In today‘s fast-paced digital world, effective communication is the backbone of successful teams and communities. Whether you‘re a gaming enthusiast looking to connect with fellow players or a business owner aiming to streamline collaboration within your organization, choosing the right communication tool is crucial. Two of the most popular platforms in this space are Discord and Slack. While both offer a range of features designed to keep teams and communities connected, they have distinct differences that make them better suited for specific use cases. In this comprehensive comparison, we‘ll dive deep into the world of Discord and Slack, exploring their features, pricing, ease of use, security, and more, to help you make an informed decision on which platform is the best fit for your needs.
User Growth and Adoption
Over the past few years, both Discord and Slack have experienced significant growth in terms of user adoption and platform expansion. As of 2021, Discord boasts over 350 million registered users, with 150 million monthly active users across more than 19 million active servers [1]. This impressive growth can be attributed to the platform‘s strong focus on gaming communities, as well as its expanding appeal to non-gaming groups such as educational institutions, fan communities, and social clubs.
Slack, on the other hand, has solidified its position as the go-to communication tool for businesses and organizations. With over 12 million daily active users and more than 156,000 paying customers [2], Slack has become an essential part of the modern workplace. The platform‘s success can be attributed to its intuitive interface, extensive integration options, and strong emphasis on productivity and collaboration.
| Platform | Registered Users | Monthly Active Users | Active Servers/Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discord | 350 million | 150 million | 19 million servers |
| Slack | – | 12 million (DAU) | 156,000 paying customers |
Voice and Video Call Quality
When it comes to voice and video communication, Discord and Slack take different approaches, resulting in distinct user experiences. Discord, with its roots in the gaming community, prioritizes low-latency, high-quality voice communication. The platform uses the Opus audio codec, which provides excellent audio quality at low bitrates, ensuring clear and seamless voice chats even in large groups [3]. Discord also supports video calls with up to 25 participants on its paid plans, offering features like screen sharing, noise suppression, and echo cancellation.
Slack, while not primarily focused on real-time audio and video communication, still offers a reliable calling experience. The platform uses the G.722 audio codec for voice calls, providing high-quality audio at a higher bitrate compared to traditional telephony [4]. However, Slack‘s free plan limits video calls to one-on-one conversations, with group video calls (up to 15 participants) only available on paid plans. For more advanced video conferencing needs, Slack integrates with third-party tools like Zoom, allowing users to start or join meetings directly from within Slack channels.
File Sharing and Storage
File sharing is an essential aspect of team collaboration, and both Discord and Slack offer robust file sharing capabilities, albeit with some differences in terms of limits and storage options. Discord allows users to upload files directly to the platform, with a maximum file size of 8MB on the free plan and 100MB on paid plans. While there is no limit to the total number of files that can be stored, Discord does not offer a centralized file repository, meaning files are only accessible within the channels or direct messages where they were originally shared.
Slack, in comparison, provides a more comprehensive file sharing and storage system. Users on the free plan have a total storage limit of 5GB, while paid plans offer up to 1TB of storage per user [5]. Files can be shared directly within channels or direct messages, with a maximum file size of 1GB. Slack supports a wide range of file types, including documents, images, videos, and PDFs, and offers preview options for quick access. Additionally, Slack integrates seamlessly with popular cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, allowing users to easily share and collaborate on files stored in these external platforms.
Security and Compliance
In an era where data privacy and security are of utmost importance, both Discord and Slack have implemented measures to protect user information and ensure secure communication. Discord uses industry-standard security practices, such as encrypting data in transit and at rest, and offering two-factor authentication for user accounts. The platform also provides granular user roles and permissions, allowing server owners to control who can access specific channels and features. However, it‘s worth noting that Discord‘s privacy policy allows for the collection and sharing of user data with third parties for advertising and analytics purposes [6].
Slack, being primarily focused on business and enterprise use cases, places a strong emphasis on security and compliance. The platform offers features like single sign-on (SSO), data encryption, and support for industry-specific compliance standards such as HIPAA, GDPR, and ISO 27001 [7]. Slack undergoes regular security audits and provides detailed information on its security practices and certifications. Additionally, Slack‘s Enterprise Key Management (EKM) feature allows organizations to use their own encryption keys, giving them complete control over their data.
| Feature | Discord | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Data encryption in transit | Yes | Yes |
| Data encryption at rest | Yes | Yes |
| Two-factor authentication | Yes | Yes |
| User roles and permissions | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA compliance | No | Yes |
| GDPR compliance | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 certification | No | Yes |
| Enterprise Key Management (EKM) | No | Yes |
Mobile App Experience
As remote work and on-the-go collaboration become increasingly common, the mobile app experience is a crucial factor to consider when choosing a communication platform. Both Discord and Slack offer mobile apps for iOS and Android devices, providing users with access to their communities and workspaces from anywhere.
Discord‘s mobile app offers a seamless extension of the desktop experience, with a user-friendly interface and access to all core features. Users can participate in text, voice, and video chats, share files, and manage server settings directly from their mobile devices. The app also supports push notifications for mentions, direct messages, and other important events, ensuring users stay informed even when away from their desks.
Slack‘s mobile app is similarly full-featured, offering access to all the platform‘s messaging, file sharing, and collaboration tools. The app‘s interface is optimized for mobile screens, making it easy to navigate channels, direct messages, and search results. Slack‘s mobile app also supports useful features like dark mode, customizable notifications, and the ability to respond to messages directly from push notifications.
One notable advantage of Slack‘s mobile app is its support for mobile screen sharing on iOS devices, allowing users to share their iPhone or iPad screen during video calls [8]. This feature can be particularly useful for remote collaboration and troubleshooting.
Ecosystem and Third-Party Developers
The strength of a communication platform‘s ecosystem and third-party developer support can greatly impact its versatility and longevity. Both Discord and Slack offer extensive APIs, SDKs, and developer resources, enabling the creation of custom integrations, bots, and apps.
Discord‘s developer ecosystem is particularly vibrant, with a large and active community of third-party developers creating bots, integrations, and tools to enhance the platform‘s functionality. The Discord Developer Portal [9] provides comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and code samples, making it easy for developers to get started building on the platform. Some notable examples of third-party Discord bots include MEE6 (moderation and leveling), Dyno (custom commands and auto-moderation), and Groovy (music streaming).
Slack‘s App Directory [10] showcases a wide range of third-party apps and integrations designed to extend the platform‘s capabilities and streamline workflows. With over 2,400 apps available, users can find tools for project management, customer support, analytics, and more. Slack also provides a robust API and developer tools, enabling organizations to build custom integrations tailored to their specific needs. Some popular Slack apps include Asana (project management), Zendesk (customer support), and Google Drive (file collaboration).
| Feature | Discord | Slack |
|---|---|---|
| Developer Portal | Yes (Discord Developer Portal) | Yes (Slack API) |
| API and SDKs | Yes (Discord.js, Discord.py, Discord.NET, etc.) | Yes (Web API, Real Time Messaging API, Events API) |
| App Directory | No (Community-driven bot and integration discovery) | Yes (Slack App Directory with 2,400+ apps) |
| Notable Integrations | MEE6, Dyno, Groovy | Asana, Zendesk, Google Drive |
Future Outlook and Roadmap
As Discord and Slack continue to grow and evolve, it‘s essential to consider their current market position and potential future developments. Discord has successfully expanded beyond its gaming roots, attracting a diverse range of communities and establishing itself as a versatile communication platform. With its recent $100 million funding round and a valuation of $7 billion [11], Discord is well-positioned to invest in new features and improvements to cater to its growing user base.
In the coming years, Discord is likely to focus on enhancing its video and screen sharing capabilities, improving moderation tools, and expanding its platform to support more diverse use cases. The company has also expressed interest in exploring virtual events and experiences, leveraging its voice and video technology to create immersive online gatherings [12].
Slack, meanwhile, remains the premier choice for businesses and organizations seeking to streamline communication and collaboration. With the recent acquisition by Salesforce for $27.7 billion [13], Slack is poised to benefit from increased resources and integration opportunities within the Salesforce ecosystem. This strategic partnership could lead to the development of new features and tools tailored to enterprise needs, such as advanced analytics, AI-powered assistance, and deeper integrations with Salesforce‘s CRM and customer service platforms.
As remote work continues to be the norm for many organizations, both Discord and Slack are well-positioned to adapt and innovate in response to the evolving needs of their users. By continually improving their platforms and expanding their feature sets, these communication tools will undoubtedly play a crucial role in shaping the future of team collaboration and community building.
Conclusion
Choosing between Discord and Slack ultimately depends on your specific needs, preferences, and use case. If you‘re primarily looking for a platform to facilitate real-time communication and collaboration within a gaming community or social group, Discord‘s voice channels, low-latency communication, and extensive bot ecosystem make it a strong choice.
On the other hand, if you‘re a business or organization seeking to improve team productivity, streamline workflows, and integrate with a wide range of third-party tools, Slack‘s focus on text-based communication, threaded conversations, and robust integrations may be a better fit.
Regardless of which platform you choose, both Discord and Slack offer a powerful set of features and customization options to help keep your team or community connected and engaged. By carefully considering factors such as pricing, scalability, security, and community support, you can make an informed decision and select the platform that best aligns with your goals and requirements.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve, both Discord and Slack are well-positioned to adapt and innovate, offering new features and improvements to meet the changing needs of their users. Whether you‘re a gamer, a student, a professional, or part of any other community, these platforms provide a reliable and effective way to stay connected, collaborate, and achieve your goals in an increasingly digital world.
References
- Discord Newsroom. (2021). Discord Transparency Report: Jan 1 – June 30, 2021. Link
- Slack. (2021). Slack Announces Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2021 Results. Link
- Discord Blog. (2017). How Discord Handles Two and Half Million Concurrent Voice Users using WebRTC. Link
- Slack Help Center. (2021). Make calls in Slack. Link
- Slack Help Center. (2021). File storage and message history. Link
- Discord Privacy Policy. (2021). Link
- Slack Security Practices and Certifications. (2021). Link
- Slack Help Center. (2021). Share your mobile screen. Link
- Discord Developer Portal. (2021). Link
- Slack App Directory. (2021). Link
- Forbes. (2020). Discord Raises $100 Million, Valuing It at $7 Billion. Link
- Protocol. (2021). Discord‘s new Party Mode and scheduled events are its latest play for non-gamers. Link
- Salesforce News. (2020). Salesforce Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Slack. Link
