Root is the closest all-around match
It has familiar hosted communities and a Discord-template import. Stoat is stronger when open code and self-hosting matter.
Best for: Gaming and hobby communities that want a familiar move
Root is the closest match for most gaming and hobby groups. Stoat is better if you want open code. Element is the strongest pick when your group must own its data and server.
Discord puts text channels, voice rooms, roles, bots, and events in one place. That mix is hard to replace. Yet a group may want more data control, a lighter communication app, or communication tools that feel less tied to gaming.
These seven Discord alternatives solve different parts of that problem. Root gives you the most familiar hosted setup. Stoat and Element give skilled admins more control. TeamSpeak and Mumble put voice first. Signal suits private groups. Telegram can hold a vast public group.
Start with the way your group talks each week. A raid team needs stable voice rooms. A fan group may need roles and moderation. The best Discord alternatives match that real need. They do not merely have the longest list of key features.
| Pick | Best for |
|---|---|
| Root | Closest overall match |
| Stoat | Best open-source choice |
| Element | Best for ownership |
| TeamSpeak | Best gaming voice |
| Mumble | Best free DIY voice |
| Signal | Best private groups |
| Telegram | Best very large groups |
What mattered most
Six needs matter most when replacing Discord: group structure, voice, control, privacy, moderation, and the full cost and effort of keeping a community running.
Age rules can change by country or server. Read the current terms before inviting a minor.
Closed apps and office-first work suites are not included. The seven picks are built for social, gaming, or hobby groups.
Why Microsoft Teams and Google Chat are not ranked Discord alternatives
Microsoft Teams and Google Chat are useful communication tools, but they solve a different problem. Microsoft Teams centers business communication, meetings, task management, and team communication. Google Chat centers workplace communication inside Google Workspace. Both support instant messaging, team chats, file sharing, voice and video calls, and mobile apps.
Their account and billing models also follow office needs. A Microsoft Teams free plan can work for a small team, while its paid plans add more business communication tools. Google Chat may come with a Google Workspace account, and Google Workspace paid plans can include more storage and admin controls. Google Drive handles much of its file sharing. These productivity apps suit internal teams, not the server-style community building most Discord users expect.
For internal teams, those collaboration features tie team chats to task management, project management, and team communication. Professional communities that need structured communication may still prefer these communication tools for real time communication.
Microsoft Teams has channels, screen sharing, video calls, and many third party integrations. Google Chat has spaces, group messaging, video calls through Google Meet, and links to task management and project management tools. Those key features support team communication for remote teams and professional use. They do not make either communication app a close alternative to Discord for public gaming communities.
We therefore did not use a ranked slot for Microsoft Teams or Google Chat. Choose Microsoft Teams when your group already lives in the Microsoft ecosystem. Choose Google Chat when your internal communication already runs through Google Workspace and Google Drive. For social groups, the seven Discord alternatives below offer a closer fit than these workplace communication tools.
Why compare Discord alternatives?
Discord remains useful for many groups. Its large user base, bot library, voice rooms, and familiar roles can make staying easier than moving. Discord users should not switch just to chase advanced features. A switch makes sense only when a real need is not being met.
Control is one common reason. A group may want to choose its server, domain, backup rules, or update schedule. Stoat, Matrix, TeamSpeak, and Mumble all offer a self hosting path. Matrix also supports decentralized communication between servers. Those choices reduce reliance on one company, but they put more duty on the admin. The group must know who can read server data, how often backups run, and what happens if the admin leaves.
Focus is another reason. Gaming groups may want quiet communication tools rather than feeds, pings, and many social features. TeamSpeak and Mumble fit that job. Privacy focused users may want secure messaging apps with E2EE, which points to Signal. A public publisher may need a broadcast channel and a group far larger than a normal server, which points to Telegram.
Age and moderation can also drive a move. Each service has different entry rules, reports, bans, filters, data collection practices, and owner powers. Self hosting does not remove the need for clear rules or sound data security. It makes the host more responsible for both. Before moving, write down the age range, expected group size, private channels, public links, and number of active moderators. If an app cannot support those basics, cross it off before the pilot.
How to choose without moving twice
List what would break if Discord went away tomorrow. It may be three voice rooms, five role-only channels, one event bot, and a way to ban spam. Use that list to judge each messaging app. No alternative to Discord needs all the features if it covers the work your group does.
Decide who will run the new home. A hosted app asks less of an owner. Self hosting gives more control, but someone must update the server, watch storage, make backups, and fix outages.
Check privacy at the room level. “Encrypted” can mean only that the link to a server is safe. Do not trust a vague “military grade encryption” claim. Check two factor authentication, device keys, and recovery rules too. Signal uses E2EE for chats and calls. Element supports encrypted rooms, though setup and bridges matter. Telegram's Secret Chats do not turn a large group into an E2EE room.
Test with a small group. Join through the desktop and mobile apps. Run voice and video calls, use screen sharing, try the messaging features, and test file sharing. Then try the additional features you truly need. A one-week pilot can expose a poor fit.
Root
Summary: Of these Discord alternatives, Root comes closest to a full Discord server. It has text, voice, and app channels. Owners can set roles, permissions, invites, and bans. Apps add tools such as a raid planner and message moderation.
Key features: Text chat, voice channels, private channels, roles, video calls, screen sharing, invites, and community apps.
Its Discord-template import can recreate a server's structure. This can save time with a large layout, but it is not a full data move. Members, messages, files, and bot data do not come over. Tell members what will be lost.
Root feels built for communities, not office teams. Voice channels support audio, video, and screen sharing. Roles can hide private rooms and give trusted members some control. The Root community guide covers its owner tools.
That mix makes Root useful for community building, though its smaller network may make it harder to recruit people who already use other chat apps.
Root is newer, with fewer bots and public guides than Discord. Some app tools are beta or need desktop setup. Its paid Sudo plan adds perks, and there is no single public price table for all possible features. Check the app before promising a free move.
Root is for ages 16 and up. A member who is 16 or 17 needs a parent or legal guardian to accept the terms for them.
What stands out
- Familiar mix of text, voice, roles, permissions, and invites
- Discord-template import can copy a server's basic layout
- Community apps add planning, tasks, and moderation tools
- No server upkeep for the group owner
What to know
- Import does not bring members or message history
- Newer platform with a smaller bot and member network
- Some app features are beta or set up from desktop
Stoat
Summary: Among open-source Discord alternatives, Stoat keeps the familiar server, channel, role, text, and call model. It is the new name for the chat project once called Revolt. People can use the hosted Stoat service or run an instance on their own hardware.
Key features: Public code, hosted access, self hosting, servers, roles, group messaging, and voice and video calls.
Stoat still acts like a community chat app. A capable admin can control the server, domain, files, and sign-up rules.
Self hosting calls for a server, domain, Docker, open ports, stored secrets, and updates. Voice and video add network needs. Admins must also act on security notices. If no one can own that work for years, use the hosted service.
Open source does not hide rooms from the server owner. A self-hosted admin controls that server. State who can access logs, backups, and account data.
For most US users, the minimum age is 13. Stoat lists higher ages for several countries, including 16 in some places. A self-hosted instance can set its own entry rules, but local law still applies.
Stoat has fewer apps, guides, and existing users than Discord. Still, it is the best pick here for familiar community chat with public code.
What stands out
- Open-source server and client projects
- Hosted service for easy entry, plus a self-host route
- Familiar servers, channels, roles, messages, and calls
- Self-host admins can set invite-only registration
What to know
- Smaller app and support network than Discord
- Self-hosting needs updates, backups, network work, and security care
- Privacy depends on the host and server policy
Element and Matrix
Summary: Element is one of the most flexible Discord alternatives for server control. It is a chat app built on Matrix, an open network for real-time messages and calls. The app and the network are separate parts. You can use Element with a public Matrix homeserver, pay a provider, or run your own server. When federation is allowed, people on separate Matrix servers can share a room.
Key features: Matrix rooms, spaces, threads, encrypted rooms, file sharing, voice and video calls, federation, and self hosting.
This model offers choices a single hosted app cannot. A club can change providers, an organization can keep a private server, and a public project can welcome people from many homeservers. Matrix and Element's core app are open source.
Element has rooms, spaces, threads, files, polls, voice messages, and calls. Rooms are often encrypted by default. Yet an admin can allow an open room, and a bridge may change who can read a message. Members must protect recovery keys.
The main cost is effort. “Homeserver” and “federation” can confuse people. A server also needs storage, abuse reports, backups, and updates. A managed host removes some work but adds a bill.
Age rules belong to the server, not only the Element app. The large matrix.org homeserver says users must be at least 18. Another provider may set a different rule. Check the homeserver terms before sending invites.
Element wins when server ownership matters more than a familiar layout.
What stands out
- Open app and open Matrix protocol
- Choice of public, managed, or self-hosted servers
- Federation can connect people across separate servers
- Strong encrypted-room features and no phone number needed by default
What to know
- New network terms can be hard for members
- Self-hosting takes real admin time
- Encryption can be weakened by room setup or outside bridges
- Minimum age depends on the homeserver
TeamSpeak
Summary: TeamSpeak leads the voice-first Discord alternatives. People join a server and enter a voice channel while they play. Detailed groups and permissions suit raids, matches, and role-play groups.
Key features: Low-delay live voice, detailed channel permissions, self hosting, rented servers, and strong audio quality.
TeamSpeak 3 lets a person self-host one free 32-slot server. Larger licenses cost money. TeamSpeak also sells hosted Community Servers. Its July 2026 plan table lists $4.99 a month for 10 slots plus one bonus, $8.99 for 25 plus two, and $17.99 for 60 plus four.
TeamSpeak 6 adds newer community and sharing tools, but its server release has still been described as beta. A group should check which client and server version a host uses. Do not buy a long plan just because a beta feature looks useful.
TeamSpeak is a voice system with community parts, not a full social feed. Text chat exists, but it is a weak home for guides, media posts, or a large public fan group.
Choose it when talking during play is the main job.
What stands out
- Voice-first design with detailed channel permissions
- Free 32-slot TeamSpeak 3 self-host path
- Self-hosted, rented, and official hosted choices
- Good match for clans, raids, and match teams
What to know
- Less useful for text-led public communities
- Larger servers and hosted plans cost money
- TeamSpeak 6 server details can still change during beta
Mumble
Summary: Mumble is one of the free Discord alternatives for a group that needs voice more than text. Its free, open-source Murmur server can run on your machine or a rented host. Mumble offers low-delay audio, channel permissions, and positional audio in supported games.
Key features: Low latency voice chat, positional audio, channel permissions, strong audio quality, and self hosting.
Mumble gives admins control without a paid license. It protects traffic between the client and server and uses certificate-based identity. The server remains part of the trust model, so this differs from Signal's E2EE groups.
Its lean design is good for people who want to click a room and talk. It is a poor match for posts, events, files, or bots. Mobile clients can be less smooth, so test the phones your members use.
Murmur still needs a host, updates, settings backups, and a person who can fix ports and certificates. A home computer can work, though home internet and power may hurt reliability.
Mumble wins when the goal is “voice rooms we control,” not public growth.
What stands out
- Free and open-source voice client and server
- Low-delay audio and strong channel permissions
- Self-hosting gives the group control over the server
- No paid license needed for more software slots
What to know
- Few tools for a text-led social community
- Mobile experience varies by client
- An admin must run or rent the server
- Transport encryption is not the same as E2EE group messages
Signal
Summary: Signal is the secure messaging pick among these Discord alternatives. It is a private instant messaging app, not a server platform. Every Signal message and call uses E2EE. Group chats can hold up to 1,000 members, and group calls can hold up to 75 people. The app is free and run by a nonprofit.
Key features: Secure messaging, group messaging, direct messaging, private group chats, video calls, and group calls.
For a close group, that simple shape is a strength. Members get replies, mentions, admin controls, group links, and disappearing messages. Admins can approve people who join through a link. Usernames can hide a phone number from new contacts.
A phone number is still needed to register. Signal has no public server list, rich roles, bots, or topic channels. One busy chat can become hard to follow.
Signal's minimum age is 13, though local rules may be higher. Encryption does not stop a member from saving a screen or sharing media.
Use Signal when members know one another and private chat matters more than public growth.
What stands out
- E2EE for all messages and calls
- Free app with no ads
- Groups up to 1,000 and calls up to 75
- Simple group links and admin approval controls
What to know
- Phone number required for registration
- No server-style channels, roles, bots, or public discovery
- One large chat can become noisy
Telegram
Summary: Telegram is the largest-scale messaging app among these Discord alternatives. Its groups hold up to 200,000 members, while channels can have unlimited subscribers. Groups offer topics, replies, pinned posts, admin roles, anti-spam tools, bots, voice chats, and file sharing.
Key features: Very large groups, group messaging, media sharing, file sharing, admin roles, bots, and live voice rooms.
Telegram works through mobile apps, desktop apps, and the web. Cloud history follows a member across devices. The Telegram FAQ explains its group limits and privacy model. An unlimited-subscriber channel does not mean unlimited users in a group; Telegram caps groups at 200,000.
Normal private and group chats are cloud chats. They are encrypted between the app and Telegram's servers, but they are not E2EE. Secret Chats are one-to-one and tied to specific devices. Do not call a Telegram group readable only by its members.
Telegram needs a mobile number, though a user can hide it from members. Public groups can draw scams. Admins should use two-step verification, clear posting rights, and several trusted moderators.
Telegram suits reach and broadcasts, not content that must be hidden from the service operator.
What stands out
- Groups up to 200,000 and channels with unlimited subscribers
- Topics, admin roles, anti-spam tools, bots, and live audio rooms
- Fast cloud sync across many devices
- Free core service
What to know
- Normal group chats are not E2EE
- Phone number needed to create an account
- Public groups need active scam and spam control
A safer plan for leaving Discord
Do not close the old server on day one. A slow move gives you time to find missing tools.
1. Map the old server. List active channels, roles, bots, files, rules, and owners. Remove rooms no one uses. 2. Pick one clear need. State why the group is moving and which new app meets that need. 3. Check data rules. Decide what can be copied, what must be deleted, and what should stay in a read-only archive. Do not scrape private messages without permission. 4. Build a small version. Add only key rooms, rules, roles, and two or three trusted moderators. 5. Run a pilot. Invite a small mix of phone and desktop users. Test voice, posts, files, bans, and account recovery. 6. Post a move guide. Give members the official app link, age rule, privacy note, and date when the old server will become read only. 7. Overlap for a short time. Pin the move notice in both homes, then close old invites.
No app here copies every member, message, file, and bot. Plan for a clean start.
Which Discord alternatives should you pick?
Among the best Discord alternatives, pick Root if you want the closest hosted community match and do not want to run a server. Pick Stoat if public code and a self hosting path matter, but you still want a familiar server layout. Pick Element if control over hosting and the ability to connect separate servers matter most.
Choose TeamSpeak for gaming communities that live in voice. Choose Mumble when that voice group has an admin and wants free software. Choose Signal for people who know one another and want private chat. Choose Telegram for a very large public group or broadcast channel, as long as members understand that normal group chats are not E2EE.
Each communication app among the best Discord alternatives should keep its advanced features simple for members. Pilot two finalists with the same small group before the final call. The right alternative to Discord should still feel clear after that trial.
Questions people ask
What is the best Discord alternative overall?
Root is the closest match for a social, gaming, or hobby group. Stoat is better for open-source fans. Element is better when the group must control its server or connect across an open network. These are the best Discord alternatives for three different needs.
Are free Discord alternatives completely free?
Some free Discord alternatives have a free plan or free version, but server costs may remain. Signal and Telegram are completely free for normal use. Stoat offers a free hosted app and self-host software. Mumble's free version has no software fee. TeamSpeak 3 has a free 32-slot self-host license. Check each free plan for current limits. Self hosting can still cost money and time.
Which Discord alternative is most private?
Signal is the simplest secure Discord alternative because all messages and calls use E2EE. Element supports encrypted rooms, but the homeserver, room setup, bridges, and device keys matter. Self hosting alone does not hide messages from every admin.
Which app is best for gaming voice chat?
TeamSpeak is the best ready-made voice choice for most clans. Mumble is a good free-software pick for a group with a server admin. Neither has Root's rich text community system.
Can I move Discord messages and members to another app?
Usually not. Root can import a Discord template, but not member accounts or chat history. Review both services' terms and get consent before copying private data.
Should we run Discord and the new app at the same time?
Yes, for a short move. Test the new app, then make the old server read only and pin the new invite. Set a closing date before the pilot starts.