Discord vs Mattermost
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Discord is a communication platform organized around servers and channels, hugely popular with gaming and online communities but increasingly used by all kinds of groups. It combines text, voice, and video with rich bots and integrations.
Mattermost is an open-source, self‑hostable platform that lets teams communicate in real time while keeping data under their own control. It offers channels, direct messages, and rich media sharing, all designed for privacy‑focused organizations. The platform integrates with developer tools, supports custom plugins, and can be deployed on‑premises or in the cloud, making it a flexible alternative to commercial chat solutions.
Free; Nitro subscription adds perks from about $9.99/month.
- Great for communities
- Excellent voice quality
- Rich bot ecosystem
- Free and generous
- Full data ownership with self‑hosting options.
- Open-source code allows extensive customization.
- Rich integration ecosystem for developer tools.
- Cross‑platform clients ensure accessibility.
- Can be overwhelming to moderate
- Not built for formal business
- Nitro upsells
- Self‑hosting requires infrastructure and maintenance expertise.
- Advanced enterprise features are behind a paid tier.
- User interface can feel less polished than some commercial rivals.
What reviewers say
Discord Reviews
4.0 (4)Recommend Discord
Discord has been part of our stack. Rich bot ecosystem. No real complaints. Would recommend.
Great messaging
We rolled out Discord last quarter. Rich bot ecosystem. No real complaints. Would recommend.
Good, not perfect
Tried Discord recently. Upside: free and generous. Downside: nitro upsells.
Mattermost Reviews
No reviews yet.
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The Verdict
AI-generated from listing dataDiscord offers a free, cloud‑based community chat platform with strong voice/video and bot support, while Mattermost provides a self‑hosted, open‑source solution focused on enterprise data control and developer integrations.
Key differences
- •Hosting model: Discord is SaaS only; Mattermost can be self‑hosted for full data ownership.
- •Target audience: Discord is built for informal communities; Mattermost targets enterprises and dev teams.
- •Customization: Mattermost is open‑source with extensive code customization; Discord is closed source.
- •Integration focus: Mattermost emphasizes developer tool integrations (GitHub, GitLab, Jira, CI/CD); Discord’s integrations are bot‑centric.
- •Pricing structure: Discord’s core is free with optional Nitro; Mattermost’s core is free but advanced enterprise features require paid tiers.
Pricing & value
Discord’s core features are free; Mattermost’s advanced enterprise capabilities need paid tiers.
Ease of use / learning curve
Discord’s UI is polished and ready‑out‑of‑the‑box, whereas Mattermost may require setup and admin expertise.
Features & depth
Mattermost offers threaded conversations, compliance policies, unlimited storage, and self‑hosted control not present in Discord.
Integrations & ecosystem
Mattermost lists native integrations with GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Jenkins, Azure DevOps; Discord relies on bots and generic APIs.
Collaboration
Discord provides low‑latency voice/video and rich community moderation tools, superior for real‑time group chat.
Scalability
Self‑hosting lets Mattermost scale on private infrastructure; Discord scales only within its SaaS limits.
Security & privacy
Mattermost’s self‑hosted option and compliance policies give stronger data control than Discord’s cloud‑only model.
Choose Discord if…
Informal communities, gaming groups, or teams needing quick, free voice/video chat.
Choose Mattermost if…
Enterprises or dev teams requiring self‑hosted control, compliance, and deep developer tool integrations.
Common questions
Can I use the core product for free?
Yes, both Discord and Mattermost have free tiers; Discord’s core is free, Mattermost’s core is free but advanced features may cost.
Do I need to manage servers to run the software?
Discord is cloud‑only (no server management). Mattermost can be self‑hosted, requiring infrastructure and maintenance.
Which platform offers stronger integrations with development tools?
Mattermost lists native integrations with GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Jenkins, and Azure DevOps; Discord relies on bots and generic APIs.