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Discord vs Slack: Gaming Communities vs Team Workflows
Discord is a group chat platform focused on gaming, friends, and community building with voice, video, and text options. Slack targets teams and enterprises, offering channel-based collaboration, extensive integrations, and AI tools for workflow automation. Discord suits communities while Slack fits teams.
Last verified against both official websites on October 8, 2026
Discord
Discord is a group chat platform for playing games, chilling with friends, and building communities. It features voice, video, and text chat, streaming, and customization options.
Choose Discord if you want a free platform for gaming communities and social chat with customization options.
Official site Indie alternatives to Discord
Slack
Slack is a collaboration platform that connects teams, integrates with external tools, and incorporates AI agents like Slackbot and Agentforce for workflow automation and communication.
Choose Slack if you need a collaboration tool for teams with integrations, AI assistants, and a 7-day trial.
Official site Indie alternatives to Slack
Discord vs Slack pricing
| Discord | Slack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Not listed |
| Free trial | Not listed | 7 days |
| Plans | Not listed on the site | Not listed on the site |
Prices as shown on each official pricing page when last verified (our servers are in the EU, so some sites show local currency). Check the official site before buying.
Features compared
| Feature | Discord | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | Not listed | 7 days |
| Voice chat | Yes | Yes |
| Video chat | Yes | Yes |
| Game streaming | Yes | Not listed |
| AI agents | Not listed | Yes |
| Integrations | Not listed | Yes |
| Workflow automation | Not listed | Yes |
| Custom emoji | Yes | Not listed |
| Project management | Not listed | Yes |
What each platform is for
Discord serves gamers, friends, and communities, providing voice, video, and text chat alongside game streaming and customization features like custom emoji and soundboards. Users on Hacker News have noted concerns regarding Discord's resource usage, UI design, and privacy, though the platform remains popular for social interaction. Discord focuses on social chat and gaming communities.
Slack connects teams, enterprises, and organizations across departments like Engineering and Sales, emphasizing channel-based collaboration and workflow automation. Reviewers highlight Slack's strong integration capabilities, though some associate the platform with corporate culture. Slack targets professional teams and enterprise workflows.
Key features and tools
Discord includes text and voice chat, video calls, game streaming, and profile customization options such as custom avatars and statuses. The platform does not list specific integrations or pricing details on its site. Discord offers social features without listed integrations.
Slack provides channels, Huddles for audio and video, Canvas for docs, Lists for project management, and Workflow Builder for automation. It supports AI agents like Slackbot and Agentforce, and connects with tools like Salesforce, GitHub, and ChatGPT. Slack integrates with external tools and AI agents.
Plans and costs
Discord offers a free plan, but pricing details are not listed on its site. There is no mention of a free trial for Discord. Discord provides a free plan with no listed costs.
Slack does not have a free plan but offers a 7-day trial. Pricing information is not listed on Slack's site. Slack offers a trial but no free plan.
What users say
Community discussions mention Discord's high resource usage and UI/UX design as drawbacks, alongside concerns about monetization and privacy. These themes suggest Discord may face challenges for users prioritizing performance or data control. Discord users cite resource usage and privacy concerns.
Slack receives praise for its integration capabilities, allowing connections to over 2,600 apps in the Marketplace. Some users associate Slack with corporate culture, which may not appeal to everyone. Slack excels at integrations but feels corporate to some.
What users say
Summarized from public Hacker News discussions; links go to the original comments.
Indie alternatives to Discord and Slack
Smaller tools built by independent makers that cover part of what these two do, often for less.
Cushion
combines posts, messaging, + check‑ins for better teamwork
Covers team messaging and async collaboration, the core use case of Discord's community and server features, in a focused remote-work environment.
OneCamp
self-hosted all-in-one workspace (chat, tasks, calls, docs)
OneCamp explicitly markets itself as a replacement for Slack, offering chat, threads, and channels in a self-hosted environment with a one-time fee instead of per-seat subscriptions.
Free for up to 25 people. Self-Host Lifetime license is $259 once. OneCamp Cloud Managed is $104/month.
Protawk
The all-in-one workspace that helps freelancers and small teams stay organized and deliver faster.
Protawk includes team chat, task comments, and direct messaging, allowing users to consolidate communication within their project management tool, serving as an alternative to using Slack alongside a PM tool.
Free plan available with 1GB storage and up to 3 team members. Standard plan is $25/month for up to 10 members.
FAQ
Does Discord have a free plan?
Yes, Discord offers a free plan, though pricing details are not listed on its site.
Does Slack have a free plan?
No, Slack does not have a free plan but offers a 7-day trial.
Is Discord cheaper than Slack?
Discord provides a free plan, while Slack does not list a free plan; pricing details for both are not listed on their sites.
Does Slack integrate with external tools?
Yes, Slack connects with tools like Salesforce, GitHub, Google Drive, ChatGPT, and over 2,600 apps in the Marketplace.
This comparison is generated automatically from the official websites and re-verified periodically. Spotted something wrong? Tell me.