Discord vs Gather
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Discord
Free text, voice and video chat built around servers
Gather
Virtual office with presence, meetings and chat for remote teams
Where they differ
- Discord starts at $2.99 per month. Gather starts at $12 per member / month, billed yearly.
- Discord has a free plan. Gather does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Discord lists Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Gather lists a browser extension.
- Discord also covers file sharing.
- Gather also covers meeting notes, transcription and whiteboard.
At a glance
| Discord | Gather | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $2.99 per month | $12 per member / month, billed yearly |
| Free plan | Text, voice and video chat, servers, direct messages and streaming are free. Nitro raises limits such as upload size, stream quality and message length. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial of every feature for up to 50 members, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Discord Inc. | Gather Presence Inc. |
| Price read from | discord.com | gather.town |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Discord
- Gaming groups and friends who want always-open voice chats
- Online communities that need a free place to gather
- Groups that stream games or screens to each other
- Developers building bots and apps on a chat API
Gather
- Remote teams that want quick conversations without scheduling a call
- Teams that want availability and status visible at a glance
- Teams that want meetings, chat and presence in one workspace
Worth knowing
Discord
- The paid plans are personal Nitro subscriptions; the site lists no per-seat business plan or admin tier for companies.
- Uploads are capped at 50 MB on Nitro Basic and 1 GB on Nitro, and HD streaming needs Nitro.
- Discord says Nitro prices vary by country and plan, so the US prices listed here may not match what the app shows elsewhere.
Gather
- There is no free plan: after the 30-day trial only one admin can enter the workspace until a subscription starts.
- Gather 2.0 has no mobile app and does not support Linux; its desktop apps are for Mac and Windows.
- Recording, transcription and guest time are monthly allowances tied to member count, with minimums of 20, 30 and 30 hours.
- Gather recommends 2.0 for offices of up to 100 people; single sign-on for 2.0 is in beta and listed under the Custom Plan.
Key features
Discord
- Servers with text and voice chats
- A server is a customizable space for a group or community. Members hop in and out of its voice or text chats without having to call or invite anyone.
- Video chat and streaming
- Video chat and screen share work in direct messages and group DMs, and Go Live streams a game to a server. HD streaming is a Nitro perk.
- Direct messages and group DMs
- A friends list lets people talk outside of servers, with voice calls, video chat and screen sharing available directly in DMs and group DMs.
- Activities and Soundboard
- Activities let a group watch videos or play built-in games together inside Discord, and the Soundboard plays sound clips during voice calls.
- Custom emoji and profiles
- Servers can upload their own emoji and stickers. Nitro lets a member use them anywhere and adds custom profiles, app icons and color themes.
- Apps and API
- Discord has an official API, a developer portal and an App Directory, and consoles can be linked so PlayStation and Xbox players join the same chats.
Gather
- Virtual office and presence
- See who is available, busy or in a meeting, hear nearby conversations if you choose, and wave a teammate over or join a conversation in one click.
- Meetings
- Unlimited scheduled meetings with simultaneous screen sharing, Google Calendar sync, coworking sessions and interactive whiteboards.
- Team chat
- Permanent chat with public and private channels, DMs and group chats, thread replies and file uploads, plus meeting chat and nearby chat.
- Recording and AI meeting notes
- Meetings can be recorded and summarized as AI notes with a transcript. Paid plans include 2 recording hours and 3 transcription hours per member a month.
- Guest hours
- Clients and candidates join as guests after checking in with a member. Paid plans include 3 guest hours per member each month, with a minimum of 30.
- Office customization
- Start from a template, choose open, private or hybrid floor plans, edit rooms, walls and floors, and place more than 200 objects.
Plans
Discord
Free$0
Text, voice and video chat, servers, direct messages and group DMs, without the Nitro perks.
Nitro Basic$2.99
per month
A selection of Nitro perks: custom emoji anywhere, 50 MB uploads and custom app icons.
Nitro$9.99
per month ($99.99 yearly on the US App Store)
Everything in Basic plus 1 GB uploads, HD streaming, custom profiles, 2 server Boosts, messages up to 4,000 characters and up to 200 servers.
Gather
Essential Plan$12
per member / month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)
Every feature: custom virtual office, unlimited meetings and chat, and monthly recording, transcription and guest hours that grow with team size.
Custom PlanCustom
For large teams: custom pricing and onboarding, larger offices, hybrid solutions, single sign-on and an extended trial.
Ways to pay less
Discord
- Annual discount
About 17% off Nitro when paid yearly
Discord's US App Store listing shows Nitro Yearly at $99.99 against $9.99 a month, about 17% less than twelve monthly payments.
Gather
- Annual discount
20% less with yearly billing
The Essential Plan costs $12 per member / month billed yearly against $15 billed monthly.
- Nonprofit
30% off monthly plans for nonprofits and schools
Gather's Classic (1.0) help center says spaces for nonprofits and educational institutions may be eligible for 30% off a monthly subscription, arranged through its sales team.
