What are the best Discord alternatives for voice and text chat?

The free voice chat and messenger app Discord is especially popular among young people and gamers. However, if you are looking for a chat app with more security or as a professional communication platform for teams and companies, a Discord alternative is recommended.

An introduction to the best Discord alternatives

With a discord alternative, you can use a communication app that better meets your needs in terms of security, integration, and hosting than Discord.

Reasons for requiring a Discord alternative

Discord is an excellent, free tool for video, audio, and text chats and has proven itself in group chats and livestreams. Creating a Discord server is free, and thanks to thematically separated voice channels, Discord is especially suitable for community building online. Disadvantages of Discord include chat bombing, trolling, bots, hate comments, and poor data protection due to user data being resold.

Even though Discord offers individual security settings, alternatives are available that guarantee more security and appeal to a broader audience. The advantages of Discord alternatives include:

• Better integration of third-party software
• Better encryption (e.g., Perfect Forward Secrecy) and privacy (no use of data for advertising purposes like with Discord)
• Broader audience that goes beyond just gamers

The 9 best Discord alternatives

The following overview provides detailed information about which Discord alternatives are available and what advantages and disadvantages they offer.

TeamSpeak

TeamSpeak is the closest to Discord as a free VoIP (Voice-over-IP) software. Just like Discord, the focus is on voice chats alongside online gaming. Among dedicated gamers, TeamSpeak has been one of the most popular voice chat apps for team play for years. Many gamers use the software as a communication tool for digital guilds or clans with their own Teamspeak server. It’s important to note that it functions as a voice app. An add-on or plugin is required for video chats (as of TeamSpeak Version 5).

Mumble

Just like TeamSpeak, the free VoIP software Mumble is similar to the Discord app but was released ten years before it. Its focus is on parallel voice chat during gaming. Its primary target audience is the gamer community. Of course, Mumble is also suitable for small teams as a communication and collaboration tool when agreements need to be made without video chat. A client on the PC is also required for Mumble to connect to one of the many Mumble servers or your own server.

One of Mumble’s strengths is the strong encryption of conversations through TLS and AES. New Mumble versions even use ECDHE and AES-GCM encryption for Perfect Forward Secrecy. Another plus is the low latency, resulting in excellent clear sound quality. Since Mumble requires minimal processor power, it runs flawlessly even during intense gaming. A convenient setup wizard is available to assist with installation.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is familiar to most Office 365 users. Microsoft’s video conferencing software allows video and voice chats with any number of users and supports all well-known Microsoft apps like Word and Excel with an Office 365 license. Collaboration and efficient project management are effortless with Microsoft Teams as a digital office. Team and sub-team composition is flexible. Meetings and ideas can be captured in OneNote for everyone, files can be stored centrally, and planning can be structured in the shared planner. Although there is a free license, Teams only shows its full strengths with a Microsoft 365 subscription.

Troop Messenger

Troop Messenger is closer to the collaboration tool Slack than the Discord app, yet it also combines chat functions like instant messaging, video calls for conferences, and screen sharing. The user interface resembles classic messenger apps like WhatsApp, which might take some getting used to. However, this simplicity benefits users who need straightforward communication and collaboration tools for small to medium teams. Chats occur in real-time and are documented for later message searches via search filters. The latest versions offer features like:

• Burnout: Closed, private chat with selected team members
• Respond Later: Mark messages for a later response
• Forkout: Group messages to selected team members
• Code Snippet: Integration of code snippets
• Message Forward: Forward single or multiple messages

Slack

Since the rise of working from home, most office employees are likely familiar with Slack as a video conferencing and collaboration tool. The focus is on business project and teamwork. To this end, the solution offers helpful features such as private messaging, group messaging, search filters, screen sharing, and file sharing. In the free license, Slack includes chat history documentation for the last 90 days. Since large companies need much more, the paid version is recommended in any case.

A central event feed keeps teams updated, while files can be centrally stored for team members. Especially handy: Third-party apps and business tools can be easily integrated into Slack. Using the @ function, users can be targeted even when they’re offline. Although Slack supports text, video, and audio chats, the free version only offers 1-on-1 calls. In the paid version, up to 50 users can participate in audio/video chats.

Wire

The chat app Wire supports video and audio chats, group calls, instant messaging, file sharing, a ping feature, and reliable end-to-end encryption for files and conversations according to European data protection standards. Data is not sold to third parties, allowing Wire users to enjoy high data protection. Although there is a free app for personal use, Wire is seen as a collaboration app and is geared towards business teamwork with paid licenses for companies. The software is open-source, supports usage over private servers, allows cross-platform synchronization, and only requires a valid email address for registration (no phone number needed).

Flock

As a team and collaboration software, Flock supports group collaboration and offers features for project management, group messaging, project/team-specific chats, video and audio conferencing, and easy exchange of files and information. Data can be synchronized across devices, making Flock particularly flexible. The free version already includes the main features but limits message searches to the past 10,000 messages. The creation of private group channels is unlimited, while public channels accessible to all members are limited to ten.

Steam Chat

When considering a discord alternative for many, especially as chat software for online gaming, Steam Chat must be mentioned. For Steam users, the integrated voice and video chat by Steam is particularly convenient because it doesn’t require third-party applications. The similarity to Discord is evident in the user interface, ensuring that former Discord users can quickly acclimate. Steam Chat allows the creation of new group chats using drag-and-drop, inviting other participants in this way. There is also a Steam Messenger App for Android and iOS that offers instant messaging and group chats with Steam contacts.

Teamwire

Teamwire is a GDPR-compliant discord alternative specifically developed for professional use in businesses, government agencies, and security-critical areas. The application places special emphasis on privacy, IT security, and user-friendly operation. In addition to classic functions like individual and group chats, file and location sharing, and broadcast messages, Teamwire also supports secure video chats.

For hybrid work environments, the platform offers cross-platform support with apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and a web app. The simple user interface ensures quick acclimation, while role-based permissions enable an efficient team structure. A standout feature is the hosting concept: Teamwire can be operated both in the cloud and on-premises, a clear advantage for data-sensitive organizations.