Discord vs Stoat (2026)
By Noahlast updated
Discord
DiscordVoice, video, and text chat built around persistent communities, from gaming servers to hobbyist groups and small teams.
- Pricing
- Free tier · paid from $2.99/mo
- License
- Freemium
Best for gaming and hobbyist communities that want an always-on voice hangout with unlimited free members, rather than a scheduled-meeting or formal workplace chat tool
Stoat
StoatFree, open-source Discord-style chat app for communities and friend groups, formerly called Revolt, with servers, voice channels and self-hosting.
- Pricing
- Free
- License
- Open source
Best for running a gaming or hobby community server on an open-source Discord alternative without paying for perks like custom emoji or larger uploads
Which should you choose?
Choose Discord if…
wins 2/5 use cases
- Your community depends on third-party bots for moderation and automation, where Discord's ecosystem is far larger
- You play games together and want rich presence, direct game invites, and low-latency streaming
- You want video calls and screen sharing on the free tier, with HD streaming on Nitro at $9.99/month
- You need large file uploads: 50MB on Nitro Basic ($2.99/month) or 500MB on Nitro ($9.99/month)
Choose Stoat if…
wins 3/5 use cases
- You want open-source code under AGPL-3.0, covering the backend and every official client
- You want to self-host your community's chat with the published Docker Compose configuration
- You want custom emoji and animated avatars for every member without paying for a subscription
- You want a chat app with a low learning curve rating and no paid tiers to explain to members
Discord vs Stoat: feature comparison
| Feature | Discord | Stoat |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yesunlimited servers, members, and message history | Yesservers, text and voice channels, custom emoji, animated avatars |
| Paid tiers | YesNitro Basic $2.99/mo, Nitro $9.99/mo | Nono subscription tier found |
| Platforms | Yesweb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, plus console | Yesweb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Open source | Noclosed source | YesAGPL-3.0, backend and all official clients |
| Self-hosting | No | YesDocker Compose; needs MongoDB, Redis, MinIO, RabbitMQ |
| Voice channels | Yespersistent channels anyone can drop into | Yesvoice channels in every server |
| Video and screen sharing | Yesfree; HD streaming on Nitro ($9.99/mo) | Unknown |
| Custom emoji | Partialcustom emoji anywhere needs Nitro Basic ($2.99/mo) | Yesfree for every user |
| Animated avatars and custom profiles | Partialcustom profiles on Nitro ($9.99/mo) | Yesanimated avatars free for every user |
| File uploads | Yes8MB free (25MB boosted), 50MB Basic, 500MB Nitro | Unknown |
| Bots and integrations | Yeslarge third-party bot ecosystem | Partialfar smaller bot and integration ecosystem |
| Gaming integrations | Yesrich presence, direct game invites, low-latency streaming | Unknown |
| Business controls (SSO, compliance, auditing) | Noreviewers note no SSO, compliance controls, or admin auditing | Partialself-hosting gives full data control; SSO not listed |
| Privacy defaults | Partialanyone with a username can try to find or message users | Yesbuilt as a privacy-respecting alternative |
| Learning curve | Partialmoderate | Yeslow |
| External rating (Capterra) | Yes4.6/5 from 540 reviews | Unknown |
Discord vs Stoat: pricing
Every tier both tools publish, as we last checked them — not just the entry price.
Discord
- FreeUnlimited servers, members, and message history; voice, video, and text channels; screen sharing; standard emoji and 8MB (or 25MB boosted) file uploads.Free
- Nitro BasicCustom emoji anywhere, 50MB file uploads, custom app icons, Nitro profile badge, access to the Nitro Rewards program.$2.99/mo
- NitroAll Basic features plus 500MB file uploads, HD video streaming, custom profiles, custom app themes and video backgrounds, Super Reactions, 2 server boosts, 3 friend passes, and Xbox Game Pass (Starter Edition).$9.99/mo
Stoat
- FreeEvery feature for every user: servers, text and voice channels, custom emoji, 20 MB uploads, animated avatars and profile banners. No paid plan exists, and self-hosting the AGPL-3.0 software is free.Free
Discord vs Stoat (Revolt) pricing: which costs less?
Stoat, formerly Revolt, costs less because it is entirely free with no subscription tier found, while Discord is free to use but charges $2.99/month for Nitro Basic and $9.99/month for Nitro to unlock custom emoji, bigger uploads, and HD streaming.
Discord's free tier is generous: unlimited servers, members, and message history, plus voice, video, and screen sharing, with 8MB file uploads (25MB on boosted servers). Nitro Basic raises uploads to 50MB and allows custom emoji anywhere. Nitro raises uploads to 500MB and adds HD streaming, 2 server boosts, and Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition. Stoat gives custom emoji and animated avatars to every user for free. The tradeoff is funding: with no paid tier, Stoat has no confirmed roadmap for large-scale hosted infrastructure beyond community and donation support.
Can you self-host Discord or Stoat?
Stoat can be self-hosted using its published Docker Compose configuration under the AGPL-3.0 license, while Discord is a closed-source hosted service.
Self-hosting Stoat is not light: the setup runs MongoDB, Redis, MinIO, and RabbitMQ alongside the Rust backend. In exchange, a team or community gets full control of its data. Discord runs every server on its own platform, where moderation depends on volunteer admins and third-party bots, and reviewers note that Discord lacks SSO, compliance controls, and admin auditing.
Which has more features, Discord or Stoat?
Discord documents more features and a far larger ecosystem, listing video calls, screen sharing, a soundboard, deep gaming integrations, and many third-party bots, while the Stoat listing covers servers, text and voice channels, roles, custom emoji, and animated avatars.
Discord's persistent voice channels let members drop in without scheduling a call, and its gaming integrations show what friends are playing and allow direct game invites. Stoat's bot and integration ecosystem is far smaller, which matters for communities that automate moderation. Stoat's rebrand from Revolt also means older revolt.chat links and revoltchat GitHub references point to a superseded name, which can confuse new members.
Which is easier to use, Discord or Stoat?
Stoat carries a low learning curve rating against Discord's moderate rating, and Discord reviewers note that Nitro pricing, server boosts, and file limits can confuse new users.
Strengths and weaknesses
Discord
Pros
- Free tier has unlimited servers, members, and message history with no time-limited voice calls.
- Persistent voice channels let people join and leave communication casually, without scheduling.
- Deep gaming integrations (rich presence, direct game invites, low-latency streaming).
- Highly customizable via roles, permissions, and a large ecosystem of third-party bots.
Cons
- Not designed for professional/business communication; lacks the compliance, SSO, and formal admin auditing of workplace chat tools.
- Server moderation quality varies widely since it depends on volunteer admins and bots rather than built-in enterprise controls.
- Nitro pricing and perks (server boosts, file limits) can be confusing to new users trying to understand what's actually included.
- Anyone with a username can attempt to message or find users by default, raising privacy concerns some reviewers flag.
Stoat
Pros
- Free and open source (AGPL-3.0), with no ads and no paid tier.
- Custom emoji, 20 MB uploads, animated avatars and profile banners are free for everyone.
- Self-hostable with an official Docker Compose setup for communities that want their own instance.
- Desktop apps for Windows, macOS and Linux (AppImage, DEB, RPM and Flatpak) plus a web app.
- Group DMs hold up to 50 members, and bots work in them.
Cons
- Much smaller bot and integration ecosystem than Discord.
- The Android app is in early access and there is no native iOS app; iPhone and iPad users install the web app.
- Self-hosting runs more than a dozen containers, including MongoDB, RabbitMQ, LiveKit and S3-compatible storage.
- Parts of the stack still carry the Revolt name (the Android package chat.revolt, revolt-* Rust crates, a Revolt.toml config), which confuses developers after the 2025 rename.
Which fits your use case?
| Use case | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming group that plays together most nights | Discord | Discord adds rich presence, direct game invites, and low-latency streaming to persistent voice channels; the Stoat listing has no gaming integrations. |
| Open-source project that wants its chat on open-source software | Stoat | Stoat's backend and every official client are AGPL-3.0, and the project can run its own instance; Discord is closed source. |
| Large community that relies on moderation bots | Discord | Discord moderation leans on a large third-party bot ecosystem, while Stoat's bot and integration ecosystem is far smaller. |
| Friend group that wants custom emoji without paying | Stoat | Stoat gives custom emoji and animated avatars to every user free, while Discord gates custom emoji anywhere behind Nitro Basic at $2.99/month. |
| Organization that must keep chat data on its own servers | Stoat | Stoat self-hosts through a published Docker Compose configuration; Discord offers no self-hosted option. |
Neither a match?
Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.
Popular comparisons
Discord vs Stoat: migration FAQ
Should I use Discord or Revolt?
- Use Discord if you want the largest bot ecosystem, video and screen sharing, and gaming integrations. Use Stoat, the new name for Revolt, if you want an open-source AGPL-3.0 chat app you can self-host, with free custom emoji and animated avatars.
Is Discord cheaper than Revolt?
- No — Discord is free to use but sells Nitro Basic at $2.99/month and Nitro at $9.99/month, while Stoat, formerly Revolt, has no paid tier at all. Stoat gives custom emoji and animated avatars free to every user.
Can Revolt replace Discord?
- Yes for communities that need servers, text and voice channels, roles, and custom emoji, and Stoat, formerly Revolt, adds self-hosting. Stoat is a weaker fit for communities that depend on Discord's large third-party bot ecosystem or its gaming integrations.
Is Revolt the same as Stoat?
- Yes — Revolt rebranded to Stoat, revolt.chat now redirects to stoat.chat, and the GitHub organization moved from revoltchat to stoatchat. The product is the same open-source, AGPL-3.0 Discord alternative.
Is Stoat open source?
- Yes — Stoat's Rust backend and every official client are open source under AGPL-3.0. Discord is closed source.