Microsoft Teams has quickly become one of the most popular workplace communication tools. Microsoft Teams is used for a growing number of teams to communicate and share files. We’ve already compared Microsoft Teams vs Slack, but did you know that Discord is an effective Microsoft Teams alternative? In this article, we will be looking at Discord vs Microsoft Teams to determine which is the better app for your team. If you need a brush-up on how Discord can be used for business teams, check out our article on the subject.
Without further ado, here are 5 ways to compare Discord vs Microsoft Teams.
Features of Microsoft Teams vs Discord
Chat and Calls
In both Discord and Microsoft Teams, you can divide your server or team messaging board into channels. This lets you organize communication by work team, project, or topic. In MS Teams, you can also reply directly to comments. This further helps organize conversations within the same channel.
Discord is unique in that it includes channels specifically for both text and voice. You can talk with up to 99 other users on voice channels, though only 25 can be on video at a time. As such, you can use Discord for large conference calls. You can also set the channel to “push to talk” to minimize background noise. In Microsoft Teams, there are no official voice channels, but you can call any of your contacts, regardless of if they are members of your team. Up to 20 people can join your voice or video call from chat, though up to 1,000 people can join a cloud meeting.
Finally, Discord servers can hold up to 250,000 members, while MS Teams limits this number to 10,000. This number should be more than enough for most businesses, but may not be adequate for large open-source projects.
Screen Sharing
Both Discord and Microsoft Teams include the ability to share your screen. In Discord, this option can be selected from within a voice channel or video chat by clicking on the “screen share” button. From there, you can choose which app screen to share. Others can view your live stream by clicking on your name in the voice channel. Discord also lets multiple users screen share from the same voice channel, so you can switch back and forth between multiple screens.
MS Teams also lets you screen share while in a call as long as you are on Windows 10 or Mac OS. You can also share your system’s audio along with your screen. While screen sharing, others in the call can annotate your screen with Microsoft Whiteboard. This lets teams highlight pertinent information or add notes to a screen.
File Sharing
Microsoft Teams makes it easy to share files through OneDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage service, or by uploading files directly to Teams. Up to 1 TB of files can be stored per organization and 25 TB per group, with a single file upload limit of 250 GB.
Discord also supports file uploads, but with much stricter file sharing limits. Discord’s single file upload limit is only 8 MB, or 100 MB if you upgrade to Discord Nitro, Discord’s $99.99/year paid service. As such, the best way to share files on Discord is with another cloud-based service such as Droplr. Discord’s integration with Droplr lets users share files directly from the Droplr Cloud with a designated short link. Screenshots and GIFs preview directly on your Discord server. Droplr’s different pricing plans include 500 GB, 1 TB, or unlimited file storage and are cheaper than Microsoft Teams.
Integrations
Apart from Droplr, Discord has few native integrations, though it can be connected to other apps through Zapier. Microsoft Teams includes 28 native apps available for integration on its platform with tools like Wikipedia, OneNote, and Azure. If you go online to the MS Teams website, you can integrate an additional 1,000+ apps with platforms like Salesforce, Google Analytics, and also Droplr.
Security
Is Microsoft Teams or Discord secure? Yes! Both Discord and Microsoft Teams include robust security features that keep your information private and secure. On both platforms, nobody can access your server unless you invite and approve them. Discord also includes SSO, 2FA, and a client-server architecture that keeps your IP address safe.
MS Teams also includes SSO and 2FA, along with Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and Data Loss Prevention (DLP). Teams is fully compliant with ISO 27001 and 27018, HIPAA, SSAE16 SOC 1 and SOC 2, and EUMC.
Cost
Both Discord and Microsoft Teams offer free versions that include all of the basic features of the platform. In particular, Discord’s free version is fully functional and a paid plan is only necessary if you need higher-quality video and voice channels or higher file upload limits. Discord’s paid Nitro plan is $99.99/year (or $9.99/month) for a single server, meaning that only the server’s administrator will have to pay for the plan to get the special perks for the entire server membership.
When looking at Microsoft Teams pricing and comparing free vs paid plans, it is clear that both are a good deal. Microsoft Teams’ free plan includes unlimited text communication, audio and video calling, screen sharing, 10 GB of file sharing, and 250+ integrations. Paid plans come with Microsoft 365, which includes all Microsoft Office products like Word, OneNote, and Outlook. They include advanced features like video conferencing meetings, 1 TB of file storage, more file storage and sharing with OneDrive, SSO and 2FA, and admin management tools. Paid plans start at $4/user/month.
Discord vs Microsoft Teams: Which is better for your team?
Generally, Microsoft Teams is better than Discord. The free version of Microsoft Teams includes several important features that Discord does not, such as larger file sharing and more integrations with productivity apps. However, Discord is the better choice for extremely large teams, like open source projects, that need voice and video chat with higher user limits or for game development teams who need access to Discord’s various features for gaming.
For teams that can afford the cost, the best choice ultimately is one of Microsoft Teams’ paid plans. These plans include access to Microsoft Office apps that are vital for any business such as OneDrive cloud storage and Whiteboard for screen annotation. Paid plans also allow for business-wide video conferencing and conference audiences. All in all, Microsoft Teams’ business plans provide all the best features for a workplace communication app.
Learn More About Discord
Have more questions about Discord? Check out our article How to Use Discord Like a Pro. You can also compare Slack vs Discord with this article to determine whether Slack, Teams, or Discord works best for your team.