Discord Alternatives (2026): 10 Community Chat and Voice Apps

Discord began as a voice and text app for gamers, and its servers, channels and voice rooms have since been taken up by creators, clubs and small businesses too. Plenty of people still love it. But you might want something quieter, more private, easier for non-gamers, or more suited to selling courses and memberships.

This page lists ten Discord alternatives in no particular order, sorted alphabetically. Everything here comes from each tool's own website. Some are voice-first tools for gaming groups, some are open source chat servers, and some are community platforms for creators. If you're curious how the original built its brand, my piece on Discord's marketing strategy is a good companion.

Discord alternatives side by side

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site describes free use or a permanent free plan. Trial only means a free trial but no permanent free plan. No means the site doesn't state a free option. Plans change, so check the current details.

Tool	Type of app	Good for	Free plan
Circle	Community platform	Branded member communities with events and courses	Trial only
Element	Open chat platform	Rooms and voice on an open standard	Yes
Mattermost	Self-hosted team chat	Private team channels on your own server	Yes
Mighty Networks	Community and course platform	Memberships with courses and events	Trial only
Mumble	Voice chat	Low delay voice for gaming groups	Yes
Rocket.Chat	Self-managed chat	Team and community chat you host	Yes
Slack	Work chat	Channels and quick calls for small businesses	Yes
Stoat	Community chat	Servers, channels and voice for friends	Yes
TeamSpeak	Voice platform	Clear voice for teams and communities	No
Zulip	Threaded team chat	Topic-based conversations that stay tidy	Yes

Ten Discord alternatives for gaming, creator and small business communities, A to Z

Circle

Best for: Creators and coaches who want a branded home for members, with discussion spaces, events and courses, plus a free trial.

Element

Best for: Communities that like open standards and want rooms grouped into spaces, with a free app for personal use.

Mattermost

Best for: Small businesses with a technical helper who want channels they host themselves, with a free edition to explore.

Mighty Networks

Best for: Creators who want a community, courses and events under their own name, with a free trial before they commit.

Mumble

Best for: Gaming groups and hobby communities who want free, open source voice chat that they can host themselves.

Rocket.Chat

Best for: Organisations who want to run their own chat server, with a free starter workspace for small teams and non-profits.

Slack

Best for: Small business communities who want tidy channels and quick calls, with a free plan that limits how far back messages go.

Stoat

Best for: Friend groups and hobby communities who want servers with channels and voice, in a free and open source app.

TeamSpeak

Best for: Gaming clans and groups who want a voice app they can run on their own server or get through a hosted service.

Zulip

Best for: Busy communities tired of messages scrolling past who want every conversation kept under its own topic.

How to pick between Discord alternatives for your community

Start with who your members are and what they'll do together. A gaming clan wants fast voice. A membership coach wants courses and events. A local club wants simple chat that grandparents can join. Those are three different jobs, and no single app is the best at all of them.

• Voice or text first. If your group plays or works together live, test the voice quality before anything else.
• Servers and channels. Check how rooms are organised and whether you can set roles and permissions for moderators.
• Easy joining. Members who won't create yet another account will drift off, so look at how simple the invite and sign-up are.
• Hosting yourself or not. Self-hosting gives control over your data, but somebody has to look after updates and backups.
• Events and courses. If you teach or run sessions, look at tools built for communities rather than plain chat.
• Moderation. Look for ways to remove people, slow down spam and set rules members agree to.

Which Discord alternative suits gamers, creators and small businesses

• Voice-first tools suit gaming groups, podcasts recorded live and any team that talks more than it types.
• Open source chat servers suit clubs and organisations that want their own space and have a technical person to help.
• Work chat tools suit small business groups that want organised channels and calls alongside files.
• Community platforms suit creators who want a branded home with discussion, events and courses together.

If you stream or record for your community, my guide to OBS alternatives covers the recording side, and when you want to share what happens in your community on other networks, Buffer alternatives and TweetDeck alternatives cover scheduling.

Moving a Discord server to a different home

1. Tell members what's changing and why, and give them a date rather than a vague plan.
2. Set up the new space first, with rules, roles and a welcome post ready.
3. Rebuild your channels in a simpler shape, because most servers collect clutter over time.
4. Share the invite in your old server, your newsletter and your social profiles.
5. Move your moderators first so the new place feels looked after from day one.
6. Keep the old server open but quiet for a while, then archive it once the new space is busy.

Mistakes to avoid when leaving a Discord server behind

• Moving the whole community on the same day with no warning.
• Choosing a tool with a better look but weaker voice, then finding the group misses it.
• Copying every old channel across, so the new space feels as messy as the old one.
• Forgetting that bots and automations won't come with you and will need rebuilding.
• Leaving out the quieter members, who often only need a gentle nudge to join.

Do you make community chat or voice apps? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

Final Discord alternatives checklist before you invite your members

Pick two options that fit your members and try them with a small group of regulars. Hold a voice chat, post in a few channels and see how the moderation tools feel. Keep the one that your regulars find easy, and only then announce the move to everyone else.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free alternative to Discord?

Yes. Several tools on this page describe free use or a free plan on their own sites. Two community platforms offer a free trial instead, so check each tool's current details.

Which alternatives are best for voice chat?

Voice-first tools are built for low delay and clear audio, and they suit gaming groups well. Try each one with your members, because quality depends on your own connections too.

Can I host my own community chat?

Yes, several options can be self-hosted. You'll need someone who can handle updates, backups and security, so a hosted option is easier if nobody on your team can do that.

Will my members follow me?

Some will and some won't. Explain the change clearly, make the invite easy and keep the old space open for a while.

Is it safe for young people to use these apps?

Check each app's own safety settings and age guidance, and talk with young people about who they chat with. Parents and group owners should look at the moderation options before inviting anyone.