Slack vs Discord
Last updated: 2026-07-11
Slack and Discord are both popular chat platforms, but they serve different audiences. Slack is built for business communication — channels, integrations, and enterprise security. Discord is built for communities — voice chat, screen sharing, and social features. Most businesses should use Slack; most communities should use Discord.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | popular Slack | best Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0/mo (Free) | Free |
| Free trial | Free plan available (90 days message history) | Free forever, Nitro from $9.99/mo |
| Best for | Team communication and collaboration | Community and gaming chat |
| Free plan | 90 days history, 10 apps | ✓ |
| Starting paid price | $7.25/user/mo (Pro), $12.50/user/mo (Business+) | — |
| Channels | Public, private, shared | — |
| Message history | 90 days (Free), 90 days (Pro), unlimited (Business+) | — |
| Video calls | Huddles (up to 50 participants on Business+) | — |
| File sharing | ✓ | — |
| API access | ✓ | — |
| Integrations | 2,600+ apps | — |
| Workflow Builder | Pro plan+ | — |
| Support | Email (Pro), 24/7 (Business+) | — |
| Pricing | — | Free, Nitro $9.99/mo |
| Users | — | 150M+ registered |
| Key feature | — | Voice channels |
Slack Pros & Cons
Pros
- Channel-based organisation keeps conversations structured and searchable
- Massive app ecosystem (2,600+ integrations)
- Excellent search — finds any message, file, or snippet
- Voice and video calls (Huddles) built in
- Workflow Builder for no-code automation
Cons
- Can become noisy and distracting in large organisations
- Free plan limited to 90 days of message history
- Pro plan is $7.25/user/mo — costs scale fast for large teams
- Thread management can be confusing
- No built-in task management (needs integration)
Discord Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free with no limits on core features
- Excellent voice/video channels
- Growing ecosystem of bots and integrations
- Strong community features
Cons
- Not designed for business use
- Limited file upload on free plan
- Can be confusing for non-gamers
- Notification management could be better
Final Verdict
For business teams, Slack is the clear choice — its channel organisation, 2,600+ integrations, and enterprise features (compliance, SSO, audit logs) are designed for work. For communities, gaming groups, and casual collaboration, Discord's voice chat, screen sharing, and free server model are unbeatable. Some startups use Discord for team chat to save money, but they usually switch to Slack as they grow.
Our pick: Slack (business) / Discord (communities)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Discord really free for servers?
Yes. Discord servers are free with no message history limits, unlimited members, and free voice channels. Nitro ($9.99/mo) adds higher quality streaming, larger file uploads, and custom emojis. Slack's free plan limits message history to 90 days.
Can I use Discord for business?
You can, and some startups do. But Discord lacks enterprise features like SSO, compliance exports, and audit logs. Slack integrates with business tools (Google Calendar, Salesforce, Zendesk) while Discord's integrations are more gaming-focused. For teams larger than 10-15 people, Slack is the better choice.
Which has better voice chat: Slack or Discord?
Discord has significantly better voice chat. It was built for gaming, so low-latency voice is a core feature. Slack's Huddles are good for quick voice chats but not designed for long voice sessions or large group calls.