Discord alternatives

7 projects to consider for your Discord workflows.

2 custom license · 5 open source

Explore Discourse, Fluxer and Mezon. Each takes a different approach to your Discord workflows. Read its capabilities and limitations to find the right fit.

Catalogue facts checked August 31, 2026

Discourse

Open-source community platform for discussion, chat, and support

Custom licenseGPL-2.0Self-hostedManaged hosting

Teams that need a durable, searchable community home get the most from Discourse: threaded topics, trust-level moderation, chat, SSO, and a documented API cover forums, support hubs, and feedback spaces in one GPL-licensed codebase. The decisive tradeoff is operational: hosted plans start at $50 per month with capped pageviews and storage, while self-hosting is free of license fees but requires Ubuntu, Docker, SMTP, and ongoing maintenance.[1][2][3]

Good fit. Open-source community owners who want a customizable forum: the GPL codebase, plugin system, and API let a technical team shape categories, trust levels, and workflows.[1][2]

Keep in mind. Teams with no server administration capacity: self-hosting needs Ubuntu, Docker, SMTP, and ongoing upgrades, which is real ops work.[1][2]

Repository review signals: unknown status, very stale · Observed October 3, 2026.

Read project review Official website

Sources and editorial review

Source research. Reviewed on October 9, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.

We have not run or tested this product.

One inspected G2 user-review excerpt for Discourse, read October 9, 2026, on open-source customization. Single inspected excerpt from a vendor-aggregated listing; ratings and vote counts are not independently verified. One report is an anecdote, not a prevalence measure.

Discourse homepage (official)
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official homepage: open-source positioning, feature tour, chat, AI summaries, moderation, login options, mobile apps, hosting choice, GPL license.
Discourse pricing (official)
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official pricing page: Standard $50/mo, Business $300/mo, Enterprise from $500/mo; per-site storage, pageview, and staff-seat limits with support tiers.
Discourse repository (official)
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official repository: GPL-2.0-or-later license, Rails plus Ember plus PostgreSQL plus Redis stack, Docker install on Ubuntu, 30-minute setup claim, issue-reporting guidance.
Discourse G2 reviews (community reports)
community · Observed October 9, 2026
G2 review listing for Discourse: inspected excerpts on customization and ease of forum-style discussion with reviewer attribution.

Fluxer

Free open-source chat with voice, video, and self-hosting for communities

Custom licenseAGPL-3.0-or-laterSelf-hostedManaged hosting

Fluxer fits technical communities that want Discord-style chat, voice, and screen sharing in open AGPL-3.0 software they can self-host with Docker on their own domain. The hosted app is free with an optional Plutonium subscription for higher limits, while self-hosted instances set their own rules. Expect beta rough edges: mobile apps in public beta, federation experimental until a targeted stable release in 2027, and a small team behind it. If Discord already serves you, stay.[1][2][3][4]

Good fit. We would evaluate Fluxer for communities that want Discord-style chat with open AGPL-3.0 software they can inspect and self-host, since the hosted app is free to try and the Docker path keeps data on their own server.[1][2]

Keep in mind. Teams that need a large, stable vendor should look elsewhere: the backend, web, and desktop work rests largely with one developer plus one mobile developer, and the February 2026 demand surge caused outages on the primary server.[1][2]

Repository review signals: unknown status, very stale · Observed October 5, 2026.

Read project review Official website

Sources and editorial review

Source research. Reviewed on October 9, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.

We have not run or tested this product.

Independent encyclopedia summary of Fluxer launch history, demand surge, outages, and freemium model, read in full and used only for attributed positioning. No firsthand user testimonial was available. No original firsthand Reddit or G2 deployment report was accessible during research, so no testimonial is staged and broader user sentiment is unknown. Scale, outage, and freemium-model points below are press-summarized history, not independently verified measurements.

Fluxer: Free Open-Source Chat for Friends, Groups and Communities
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official homepage: free open-source chat with text, voice, video, and screen sharing; DMs, group chats, community channels; Markdown, code blocks, file sharing, link previews, custom emoji and stickers; voice channels with multi-device join, noise suppression, echo cancellation; roles with granular permissions, timeout, kick, ban, audit log; hosted or Docker self-hosted on own domain; 34 languages, 16 voice regions; Android and iOS in public beta; desktop support for self-hosted instances arriving early October 2026; federation experimental 2026, stable 2027.
fluxerapp/fluxer: Downloads and links
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Official repository fluxerapp/fluxer, AGPL-3.0, about 10.5k stars: web, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android beta, iOS beta apps; Linux via Flathub, apt, dnf, pacman; feedback site for bills and bugs because issues are closed; links to docs, status, terms, privacy, and guidelines.
How I built Fluxer, a Discord-like chat app
official · Observed October 9, 2026
Founder retrospective covering five years of solo development: AGPLv3 licensing, Swedish independent company Fluxer Platform AB with no venture capital, hosted app free with optional Plutonium subscription and donations funding hosting, support, and development; Visionary $299 one-time tier selling out in about three days; service architecture from TypeScript and Node.js through Erlang and OTP to Rust microservices; Postgres option for self-hosters; Operator Pass; spam, DDoS, and troll waves; roughly half a million registered users by September 2026; roadmap including own voice system, end-to-end encryption, and federation.
Fluxer
community · Observed October 9, 2026
Independent encyclopedia summary: Fluxer created by Hampus Kraft with public alpha in January 2026; popularity surge after Discord age-verification announcement in late February 2026; about 125,000 users on primary server by March 2026 with outages; freemium model with Plutonium subscription comparable to Nitro raising upload limits on the official instance; Operator Pass subscription; stated commitments of no data sale and no AI training use.

Mezon

Open-source team and community chat with voice, video, and bots

Open sourceAGPL-3.0Managed hosting

Gaming clans, creator communities, and remote teams that live in persistent chat rooms benefit most from Mezon. Its clan-based text, voice, and forum channels plus 4K screen sharing to audiences of up to 10,000 cover the core community workflow with every client free. The project is young, created in May 2025, with no documented SSO, data-region, or enterprise-support story, so regulated or large corporate buyers should choose something else. If you want Discord-style rooms with open code and free clients, shortlist Mezon; if you need proven enterprise controls today, pick an established workplace chat product instead.[1][2]

Good fit. Clan organization plus 10,000-member 4K mobile streams maps directly onto tournaments, watch parties, and audience events that outgrow call-link meetings.[1]

Keep in mind. No SSO statement, server-region list, or enterprise-support channel is documented. Compliance-led procurement should choose a product with those controls stated.[1]

Repository review signals: unknown status, stale · Observed October 11, 2026.

Read project review Official website

Sources and editorial review

Source research. Reviewed on October 11, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.

We have not run or tested this product.

Mezon - New way to communicate with your team
official · Observed October 11, 2026
Official site observed October 11, 2026: clan-based team/community chat, free clients, 10,000-member 4K mobile streams, 1 GB desktop sharing, customization, bots/apps via SDKs and dev docs, 2FA/encryption/no-ads posture, roles and audit logs.
mezonai/mezon repository
official · Observed October 11, 2026
Canonical repository observed October 11, 2026: mezonai/mezon identity, AGPL-3.0 license, TypeScript Nx monorepo, May 2025 creation, active 2026 development, clan/chat/voice/streaming positioning. Star counts treated as unreviewed claims.

Quiet

Peer-to-peer encrypted team chat over Tor with no servers

Open sourceGPL-3.0Self-hosted

Small privacy-minded teams that want channel-based chat without trusting or running a central server will get the most from Quiet. Its communities sync end-to-end encrypted messages directly between member devices over Tor, with no phone number or email required to join. The price of that design is beta software: it is not audited, caps communities at roughly 30 to 100 members, and still lacks direct messages, search, and threads. If your group fits that size and can live with the missing pieces, try Quiet; if you need proven security assurances or a full Slack replacement today, choose a mature option such as Element first.[1][2]

Good fit. Small teams fleeing company-run chat: groups wanting channels without trusting Slack's or Discord's servers and without operating a Matrix homeserver fit Quiet's serverless model.[1][2]

Keep in mind. Groups needing proven security today should heed the project's own warning: Quiet is unaudited beta software, not high-stakes security tooling.[1][2]

Repository review signals: unknown status, stale · Observed October 12, 2026.

Read project review Official website

Sources and editorial review

Source research. Reviewed on October 12, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.

We have not run or tested this product.

Quiet official site
official · Observed October 12, 2026
Official Quiet site: private serverless messaging over Tor, no identifiers, channels, unlimited files, 11.3.0 downloads for macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, and beta warning.
Quiet README (official repository)
official · Observed October 12, 2026
README: alternative to Slack, Discord, Element with no server; unaudited beta warning; features, planned and post-1.0 lists; PKI invites, Tor onion services, IPFS/OrbitDB sync, TypeScript/Electron/React Native stack; 30-100 member limit.

Stoat

Open-source group chat with servers, voice, and self-hosting

Open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-hostedManaged hosting

Free open-source group chat with servers, voice, and optional self-hosting. Stoat is a free and open-source group chat app for friends and communities with servers, channels, voice chat, file sharing, moderation bots, and clients across web and desktop and mobile. Formerly Revolt, its backend is published under the AGPL-3.0 and it can be used on hosted servers or self-hosted with Docker.[1][2]

Good fit. Friend and gaming communities that want a Discord-style home without subscription-gated basics such as custom emojis and larger uploads are the natural audience.[1][2]

Keep in mind. End-to-end encryption is planned but not yet implemented, so private conversations currently rely on transport security and the server operator rather than message-level encryption.[1]

Repository review signals: unknown status, stale · Observed October 13, 2026.

Read project review Official website

Sources and editorial review

Source research. Reviewed on October 13, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.

We have not run or tested this product.

One independent hands-on self-hosting guide covering Stoat registration on the official instance and a Docker Compose self-hosted deployment. Single-author guide, not a broad user sample; reflects the author's own Docker setup and official-instance account at publication time.

Stoat homepage
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Official Stoat homepage describing features, platforms, moderation, bots, free and open-source positioning, and optional self-hosting.
stoatchat LICENSE file
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Repository LICENSE file containing the GNU AGPL version 3 license text applied to the project source.
Self-host guide for Stoat (ex-Revolt)
community · Observed October 13, 2026
Independent guide documenting the Revolt-to-Stoat rebrand, Discord-replacement positioning, and Docker Compose self-hosting walkthrough.
Stoat (software) overview
community · Observed October 13, 2026
Encyclopedia overview covering the open-source chat platform, Discord and Slack alternative positioning, features, license, and 2025 rename.

Twake Chat

Free open-source team messenger built on the Matrix protocol

Open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-hostedManaged hosting

Free AGPL-3.0 Matrix messenger with on-premise hosting. Twake Chat is a free, AGPL-3.0-licensed team messenger by Linagora built on the Matrix protocol. It offers end-to-end encrypted chats, bridges to Telegram, Discord, and Signal, and a choice of on-premise or hosted-cloud deployment across Android, iOS, web, and Linux apps.[1][2][3]

Good fit. On-premise installation on a corporate domain with end-to-end encryption suits organizations with data-sovereignty requirements. This fit is inferred from the documented hosting options, not stated by the vendor.[1]

Keep in mind. None of the inspected official pages describe offline use, so anyone needing a confirmed offline-capable messenger should verify before adopting.[1]

Repository review signals: unknown status, stale · Observed October 13, 2026.

Read project review Official website

Sources and editorial review

Source research. Reviewed on October 13, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.

We have not run or tested this product.

Inspected sample: the official twake-chat.com homepage, the linagora/twake-on-matrix repository README, its LICENSE file, and its pubspec.yaml. No community review sources were inspected. No Reddit originals or G2 reports about Twake Chat were inspected during intake research, so no testimonial-grade community quotes are included. Repository star and contributor figures are not stated below because none were recorded at observation time.

Twake Chat official homepage
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Official twake-chat.com homepage: free open-source Matrix-protocol messenger by Linagora; E2EE chats, group chats, on-premise install and hosted cloud, Android/iOS/web apps, corporate-directory SSO, HTTPS API, bridges to Telegram/Discord/Signal and 30+ networks, Jitsi integration, multi-account multi-device sync, themes.
Twake Chat repository README
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Repository README for linagora/twake-on-matrix: Flutter Matrix chat client linking twake-chat.com; features include E2EE, spaces, moderation, public channels, voice messages, location sharing; dev requires Flutter 3.38.9 with Android, iOS, web, and Linux build targets.
Twake Chat repository LICENSE
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Repository LICENSE file verified as the GNU Affero General Public License version 3; recorded as AGPL-3.0 per catalogue convention.
Twake Chat repository issues
community · Observed October 13, 2026
Repository issue tracker linked from the README as the bug-report channel. No individual issue or report was inspected or quoted; listed only to record the community support surface.

Valour

Open-source community platform with planets, chat, voice, and wikis

Open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-hostedManaged hosting

Open-source community chat with encrypted planets and Discord migration. Valour is an AGPL-3.0 community platform where planets combine chat, threads, wikis, and voice and video calls with default end-to-end encryption. It positions itself directly against Discord with a migration path, free core with Stargazer perks, and Docker self-hosting.[1][2][3]

Good fit. Groups that want Discord-style community chat without tracking, ads, or identity checks: the official comparison is built around exactly those differences, and a built-in importer recreates Discord channels, roles, and permissions.[1][2]

Keep in mind. There is no iOS app yet, so iPhone and iPad members must use the browser client until a native app ships.[1]

Repository review signals: unknown status, stale · Observed October 13, 2026.

Read project review Official website

Sources and editorial review

Source research. Reviewed on October 13, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.

We have not run or tested this product.

Valour homepage
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Official homepage definition, stack, license, and repository/download links.
Discord Alternative With Encryption and No ID Checks
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Official Discord comparison table, Stargazer prices, platform list, license, and migration guide.
Valour FAQ
official · Observed October 13, 2026
Planet definition, clients, free tier, voice/video, Discord importer, registration, self-hosting, SDK.

Compare Discord alternatives

Known catalogue facts at a glance. Columns with no reviewed values are omitted. “Not reviewed” means unknown, not that a capability is absent.

Known facts for Discord alternatives
Project	License policy	Hosting	Deployment	Enterprise support	Best fit
Discourse	GPL-2.0 · custom	Self-hosted + Managed	moderate	Yes	Running a customer support community; Hosting developer discussion and documentation
Fluxer	AGPL-3.0-or-later · custom	Self-hosted + Managed	moderate	Not reviewed	Friend and community chat; Gaming and interest groups
Mezon	AGPL-3.0 · OSI-approved	Managed	easy	Not reviewed	Gaming clans and creator communities running large persistent voice and video rooms; Remote teams wanting Discord-style organization with open, auditable code
Quiet	GPL-3.0 · OSI-approved	Self-hosted	easy	Not reviewed	Private team chat without trusting a central server; Communities wanting metadata protection through built-in Tor
Stoat	AGPL-3.0 · OSI-approved	Self-hosted + Managed	moderate	Not reviewed	Friend and gaming communities wanting a Discord-style home; Communities needing role permissions and moderation bots
Twake Chat	AGPL-3.0 · OSI-approved	Self-hosted + Managed	Not reviewed	Yes	Secure team messaging; On-premise organizational chat
Valour	AGPL-3.0 · OSI-approved	Self-hosted + Managed	moderate	Not reviewed	Gaming and hobby communities moving off Discord; Open-source project communities

Before you switch

Check that the project covers the workflows and data you need to move.
Confirm that the license terms fit how you plan to run, modify, and distribute it.
Choose between self-hosting responsibility and a reviewed managed option.
Open the project page for repository freshness, review dates, and any unresolved requirements.

About Discord

Discord was built for people who wanted to talk while doing something else, and that origin still shapes it. Persistent voice rooms you drop into, rather than scheduled calls, is a genuinely different model from workplace chat.

It has become the default home for open source projects, game communities, and creator audiences. Moderation tooling and role systems are strong; discoverability of past conversation is not.

Discord · Free, Nitro from $9.99/month · Checked August 31, 2026

Official website

How this list is ordered

Recommended · Organic catalogue order.

A deterministic editorial score using relationship confidence, category fit, logarithmic popularity, as-of maintenance and freshness, with bounded anomaly quarantine and known-data penalties. Payment is fixed at zero.

Payment does not affect organic ranking. Order is a starting point, not a universal recommendation.

OpenAlternative organic alternatives v4 · version 4