Choosing the right platform will help you achieve your vision for your community. Based on your niche, what tools do you need to make your business goals happen?
Slack and Discord are the two giants of online community platforms. They mainly function as chat apps used by creators to gather their people in one place. Both platforms have their defining features for effective community engagement.
In this post, we are comparing Slack and Discord for online communities. From default features to integrated tools, we will see how powerful these platforms are in hosting an online community of any size.
Slack
Slack is a well-known messaging platform for businesses. It is focused on giving a professional environment for small groups.
The free subscription is particularly popular for startups because it is cost-effective while also giving a virtual office setting. It’s a great tool for collaboration because team members can share files and links to resources outside the platform.
When you create a Slack account for your community, you will have a Workspace. The Workspace is where you can oversee all your channels, direct messages, and members.
Discord
Originally designed for gamers, Discord has been a staple platform for live-streaming games. Now, online community creators are using this platform to manage their groups for its versatility.
You can create multiple servers for different communities. On these servers, you can create channels where you can change access controls.
Discord has dynamic visuals and the servers are customizable to fit your community’s voice and branding.
Slack or Discord: Which is better?
Now that you know each platform’s original intent for its users, it’s time to compare their features for online community use.
Interface and Usability
Let’s see how Slack and Discord look like at a glance.
Slack Interface
Slack’s interface is neat and professional-looking.
It’s simple and easy to navigate for users to find the right buttons. Community moderators will find this helpful in staying organized even when a lot of things are happening within the community all at once.
However, for larger communities, the workspace can become cluttered with all the channels created over time.
Some tools in Slack are buried in the settings and preferences section, so you might miss it. The best way to make the most out of its features is to have a tour of the whole platform.
Discord Interface
Discord’s interface is also user-friendly and especially familiar to gamers.
Although it was originally designed for the natives of online communities and groups, Discord is still easy to understand for newcomers. You can see your server’s icon, channels, chat box, and members list on a single screen.
It’s also abundant in customization options to make the community space even more personalized.
It may look overwhelming for new users who are not used to the chaos, but it helps with the intuitive experience. You’ll quickly know where to find the sections you’re looking for.
Verdict: Interface and Usability
Slack and Discord have distinguished user interfaces that can make or break your community’s brand.
If you’re going for a more professional look, Slack has the right platform visuals. It’s neat and sleek even with the emoji reaction buttons.
Discord, on the other hand, has a more dynamic and playful interface experience. Community owners can create a friendlier space for their groups if that’s what their niche is about.
Online Tools Integrations
Comms and interactions are the life of every online community. It needs to be simple and comprehensive for both the members and moderators.
Let’s see what Slack and Discord offer.
Slack Tools
Slack can help communities build a seamless system flow by offering various online tools. Here are some of the tools you can connect to your Slack Workspace:
- Zoom
Dropbox
Airtable
Scannable by Evernote
All these are valuable in managing a virtual office space for teams.
Discord Tools
Discord is also known for its bots that automate community moderation. They help in censorship and flagging inappropriate messages keeping the community a safe space for its members.
Aside from that, you can also enhance your Discord server with the following tools:
- ClickUp
- Twitch
- YouTube
- Spotify
Discord is easily a great virtual hangout place for people who share the same interests.
Verdict: Online Tools Integration
Even with online tools, the differences between Slack and Discord are evident. The main reason is their different purpose for an online community.
If you are trying to decide which one can give you the best online tools integration for your community, you can connect either of them to a platform like Nas.io.
Nas.io can enhance the features both of these apps have to moderate, grow, and even monetize your online community.
You can have one-on-one coaching sessions, live streaming events, and file organization for resource sharing in one place for your members.
You can do all these without leaving the messaging tool you’ve grown familiar with along with your community members.
Pricing
Slack and Discord both have free and paid versions to unlock more features and tools. Let’s check their pricing and see how they differ.
Slack Pricing
You can onboard an unlimited number of people on Slack even if you’re just using the free plan. However, the features are limited and your messages only stay for 90 days, allowing only 1:1 huddles, and up to 10 connected tools.
They have three subscription options:
- Pro starts at $7.25 per month per person
- Business+ costs $12.50 per month per person
- Enterprise Grid quote available upon request
Discord Pricing
Discord is free for download and basic communication usage.
However, if you’d like a more enhanced community experience, you can subscribe to Discord Nitro.
They have two tiers:
- Discord Nitro Basic at $30 per month where you can share files up to 50 MB. These all work just fine for small communities.
- Discord Nitro costs $10 per month where you stream in HD, customize your profile, and boost your server.
Verdict: Pricing
Discord is cheaper than Slack as its main purpose is to enhance the community experience on the platform.
Slack may also be a bit costly if you need more people to have access to premium features.
Monetization with Nas.io
Both Slack and Discord platforms currently don’t have a monetization option for community creators or online coaches.
But you can still start earning money from these community platforms using Nas.io. With Nas.io you can turn your Slack or Discord communities into subscription-based memberships.
Start an online community for free
Creators and coaches sell their exclusive digital products like online courses, recipes, eBooks, or artworks to their community members.
For online coaching businesses, clients and members can book a consultation through the Nas.io landing page. If you have bigger audiences, you can launch paid events such as forums, conferences, and digital summits.
You can share these with your Slack or Discord community and Nas.io will take care of the payment process.
Nas.io does not have an upfront fee. There is just an 8% platform fee that you can either pay or top-up on the member’s total bill.
Slack and Discord Communities on Nas.io
Whether you’re on Slack or Discord, you can use Nas.io for enhanced community hosting.
Just like Nikki of NGF’s 1M Club where they help individuals gain better financial health in their Discord server.
The Good Ripple community on Slack was created by Carlos for passionate changemakers who want to create a positive impact on the world.
Start an online community for free
Conclusion
Slack and Discord are great community platforms but cater to the needs of specific communities whose branding aligns with their features. Assess whether a more professional setting in Slack or a dynamic and playful environment on Discord represents your branding.
Whichever you choose, you can always grow your community using the tools from Nas.io. It’s a versatile monetization platform compatible with both Slack and Discord.
You can transform either space into subscription-based memberships, host paid events, and sell digital products seamlessly. You can unlock this financial growth potential without leaving the familiar messaging platforms of Slack or Discord.
