Discord vs Slack
Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
The short answer
Slack is designed for companies, with a large integration ecosystem, shared channels between organizations and administration features, but its free plan hides older message history. Discord is designed for communities, offering free unlimited history, excellent always-on voice channels, roles and bots. Startups and open-source projects often choose Discord to avoid per-seat costs, while companies that need compliance controls and business integrations stay with Slack.
Which should you pick?
Choose Discord if…
- Communities that want free voice and text chat
- Free with unlimited history
- Excellent voice channels
Choose Slack if…
- Companies that want the largest integration ecosystem for chat
- Huge integration ecosystem
- Polished threads and huddles
About each app
What is Discord?
Discord is a chat platform built around servers with text channels, always-on voice channels, video calls and screen sharing. It started with gaming communities and is now widely used by open-source projects, creators, study groups and startups for community building. Roles and permissions control who can see and do what, and bots add moderation, polls and integrations. The core app is free, with an optional Nitro subscription for perks such as larger uploads and higher-quality streaming. It is designed for communities more than for company compliance and administration.
What is Slack?
Slack organizes team communication into channels by topic, project or team, alongside direct messages, threads and audio huddles. Thousands of integrations bring alerts and actions from other tools into conversations, and Workflow Builder automates routine requests. Slack Connect lets companies share channels with partners and customers. It is owned by Salesforce. The free plan limits how much message history you can see, which is a frequent reason small teams and communities look for alternatives, while paid plans unlock full history, more integrations and administration controls.
Side by side
| Attribute | Discord | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid |
| Open source | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Best for | Communities that want free voice and text chat | Companies that want the largest integration ecosystem for chat |
| Status | Active | Active |
Verified facts, compared
Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.
| Fact | Discord | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web, desktop, mobile | Web, desktop, mobile |
Discord vs Slack pricing
Discord: free plan + paid
- Price: Free; optional Nitro subscription source
Platforms
| Platform | Discord | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android |
Discord facts
3 of 3 verified- Platforms
- Web, desktop, mobile
- Checked Oct 24, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Download Discord to Talk, Play, and Hang Out Skip to main content”
- Price
- Free; optional Nitro subscription
- Checked Oct 24, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Nitro Benefits and Features | Discord Skip to main content”
- Voice channels
- Yes
- Checked Oct 24, 2026discord.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “effects and more to add your personality to your voice, video, or text chat.”
Slack facts
3 of 3 verified- Free plan
- Yes, with limited history
- Checked Oct 24, 2026slack.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Or start with the basics for free, and upgrade at any time.”
- Platforms
- Web, desktop, mobile
- Checked Oct 24, 2026slack.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Downloads | Slack Skip to main content Product COLLABORATE Channels”
- Owner
- Salesforce
- Checked Oct 24, 2026slack.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “AI Save time with built-in AI Agentforce Team up with Salesforce agents CONNECT Apps & Integrations Connect your favorite”
Pros and cons of Discord
- Free with unlimited history
- Excellent voice channels
- Rich roles, bots and moderation
- Not built for enterprise compliance
- Consumer-style interface for work
Pros and cons of Slack
- Huge integration ecosystem
- Polished threads and huddles
- Shared channels with other companies
- Free plan hides older message history
- Costs rise quickly per seat
Other apps to consider
Google ChatInstead of Slack
Included with Google Workspace, so no extra subscription if you already use it.
Discord vs Slack: common questions
Is Discord better than Slack?
Slack is designed for companies, with a large integration ecosystem, shared channels between organizations and administration features, but its free plan hides older message history. Discord is designed for communities, offering free unlimited history, excellent always-on voice channels, roles and bots. Startups and open-source projects often choose Discord to avoid per-seat costs, while companies that need compliance controls and business integrations stay with Slack.
Is Discord free?
Discord has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Slack free?
Slack has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Discord or Slack open source?
Neither is open source.
Which platforms do Discord and Slack support?
Discord: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Slack: Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.