{"id":16203,"date":"2019-11-21T17:26:59","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T15:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/?p=16203"},"modified":"2019-11-21T17:26:59","modified_gmt":"2019-11-21T15:26:59","slug":"discord-vs-slack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brosix.com\/blog\/discord-vs-slack\/","title":{"rendered":"Discord vs Slack – Can a Gaming Chat Solve Team Collaboration?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The field of team collaboration solutions<\/a> is crowded. Some tools focus on streamlining communication channels, Others take a task management-based approach. There are hosted and self-hosted platforms, consolidated solutions<\/a>, and everything in between.<\/p>\n

At the top of the pyramid, or at least until recently<\/a>, is Slack. You likely know it. We\u2019ve written plenty about it!<\/p>\n

We recently compared Slack to Microsoft Teams<\/a> (you know, since Teams just overtook it). We\u2019ve matched it up against Workplace <\/a>and even task management solutions like Basecamp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no shortage of team communication tools<\/a>. But one of those options, Discord<\/a>, has taken a different approach to teamwork. One that probably has you thinking more Call of Duty than a conference call.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right. Discord is most well-known for its real-time voice communication, capable of delivering a more interactive gaming experience.<\/p>\n

Discord vs Slack<\/h2>\n

Discord and Slack have a lot in common, especially at first glance. By diving a little deeper, though, you can see that the two solutions favor certain use cases.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re comparing Discord and Slack based on five factors that you can jump to by clicking below. Otherwise, read on for the full comparison. Full disclosure – we happen to think our own solution, Brosix<\/a>, stacks up well against both. If you\u2019re not convinced by either Discord or Slack, sign up for a free trial of Brosix!<\/p>\n

So is Discord just for gaming, or is it a viable Slack alternative<\/a>? Let\u2019s find out!<\/p>\n

Cost<\/h3>\n

A major reason people search for Slack alternatives comes down to one simple factor – cost.<\/p>\n

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Simply put, Slack isn\u2019t cheap<\/a>. There\u2019s a freemium version but that limits you to 10 integrations and 10K searchable messages. If you want an unlimited messaging history, integrations, the ability to share channels with third parties (freelancers, for instance), screen-sharing, and voice and video calls for up for 15 participants, it\u2019ll cost you $6.67 per user per month.<\/p>\n

If you want enterprise controls like additional user authentication options or the ability to manage users, you\u2019ll need to shell out $12.50 per user per month for a Plus plan.
\nDiscord provides a richer freemium version than Slack. You basically get the core functionality of the platform with minimal limitations. That means unlimited message history, screen sharing, unlimited server storage, up to 8 users in a video call, and up to 5,000 concurrent users.<\/p>\n

If that\u2019s not enough, you can opt for the paid option. At $9.99 per month, \u2018Nitro\u2019 gets you bigger file uploads (up to 50MB instead of 8, though still capped!), higher quality screen-sharing, and some customization options like animated avatars and emojis<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Discord does subscriptions differently. Instead of paid plans on a per-user basis, Discord allows each user to decide whether or not to subscribe to Nitro.<\/p>\n

If cost is a determining factor, Brosix\u2019s Premium plan<\/a> gives you robust communication and collaboration<\/a> options and a class-leading enterprise toolkit, for cheaper than Slack\u2019s Standard and Discord\u2019s Nitro. Give it a try!<\/p>\n

Usability<\/h3>\n

\"Discord<\/a><\/p>\n

Discord and Slack feature similar layouts and, as a result, a comparable core user experience. You\u2019ll find contacts and channels along the left sidebar and conversations on the larger panel on the right.<\/p>\n

Both offer some customization options. In Discord, for example, you can change your interface to light or dark, while in Slack you can tailor the sidebar based on eight different color schemes. The tech-savvy can customize even more in Slack using CSS.<\/p>\n

Once you go beyond the aesthetics, you start to uncover some bigger differences. Whereas Slack organizes chats into Teams – a separate area where a team’s chat channels reside – Discord arranges them into \u2018Servers.\u2019<\/p>\n

With Discord, all your servers are on one interface and one login gets you access to all of them. That said, you do have to navigate out of your server and into an aggregated list of messages to view a direct message.<\/p>\n

In Slack, on the other hand, you have a login for each workspace you\u2019re part of. That not only means a different login for your full-time job and for your freelancing, for instance, but toggling between multiple workspaces.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, though, it\u2019s a matter of personal preference.<\/p>\n

Chat<\/h3>\n

Slack organizes conversations in public and private channels and direct messages. Taking things a step further, Slack lets you turn a message into a separate conversational thread.<\/p>\n

Threads help keep discussions more organized, turning replies into side conversations separate from the message feed. There\u2019s a drawback, though. Anyone who posts a message which results in a thread then gets notifications about replies. That means Slack can become noisy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

People seem to either love or hate threads. If you\u2019re of the latter camp, Discord doesn\u2019t offer them! Channels are organized by text and voice. As Discord lets you assign roles and permissions to any member in the channel, any channel can easily be turned private.<\/p>\n

Since Discord was conceived with gamers in mind, the platform allows for up to 5,000 members<\/a> in a channel. According to Slack, there are no such limits on their platform, though one team reported getting capped <\/a>at around 8,500.<\/p>\n

No matter how many members your group chat contains, these tips<\/a> can help keep your group chatting<\/a> productive.<\/p>\n

Voice, Video, and Visual<\/h3>\n

\"Voice<\/a><\/p>\n

Voice communication<\/a> is Discord\u2019s bread and butter. It\u2019s also where Discord and Slack begin to show major differences. And that makes sense, considering Discord is geared for gamers.<\/p>\n

Discord keeps voice separate from text-based communication. By clicking on a voice channel you’ll immediately start communicating with other users. Voice communication happens in the background with only the connection status indicator letting you know you\u2019re connected to a voice channel.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a push-to-talk feature, muting your connection until you push the button – like a walkie talkie. If you\u2019re on a call with multiple participants, that\u2019s a game-changer.<\/p>\n

Slack\u2019s voice communication is a bit more standard. All plans allow you to start a voice call from a direct message. Paid plans allow you to call an entire channel.<\/p>\n

Both Discord and Slack allow for video conferencing. With Slack, you toggle video on and off during a voice call. With Discord, you start a group DM and then initiate the video call.<\/p>\n

Discord and Slack also provide visual screen-sharing solutions<\/a>. Slack’s is more advanced, though, letting users annotate and even control each other’s screens.<\/p>\n

Brosix also boosts your visual team collaboration<\/a>! Use the screen-sharing<\/a> solution to conduct critical support, or the native virtual whiteboard<\/a> to facilitate a multifunctional collaborative space. Both can be accessed with a click and paired with team chat tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Features<\/h3>\n

Discord and Slack are both feature-rich solutions offering teams a host of ways to work and collaborate.<\/p>\n

Slack is still best-known for its integrations. The platform boasts 1,500 app connections in its directory and partnerships with Google and Atlassian, to name a few. In short, that means you get notifications whenever someone updates a Google Doc or task in Jira. Those actions then get contained within designated threads.<\/p>\n

Discord takes a different approach to integrations. The platform only offers 10 integrations mainly aimed at gamers, like YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, and Twitch, for example. Bots, however, help Discord gain back lost ground. You can manage Trello boards, stream music from Spotify, and even make a robot speak notifications!<\/p>\n

While both tools offer file sharing solutions<\/a>, both restrict you in ways. Discord limits your uploads to 8MB, though you can extend this to 50MB by upgrading to the Nitro plan. Slack\u2019s upload limit is a much more generous 1GB.<\/p>\n

Discord offers unlimited storage but with an 8MB sharing limit, you likely won\u2019t share a lot. Slack, meanwhile, limits teams to 5GB on the free plan and caps paid plans at 20GB per user. By the way, Brosix\u2019s unlimited size file transfer<\/a> never caps file transfers, neither by size nor volume.<\/p>\n