All business teams know about Slack–the top workplace communication tool that’s used by thousands of businesses and enterprises. But did you know that businesses also use Discord as a workplace communication platform? Both Slack and Discord provide a private workplace server made up of various channels that can be used to organize conversations by team and project. However, while their platform set-up is similar, there are major differences between the two apps. This means that which platform is better for your team will depend on what features you need. Let’s compare Slack vs Discord in five different areas so that you can make the best choice for your team.
Slack vs Discord Features
We will compare Discord vs Slack in terms of channels and threads, video and screen sharing, integrations, security, and cost.
Channels and Threads
Both Slack and Discord include text channels that you can set to be accessible by either everyone in your server or only by the users that you invite. Discord also includes voice channels that can include up to 99 users at one time. Voice channels can be set to “push to talk”, meaning users can only use their microphone when they press the talk button, thus limiting background noise. Conversely, Slack doesn’t include any voice channels, though you can enter a voice call with up to 15 participants.
On the other hand, Slack’s threads are much more efficient than Discord’s. While in a Slack channel, you can choose to reply directly to someone’s comment and start a new thread. This helps keep conversations on-topic and channels uncluttered. In Slack, if users start having multiple conversations on the same channel, they can just take those conversations to threads. While Discord has recently introduced its own threads feature, threads are more difficult to navigate as they redirect users to a new message screen instead of staying within the same channel. Discord threads also expire after a certain amount of time (between 1 hour and 1 week), so you can’t keep the conversation going in the thread indefinitely.
Video and Screen Sharing
Both Slack and Discord allow video chat and screen sharing. In Slack, video calls act the same as voice calls–simply ring up to 15 participants and press the “video” button to share video. In Discord, video chat can be accessed within voice channels if you click on the “video” button. Discord allows only 25 users in a video call.
In Slack, you can share your screen from within a voice or video call. A special feature within Slack is the ability to mark up another person’s screen during screen share–you can make notes or highlight pertinent information. This makes it easy for team members to collaborate on projects even while remote.
Discord screen sharing can be accessed from a voice channel or while within video chat by clicking the “screen share” button. While screen sharing, you can still voice and video chat with other users in the same voice channel. Discord also allows for simultaneous screen sharing, so you can switch back and forth between sharing your screen and viewing someone else’s.
Integrations
In terms of integrations on Slack vs Discord, Slack clearly has Discord beat. Slack includes thousands of integrations with the very best productivity and work apps such as Trello, Droplr, Office 365, Zoom, and G Suite. Slack has an integration for almost any app you can think of! You can integrate apps directly from Slack’s app directory.
In contrast, Discord has few native integrations. You can stream directly with Twitch and YouTube, share screenshots with Droplr, or connect other apps if you have a Zapier account. Discord does, however, have bots that can automate simple tasks, conduct polls, and moderate your workspace.
Security
Both Slack and Discord offer robust security features, though Slack’s are more comprehensive. Slack uses SSO, data encryption, and integrations with top DLP providers. Slack is fully compliant with ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, and 27018, SOC 2 and 3, CSA, and EU/U.S. Privacy Shield.
Discord offers some of the same features, including SSO, 2FA, and a client-server architecture that keeps your IP secure. Like Slack, users can only be added to your Discord if you send out an invite link. Both Slack and Discord ensure that nobody can access your server that you have not already approved.
Cost
This is the area in the Slack vs Discord competition where Discord truly shines. Discord’s base product–text, voice, and video chat, screen sharing, and security–is completely free. This means you can communicate with up to 250,000 co-workers with no extra cost! Discord’s paid plan, Discord Nitro, is only necessary if you need higher quality voice and video chat or higher file upload limits, and even then it only costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year for one server.
On the other hand, Slack can prove quite pricey, especially for larger enterprises. Slack’s standard plan begins at $6.67 per month per person. More expensive plans are necessary for access to features such as SAML-based SSO, DLP, and multiple workspaces. Businesses must expect to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars a year for Slack depending on their team size.
Slack vs Discord: Which is better for your team?
Here’s the final result on Discord vs Slack. Ultimately, Slack has several important features that Discord does not, such as thousands of native integrations, and full security compliance. However, you’ll need to pay to have those features. As such, Discord is a reliable free alternative to Slack that offers many of the same features (and some extra ones like voice channels and bots). Discord is especially useful for large open-source teams that bring in thousands of members and need large voice and video chats to communicate.
Basically, Slack is the better choice for most businesses, but Discord is a satisfactory alternative for those who cannot afford Slack’s cost. Discord is also a better choice than Slack for open source teams and game developers.
Learn More about Slack and Discord
Here at Droplr, we know how important remote workplace communication is. So, we have compiled useful information about both Slack and Discord for those who want to know more! Learn all about Discord in our article How to Use Discord Like a Pro, or check out our article specifically for How to Use Discord as a Business Team. You can also compare Discord vs Microsoft Teams or Slack vs Microsoft Teams for more information about how the top workplace communication apps line up.
For more Slack information, check out our article Slack Tips and Tricks. Learn more about Droplr’s integration with Slack and why it’s the best of the best.