Slack and Discord are both incredible applications when it comes to communicating with a group of people online. They are both known to be a go-to tool millions of people worldwide use to build communities.
So which of these two platforms are the best? The answer: it depends.
Building a Community
Discord was built for building communities. Through Discord, users can join different servers that are catered to different interests and niches. Discord was initially built for gamers, and many of these servers are related to gaming. Each of these servers contains a community of people with similar interests and a desire to connect.
Slack, on the other hand, was built more for organizations and companies to have an effective means to communicate internally across departments and teams. A person can join a workspace only through an invite link or email. When users do join the workspace, they are introduced to a variety of team chat features.
Team Chat
Slack has three chats: Direct Messages, Public Conversations and Private Channels. Slack also has a thread message feature that keeps conversations organized by enabling separate discussions within the same channel. This is a great feature for media and public conversations with many members and daily discussions on different topics. Slack also has built-in search functionality to filter through messages, files and posts quickly.
Discord followed suit and added the thread messages feature to their platform after seeing the success this feature had on Slack. Discord also has built-in search functions that are quite advanced. Through this function, users can quickly filter their server to find specific messages, usernames or files.
However, with similar team chat features, you might be surprised to learn the large price difference between the platforms.
Pricing
Discord and Slack both share a freemium business model with three options for their users to choose from. Discord has a free plan with lots of great features available at the users’ fingertips. Discord offers Nitro plans with additional features, such as better video chat and call. Slack, however, does not have such a great free plan. Slack limits the number of messages and files that can be sent into a workspace, and that number can be easily reached before messages get erased. This makes organizations and companies that use Slack more likely to invest in one of their paid plans that have unlimited messaging features. Slack also has significantly more expensive plans, but they are also targeting B2B rather than Discord, which is targeting B2C.
Another area to consider when comparing Discord and Slack is the User Interface (UI).
User Interface
Discord can appear more complex compared to Slack when it comes to the user interface (Discord was initially created for gamers, and gamers like lots and lots of functionality). So Discord created its platform to have many more features and customization options which sometimes can be challenging to navigate as a new user. However, once the user is adjusted, everything is easy to navigate, with plenty of options for customizing the platform to their needs.
Unlike Discord, Slack caters to workplaces and organizations. Workplaces like corporations can be less tech-savvy and enjoy easy navigation with fewer features and customization options. This design makes Slack channels and chats easy to access, organize and find.
Another feature many community builders may find important is video calling.
Voice Calling
Discord takes the lead by far when it comes to video communication. Discord has voice call features that are more advanced and customizable. Users have voice-over things like noise suspension and echo cancellation. Discord’s platform also allows for up to 25 people to chat simultaneously.
On Slack, the free plan only allows one person to chat with one other at a time. Even though the paid plans, the maximum number of people users can video chat with is fifteen. Most organizations rely more on other video calling platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Cross-Platform Availability
Another feature to consider is Cross Platform availability. The more platforms Discord or Slack has available; the more accessible their platform is to potential users.
Discord offers cross-platform availability for:
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
- Mac OS
- Linux
Slack offers cross-platform availability for:
- Windows
- Chrome
- Mac OS
- Linux (beta)
- Android
- iOS
- Windows Phone (beta)
Finally, we look at one of the most important features to consider, integrations.
Integrations
Integrations are the bridge for systems and applications, allowing them to work together to share data and information. These integrations allow for a flow of information, allowing software to connect. Integrations are essential when running communities because they can boost the functionality of current systems and provide features that will enable users to automate and complete a diverse array of tasks while upgrading the business functions as well.
Discord doesn’t have many integration options. It offers ten basic integration options, all related to gaming in some way. These ten integrations are YouTube, Blizzard Entertainment, Twitch, Skype, Steam, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, and Xbox Live.
Slack, on the other hand, offers more than 800 integrations with third-party applications. Users can also request to get notifications from their apps directly into Slack.
Discord and Slack are amazing platforms and offer the best available in the market for building online communities.
The ultimate verdict?
It depends.
Depending on your building community, a Slack workspace or Discord server may be more aligned with what you need to make it happen. But both Discord and Slack are great applications. The best platform for you depends on your audience and which platform they would find most accessible and more convenient. Both platforms are great but cater best to specific communities and people.
Alternatively…
Check out Nas.io to see a unique alternative to managing a community on Discord or Slack.
