
Signal is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Signal is an Instant Messenger Discord is a Video Calling App
Signal is Privacy focused, Security-focused and LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
TeamSpeak
217 likes
Embrace lag-free, secure voice chats with TeamSpeak, offering cross-platform compatibility and low CPU usage. Enjoy advanced audio controls, push-to-talk, in-game overlay, and security-focused privacy features, tailored for gamers seeking seamless communication.
79 TeamSpeak alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Group Chat
Encrypted Chat
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Flathub
Cloudron
Germany
EU
+1
Good alternative?Is TeamSpeak a good alternative to Discord?

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7comments
TeamSpeak vs Discord Comments

Top Positive Comment
usernamehere
Oct 18, 2016
6
Choose whether you want to host your own server for free or rent. Better permission system than discord.
Top Negative Comment
RemovedUser
Mar 2, 2018
8
servers are self-hosted, it focuses on voice chat, android app is paid
coffee415
Positive commentApr 3, 2026
0
TeamSpeak, solely for its VoiP quality is the best alternative to Discord. People migrated to Discord to experience something more than TeamSpeak. Yes, Discord did deliver, but not with the same voice quality and stability that TeamSpeak does.

TeamSpeak 3 is a gold standard and I would recommend it to any gamer who needs a stable VoIP app.
3 of 7 comments
TeamSpeak is Freemium and ProprietaryDiscord is also Freemium and Proprietary
TeamSpeak is a Group Chat Discord is a Video Calling App
TeamSpeak is DecentralizedDiscord is not according to our users
Telegram
2127 likes
Maximize your messaging experience with efficient communication, speedy delivery, and optional end-to-end encrypted Secret Chats. Engage in unlimited channels and groups up to 200,000 members. Enhance chat management and media sharing with Telegram Premium and its exclusive benefits. All core features remain free.
324 Telegram alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
United Arab Emirates
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
HUAWEI AppGallery
iPad
Apple Watch
Android Auto
Linux Mobile
Android Wear
PortableApps.com
FreeBSD
Apple Car Play
United Arab Emirates
+9
Good alternative?Is Telegram a good alternative to Discord?

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13comments
Telegram vs Discord Comments

Top Positive Comment
MrLegit
Feb 10, 2026
2
Telegram is NOT privacy focussed!
Top Negative Comment
Rizowski
Dec 30, 2019
6
Telegram is more akin to whatsapp than discord. Discord would be closer to mumble, teamspeak or ventrilo.
Draco18s
Negative commentJun 19, 2026
0
JFC Telegram is awful.

No/bad privacy focus (account is hard linked to phone number, get a new number, fuck you; phone number is automatically shared publicly and you can't turn that off without first signing in, which will automatically alert anyone who has your number in their contacts list that you created an account; Two-factor auth is essentially one-factor: it sends a Telegram message to you, or a txt to the phone number you signed up with, which is presumably the device you are using Telegram ON, someone steals your phone, fuck you)

No actual "servers" in the discord sense. It's all ad-hoc groups and DMs, all of which are sorted by "most recent message." While groups CAN have channels, the UI for them sucks donkey ass (someone reacted to your message? have that notification forever until you switch from channel mode to hashtag mode and back again).

muting a group doesn't actually keep it out of your "server list" it just shows the unread messages in gray instead of blue. You have to "archive" the group for it to actually get fucked off to the "I don't care" bin.

Not decentralized

3 of 13 comments
Telegram is Freemium and ProprietaryDiscord is also Freemium and Proprietary
Telegram is an Instant Messenger Discord is a Video Calling App
Telegram is LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Zulip
275 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.
252 Zulip alternatives
Cost / License
Free Personal
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Group Chat
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
iPad
Self-Hosted
F-Droid
United States
+4
Good alternative?Is Zulip a good alternative to Discord?

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15comments
Zulip vs Discord Comments

Top Positive Comment
Geobomatic
Oct 31, 2025
1
Zulip approach instant messaging in an innovative way, a hybrid between pure IM and old fashioned forum. It helps keeping the messages organized and not jumble around many discussion in the same flow
Top Negative Comment
Raygen
Feb 16, 2026
0
Business oriented, Slack alternative not Discord alternative. No native voice calls, no native video calls , no screensharing, no bots or gamery customizations, etc...
coffee415
Negative commentApr 3, 2026
0
Zulip is a business/enterprise platform, more relevant to being an alternative to Slack and the like. Not Discord.
3 of 15 comments
Zulip is Free Personal and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Zulip is an Instant Messenger Discord is a Video Calling App
Zulip is Privacy focused and LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Matrix
417 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.
198 Matrix alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Group Chat
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
WebRTC
Python
JavaScript
Go (Programming Language)
Cloudron
Java
Perl
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is Matrix a good alternative to Discord?

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5comments
Matrix vs Discord Comments

Top Positive Comment
luananeder
Apr 26, 2024
1
The protocol has the potential to be a good Discord alternative.

Issue is the clients are almost all awful, which makes the UX horrible. So not a feasible alternative, at least not until a good app appears.
Top Negative Comment
somegirlfromit
Dec 1, 2022
10
Matrix.org is a transport protocol. Discord is chat software. Matrix is no more software than Discord is a protocol.
cum
Negative commentSep 5, 2026
0
mostly a protocol, also for ex-discord users, it's pretty slow and doesn't integrate features quite well, it's more of a p2p/group focused app, not for communities/servers, seek IRC if you want something lighter
3 of 5 comments
Matrix is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Matrix is an Instant Messenger Discord is a Video Calling App
Matrix is Decentralized, Privacy focused, Security-focused and LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Fluxer
46 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.
30 Fluxer alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Group Chat
Origin
Sweden
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Self-Hosted
Android
Flathub
Sweden
EU
Good alternative?Is Fluxer a good alternative to Discord?

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1comment
Fluxer vs Discord Comments

Oli-6253
Positive commentFeb 14, 2026
1
only open-source app that has almost all the features of Discord
Fluxer is Freemium and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Fluxer is Privacy focused and CustomizableDiscord is not according to our users
Jami
249 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.
183 Jami alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
Canada
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Canada
+9
Good alternative?Is Jami a good alternative to Discord?

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2comments
Jami vs Discord Comments

RemovedUser
Positive commentApr 6, 2019
8
Decentralized, end-to-end encrypted, and ironically works better than other services that I have used. I'm not sure if it has group calls, though.
coffee415
Negative commentApr 7, 2026
0
Jami is not an alternative do Discord because it is a team/business/enterprise software collaboration app.
Jami is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Jami is an Instant Messenger Discord is a Video Calling App
Jami is Decentralized and Privacy focusedDiscord is not according to our users
Jitsi Meet
292 likes
Open-source video conferencing platform with encryption by default, up to 75 participants, live group chat, HD audio, screen and document sharing, Etherpad editing, mobile and browser support, custom deployment options, privacy-first features, and community-driven development.
177 Jitsi Meet alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Group Chat
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Apple Watch
F-Droid
United States
Good alternative?Is Jitsi Meet a good alternative to Discord?

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1comment
Jitsi Meet vs Discord Comments

brickelt963-altto
Positive commentFeb 21, 2026
0
Jitsi is a great videoconferencing software, the only thing that's a shame is the connection is only possible either via Google or Github (Microsoft). It's not even possible to create an account directly on Jitsi. Fortunately I go through Framatalk (from Framasoft). At least I know where my data is.
Jitsi Meet is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Jitsi Meet is Privacy focused, Security-focused and LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Slack
881 likes
Offers unified communication for teams with advanced real-time messaging, contextual features, versatile chat tools, and organized conversations in dedicated channels with integrated file sharing on Mac, Windows, Linux, and mobile platforms for enhanced productivity.
265 Slack alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Group Chat
Team Collaboration
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
iPad
Electron
Software as a Service (SaaS)
United States
+7
Good alternative?Is Slack a good alternative to Discord?

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9comments
Slack vs Discord Comments

Top Positive Comment
OAKSIF0
Jun 1, 2020
0
Has the same chat features, is more secure than discord, lets you call.
Top Negative Comment
Guest
Mar 8, 2019
28
Many features discord has are paid in Slack, it's a horrible alternative targeted for businesses
Sumit C
Positive commentMay 12, 2026
0
Slack has a more polished UI when compared to Discord. The only problem I see is the rate limit of one message per second when using the API post call.
3 of 9 comments
Slack is Freemium and ProprietaryDiscord is also Freemium and Proprietary
Slack is a Group Chat Discord is a Video Calling App

12 of 110 Discord alternatives

Discord AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Group Chat Apps

Alternatives list

Element

Cost / License

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Origin

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Element vs Discord Comments

Mumble

Cost / License

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Mumble vs Discord Comments

Stoat Chat

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Stoat Chat vs Discord Comments

Signal

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Signal vs Discord Comments

TeamSpeak

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TeamSpeak vs Discord Comments

Telegram

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Telegram vs Discord Comments

Zulip

Cost / License

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Zulip vs Discord Comments

Matrix

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Matrix vs Discord Comments

Fluxer

Cost / License

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Fluxer vs Discord Comments

Jami

Cost / License

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Jami vs Discord Comments

Jitsi Meet

Cost / License

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Origin

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Jitsi Meet vs Discord Comments

Slack

Cost / License

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Origin

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Slack vs Discord Comments