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Discord vs Mattermost
Discord vs Mattermost
A side-by-side look at Discord (the paid SaaS) and Mattermost (the open source alternative). Use this page to decide if the switch fits your team and workflow.
| Discord | Mattermost | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Voice, video and text chat — popular with gamers and communities. | Slack-style open source team messaging. |
| License | Proprietary SaaS | AGPL-3.0 / Apache-2.0 (modules) |
| Pricing | Free with Nitro upgrades. | Free to self-host · optional paid hosted plan |
| Self-host option | No | Yes — difficulty 3/5 |
| Hosted cloud available | Yes (only option) | Yes |
| Desktop apps | Varies by product | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Mobile apps | Official apps typically available | iOS, Android |
Ad slot — between tables
Best for
Teams graduating from Discord to something business-grade.
Mattermost strengths
- Familiar Slack-like UX.
- Strong self-hosting story and enterprise features.
- Good permission and compliance controls.
Mattermost weaknesses
- Some advanced features require paid tier.
- Mobile app performance is acceptable but not stellar.
- Larger install footprint than lightweight chats.
What's the catch with Discord?
- Closed ecosystem — you do not own your community data.
- Ads and promoted servers are growing.
- Moderation tooling can be limited for large communities.
Still unsure?
Check the full list of alternatives to Discord: see Discord alternatives, or learn more about Mattermost on its project page.