There is no single drop-in replacement for Discord. For a familiar server-and-channel community with voice, consider Stoat; for gaming-first voice chat, compare Mumble and TeamSpeak; for a network built around federation and choice of server, look at Matrix through a client such as Element. Each takes a different approach, so choose by how your group communicates and who will operate its service.
Which Discord alternative fits your group?
| Your priority | Option to evaluate | What its official materials describe | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Persistent community servers, channels, and voice | Stoat | Servers, channels, voice chat, file sharing, markdown, role-based permissions, moderation tools, and desktop, mobile, and web clients. The service page also says self-hosting is possible. | The listed features and limits are vendor descriptions, not an independent assessment of stability, usability, voice quality, or large-scale migration. Verify current platform support and limits. |
| Low-latency voice for gaming and control over a voice server | Mumble | The project describes free, open-source software with low-latency voice, encrypted communications, positional audio, an in-game overlay, permissions, and self-hostable servers. | It is voice-first, not a broad community platform with an equivalent persistent-channel, discovery, and moderation experience. Hosting and administration may require technical effort. |
| Voice communities with discovery and hosted-server paths | TeamSpeak | The current TeamSpeak 6 page describes community discovery, messaging and group chats, voice, server channels and permissions, screen sharing, self-hosting, and official hosted community servers. | The page does not establish which features are generally available by release, account, platform, or paid tier. Check current access and pricing before choosing. |
| Federation and choice over where communications are hosted | Matrix with Element or another client | Matrix describes an open, decentralized communications network and an ecosystem of clients and servers. Element is one client and service provider built on Matrix. | Matrix is a network and protocol ecosystem, not one app. Setup and feature availability depend on the chosen client and homeserver. |
These descriptions come from the respective official pages: Stoat, Mumble, TeamSpeak, Matrix, and Element. They are not a controlled comparison or hands-on test.
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Stoat: familiar community chat with voice
Stoat describes itself as an open-source group-chat app for friends and communities. Its feature list includes servers and channels alongside voice, file sharing, markdown, role-based permissions, and moderation tools. That combination makes it the most directly aligned option here for groups that want a community space rather than a standalone voice room.
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The service page states a 20 MB file-upload limit and group direct messages for up to 50 members; it does not state a year for those limits, so confirm them before moving a group. Stoat says it offers desktop, mobile, and web clients and that self-hosting is possible. Its product descriptions do not establish equivalent federation with other servers.
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Mumble: voice-first, self-hostable gaming chat
Mumble is aimed at groups whose central need is live voice, particularly while gaming. The project highlights low-latency voice, encrypted communications, positional audio in supported games, an in-game overlay, and an extensive permissions system. It documents microphone setup and describes the software as free and open source.
Mumble’s self-hostable server gives a group control over its voice service, but running it also means taking responsibility for server setup and administration. Its official feature set should not be mistaken for a full substitute for a general-purpose community platform’s persistent text channels or discovery tools. See the Mumble project page for current setup and feature details.
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TeamSpeak: voice communities with hosted or self-hosted servers
TeamSpeak’s current official page describes TeamSpeak 6 with voice, server channels and permissions, community discovery, messaging and group chats, and screen sharing. It also presents two operating choices: self-hosting or an official hosted community server.
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The page makes vendor claims about voice quality and latency; those are not independent test results. It also does not settle which features are available across release stages, accounts, platforms, or paid tiers. Check the current TeamSpeak page for availability and terms that apply to your group before committing.
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Matrix and Element: a network, not a single Discord-like app
Matrix is an open communications network and protocol ecosystem; Element is one client and service provider that uses Matrix. Element promotes federation, interoperability, secure communications, messaging, and calls. With federation, separate homeservers can connect, but communities still need to select a client and decide where their homeserver will run.
That flexibility comes with choices and administration. Do not assume that every Matrix client or deployment offers the same calling, video, or encryption features. Check the capabilities of the specific client and homeserver you plan to use. Start with the Matrix project and Element for their respective descriptions.
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How to choose and test a replacement
- Decide whether you need a community space or mainly voice. For persistent topic channels, roles, moderation, and shared text as well as voice, start with Stoat or Matrix and a suitable client such as Element. If people mainly need to talk while gaming, evaluate Mumble and TeamSpeak.
- Choose who will run the service. Mumble documents self-hosting; TeamSpeak describes both self-hosted and official hosted community-server options. Stoat says users can choose its hosted service or self-host. With Matrix, the community chooses a homeserver and client, and takes on the associated administration or selects support that handles it.
- Try the actual group workflow before migrating. Test voice rooms, persistent text, desktop and mobile access, permissions, moderation, screen sharing, file limits, notifications, and account onboarding. Official feature lists do not establish how well these work for your group.
- Weigh federation against simplicity. Matrix federation can connect separate homeservers, but requires a client and server choice. Stoat presents a more familiar service structure; its feature page does not establish equivalent federation.
What about Guilded?
Do not treat Guilded as an available recommendation based on older comparison lists. Current search results and comparison pages report a service end on December 19, 2025, but that date has not been confirmed here through an accessible primary Roblox notice. Check for a current official status announcement before relying on the service or planning a move to it.
Practical setup note for voice chat
A microphone is essential for speaking, but no particular headset brand or model is required. A USB gaming headset with a built-in microphone is one convenient option; Mumble’s project documentation includes microphone configuration guidance. Test input level and background noise with your group before relying on a new setup.
Quick Recap
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