Self-Hosted Discord Alternatives

Discord is not available as a self-hosted solution but there are plenty of alternatives for power users and business that want to host a solution on-premise. The best Self-Hosted alternative is Element. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Element or Matrix. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Discord and many of them are available as a self-hosted solution so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Self-Hosted alternatives to Discord are Mumble, Jitsi Meet, Mattermost and Zulip.

filter to find the best alternatives

Discord alternatives are mainly Group Chat Apps, but if you're looking for Video Calling Apps or Team Collaboration Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Online, iPhone, Chrome OS, Open Source, Self-Hosted + Open Source, Self-Hosted and Apple Watch. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Discord.

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Get a badge for your siteDiscord alternatives page was last updated Sep 7, 2026

Element
840 likes
Provides secure collaboration with end-to-end encryption, supporting chat, voice, and video calls. Available on all major platforms, it enables digital sovereignty with a decentralized design and interoperability through bridges to systems like Slack and Teams. Includes enterprise-grade SaaS.
354 Element alternatives
Cost / License
Free Personal
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Video Calling
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Snapcraft
Matrix.org
Flathub
F-Droid
Cloudron
OpenAPK
United Kingdom
+3
Good alternative?Is Element a good alternative to Discord?

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20comments
Element vs Discord Comments
Top Positive Comment by kaspian · Dec 29, 2022
Much better, no censorship, decentralized and End to end encryped!
Top Negative Comment by Guest · Jan 21, 2020
Voice features are just lacking too far behind or practically non existent compared to discord. No channels, no audio wizards setup or even basic settings like volume control or open mic threshold settings, no push to talk. It's very very barebones. If it were to have Mumbe's voice features instead of Jitsi's it would be a discord killer.
Positive comment by coffee415 · Apr 3, 2026
Element is an excellent alternative for highly technical users that would like to migrate away from Discord. It is not for your average user. I strongly advise against Element if you're just an average Joe using Discord. I work in the technical department, and I still find it frustrating to set up.
3 of 20 comments
Element is Free Personal and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Element is an Instant Messenger Discord is a Video Calling App
Element is Decentralized, Privacy focused and LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Matrix
419 likes
Open standard protocol enabling decentralized, encrypted instant messaging, VoIP signaling, IoT device connectivity, and persistent data management across federated servers without central control or single points of failure, bridging communication platforms.
199 Matrix alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Group Chat
Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
WebRTC
Python
JavaScript
Go (Programming Language)
Cloudron
Java
Perl
United Kingdom
Good alternative?Is Matrix a good alternative to Discord?

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5comments
Matrix vs Discord Comments
Top Positive Comment by luananeder · Apr 26, 2024
The protocol has the potential to be a good Discord alternative.

Issue is the clients are almost all awful, which makes the UX horrible. So not a feasible alternative, at least not until a good app appears.
Top Negative Comment by somegirlfromit · Dec 1, 2022
Matrix.org is a transport protocol. Discord is chat software. Matrix is no more software than Discord is a protocol.
Negative comment by cum · Sep 5, 2026
mostly a protocol, also for ex-discord users, it's pretty slow and doesn't integrate features quite well, it's more of a p2p/group focused app, not for communities/servers, seek IRC if you want something lighter
3 of 5 comments
Matrix is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Matrix is an Instant Messenger Discord is a Video Calling App
Matrix is Decentralized, Privacy focused, Security-focused and LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Fluxer
49 likes
Free and open-source instant messaging and VoIP platform with private DMs, group chats, markdown, file sharing, video calls, screen sharing, moderation tools, quick search, custom emojis, CSS themes, AGPLv3 self-hosting, and multi-device access.
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Group Chat
Origin
Sweden
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Self-Hosted
Android
Flathub
Sweden
EU
Good alternative?Is Fluxer a good alternative to Discord?

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1comment
Fluxer vs Discord Comments
Positive comment by Oli-6253 · Feb 14, 2026
only open-source app that has almost all the features of Discord
1 of 1 comments
Fluxer is Freemium and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Fluxer is Privacy focused and CustomizableDiscord is not according to our users
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Mumble
494 likes
Free, open source voice chat featuring low-latency, high quality audio, secure encrypted communication, self-hosting options, in-game overlays, positional audio, scripting support, low resource usage, and robust user permission controls for gaming and collaboration.
74 Mumble alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Group Chat
Encrypted Chat
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
iPhone
BSD
iPad
Self-Hosted
Snapcraft
Flathub
PortableApps.com
Haiku
Germany
EU
+8
Good alternative?Is Mumble a good alternative to Discord?

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15comments
Mumble vs Discord Comments
Top Positive Comment by scottfrost · Jul 14, 2025
Mumble doesn't support screen sharing, which is a critical feature of Discord
Top Negative Comment by Julien Beauvais · May 27, 2018
Mumble are for real time communication not differed and persistent chat like Discord.
Positive comment by coffee415 · Apr 3, 2026
Mumble is an excellent alternative to Discord for gamers who need a lightweight VoIP app. It doesn't support all of the features that Discord has. It's not exactly a 1:1 alternative, but if you need something to talk to your gaming buddies, this is the one.
3 of 15 comments
Mumble is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Mumble is a Group Chat Discord is a Video Calling App
Mumble is Lightweight and Privacy focusedDiscord is not according to our users
Jitsi Meet
292 likes
Open-source video conferencing platform with encryption by default, up to 75 participants, live group chat, HD audio, screen and document sharing, Etherpad editing, mobile and browser support, custom deployment options, privacy-first features, and community-driven development.
179 Jitsi Meet alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Group Chat
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Apple Watch
F-Droid
United States
Good alternative?Is Jitsi Meet a good alternative to Discord?

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1comment
Jitsi Meet vs Discord Comments
Positive comment by brickelt963-altto · Feb 21, 2026
Jitsi is a great videoconferencing software, the only thing that's a shame is the connection is only possible either via Google or Github (Microsoft). It's not even possible to create an account directly on Jitsi. Fortunately I go through Framatalk (from Framasoft). At least I know where my data is.
1 of 1 comments
Jitsi Meet is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Jitsi Meet is Privacy focused, Security-focused and LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Mattermost
256 likes
Self-hosted collaboration platform featuring chat, workflow automation, voice and video calling, screen sharing, AI capabilities, broad third-party integration support, cross-platform apps, compatibility with Slack imports, and flexible deployment options for secure team communication.
153 Mattermost alternatives
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Group Chat
Team Collaboration
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
JavaScript
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Go (Programming Language)
Cloudron
United States
+1
Good alternative?Is Mattermost a good alternative to Discord?

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1comment
Mattermost vs Discord Comments
Negative comment by coffee415 · Apr 7, 2026
Mattermost is an unsuitable alternative to Discord because it is another business/enterprise collaboration chat app.
1 of 1 comments
Mattermost is Paid and ProprietaryDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Mattermost is a Group Chat Discord is a Video Calling App
Mattermost is LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Zulip
275 likes
Threaded group conversations combine live and asynchronous messaging, separating topics for organized collaboration, supporting open-source, cloud, and self-hosted deployments, secure communication with encryption, and multi-platform access for diverse teams.
252 Zulip alternatives
Cost / License
Free Personal
Open Source (Apache-2.0)
Application typeApplication types
Instant Messenger
Group Chat
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
iPad
Self-Hosted
F-Droid
United States
+4
Good alternative?Is Zulip a good alternative to Discord?

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15comments
Zulip vs Discord Comments
Top Positive Comment by Geobomatic · Oct 31, 2025
Zulip approach instant messaging in an innovative way, a hybrid between pure IM and old fashioned forum. It helps keeping the messages organized and not jumble around many discussion in the same flow
Top Negative Comment by coffee415 · Apr 3, 2026
Zulip is a business/enterprise platform, more relevant to being an alternative to Slack and the like. Not Discord.
Negative comment by Raygen · Feb 16, 2026
Business oriented, Slack alternative not Discord alternative. No native voice calls, no native video calls , no screensharing, no bots or gamery customizations, etc...
3 of 15 comments
Zulip is Free Personal and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Zulip is an Instant Messenger Discord is a Video Calling App
Zulip is Privacy focused and LightweightDiscord is not according to our users
Spacebar
26 likes
Open source group chat, voice, and video platform with self-hostable private servers, Discord compatibility, extensible plugin and theme system, end-to-end encryption, support for multiple instances, and community-driven development offering high flexibility.
39 Spacebar alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Group Chat
Video Calling
Origin
International
Platforms
Linux
Online
Self-Hosted
Global
Good alternative?Is Spacebar a good alternative to Discord?

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1comment
Spacebar vs Discord Comments
Comment by Wizzrimp · Nov 6, 2024
Still in development, it wont let me make a new "guild" or add friends
1 of 1 comments
Spacebar is Free and Open SourceDiscord is Freemium and Proprietary
Spacebar is a Group Chat Discord is a Video Calling App
Spacebar is Privacy focused and DecentralizedDiscord is not according to our users
Rocket.Chat
163 likes
Open-source chat server supporting real-time group, direct, and private messaging, video calls, file sharing, helpdesk chat, API integrations, desktop notifications, emojis, LDAP authentication, cross-platform apps, and customizable extensions for teams.
168 Rocket.Chat alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source (MIT)
Application typeApplication types
Group Chat
Instant Messenger
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
iPad
Self-Hosted
Cloudron
United States
+5
Good alternative?Is Rocket.Chat a good alternative to Discord?
Armada
14 likes
Open-source, end-to-end encrypted chat supporting decentralized, serverless communities and Concord. Features self-hosting, cryptographic login, encrypted text channels, threads, live voice and video rooms, compatibility with Nostr and other protocols, custom emojis, and GIFs.
25 Armada alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Encrypted Chat
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
iPhone
Self-Hosted
United States
+1
Good alternative?Is Armada a good alternative to Discord?
Chatto
12 likes
Free, open source group chat solution supporting channels, file uploads, voice and video calls with screen sharing, granular roles and permissions, strong encryption, no tracking, plugin extensibility, GraphQL and NATS APIs, and private, secure deployment.
10 Chatto alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Encrypted Chat
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Self-Hosted
Germany
EU
Good alternative?Is Chatto a good alternative to Discord?
Movim
56 likes
Decentralized social and blog platform based on XMPP, enabling self-hosting, cross-network chat, video calls, and group collaboration. Users control and migrate their data, communicate across various networks, and access services from any node while preserving privacy and open-source principles.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application typeApplication types
Video Calling
Social Network
Origin
France
EU
Platforms
Online
Self-Hosted
France
EU
+6
Good alternative?Is Movim a good alternative to Discord?

12 of 49 Discord alternatives

Self-Hosted Discord Alternatives

Alternatives list

Element

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Matrix

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Fluxer

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Mumble

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Jitsi Meet

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Mattermost

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Zulip

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Spacebar

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Rocket.Chat

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Armada

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Chatto

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Movim

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