Discord vs Stoat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Discord grades higher than Stoat: 3.6 against 3.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Discord grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms.
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
Which one is for you
Pick Discord if
- Fits if your friends game together and want a voice room that's always open
- Works for clubs and communities that need a free place to talk, across PC, Mac, Linux, phones and consoles
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for offices that need company controls, as the site lists no business plan or admin tier
- Not for you if your written chats must be end-to-end encrypted, as only calls are, and Stage channels aren't
- Tight if you send big files, since uploads top out at 50 MB on Nitro Basic and 1 GB on Nitro
- Pricey if a whole group wants HD streaming, because Nitro is $9.99 a person, and prices vary by country
- Watch out: phone redesigns and bugs draw complaints back to 2019, and new accounts start age-locked until Discord places them in a group
Pick Stoat if
- Fits if you run a hobby or gaming community and want it free
- Works for people who want an open-source alternative to Discord-style servers
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need workplace controls, as there is no admin console, SSO or compliance features
- Tight if you share big files, as uploads stop at 20MB and group DMs at 50 members
- Watch out: the Android app is Early Access, and iPhone and iPad use is through the web app
- Watch out: the legal entity is Revolt Platforms Ltd, and the product appears to have been called Revolt before
How we grade them
| 3.6GPADiscordExcellent | 3.2GPAStoatVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AServers, text, voice and video chat, direct messages and streaming cost nothing. The paid plans are personal extras, $2.99 for Nitro Basic and $9.99 for Nitro, against the $7 a month team chat typically starts at. Paying is optional, and there's no business plan to buy. | AEverything is free, with no subscription, and the server software is open source. Free software anyone can use counts as free and substantial. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree: servers, text, voice and video chat, DMs, group DMs and streaming are all in. Nitro raises limits like upload size, stream quality and message length, and HD streaming needs it. | AServers, channels, voice chat, custom emojis, 20MB uploads and group DMs of up to 50 are all free. The caps are small for a community. |
| Features | CFor hanging out: servers with always-open voice channels, video and screen sharing, Activities, Soundboard, an official API and an App Directory. For work there's a hole, and the listing names it: no per-seat business plan and no admin tier for companies at all. Text messages aren't end-to-end encrypted. | CServers, channels, roles, moderation and a public API for bots. The site lists no admin console, SSO or compliance features, so it isn't built for work. |
| Ease of use | A4.7 on the App Store from about 3.6 million ratings, the most of any app on this site. You install it, join a server and you're talking: the voice channel sits in the sidebar showing who's already in. Some reviewers say newcomers find it confusing. | CNo store rating on record. You make an account and join or create a server, so there is some learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, and you can link a PlayStation or an Xbox so console players land in the same chats. There's an official API, a developer portal and an App Directory for bots. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with a public API. The Android app is labelled Early Access and iPhone use is through the web app. |
| Best for | free hangouts for friends and communities | a free group chat for friends and communities |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Discord and Stoat. How we grade
Price against what you get
Discord starts at $2.99 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Stoat has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Discord scores higher, and starts $2.99 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, 1 scores higher than Discord for less, and none scores higher than Stoat for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Stoat is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Discord also covers video calls.
At a glance
| Discord | Stoat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $2.99 per month | Free |
| 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. | Stoat is free, with custom emojis, a 20MB file upload limit and server-specific profile pictures included and no subscription required. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Discord Inc. | Revolt Platforms Ltd |
| Price read from | discord.com | stoat.chat |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Stoat
- The Android app is labeled Early Access, and iPhone and iPad use is through installing the web app to the home screen.
- Built for communities rather than workplaces: the site lists no admin console, SSO or compliance features.
- Uploads are capped at 20MB per file, and group DMs at 50 members.
- The site and legal entity (Revolt Platforms Ltd) suggest this product was formerly called Revolt.
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.
Stoat
- Servers and channels
- Communities are organized into servers with text channels and voice chat, plus file sharing and markdown formatting in messages.
- Roles and moderation
- A role-based permissions system and moderation tools manage who can do what, and moderation bots work with it.
- Group DMs
- Group direct messages hold up to 50 members, and bots work inside them as well.
- Themes and profile options
- Built-in themes can be swapped for ones from the Discover section or your own, and profile banners and animated avatars need no subscription.
- Public API for bots and clients
- The company says its official apps use the same public API that developers get, for building bots or custom clients.
- Self-hosting
- You can run your own server if you prefer; the site describes this as free and open.
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.
Stoat
Free$0
Everything is free: servers, channels, voice chat, custom emojis, 20MB uploads and group DMs of up to 50 members.
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.
- By country
Localized Nitro pricing in some countries
Discord's Nitro page says the cost depends on your country and plan, and that localized pricing for Nitro and Nitro Basic is available in some places and being extended. It does not name the countries or prices there.
Stoat
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Discord or Stoat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Stoat is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $2.99 a month for Discord. Discord starts at $2.99 per month, and Stoat is free.
Which has a free plan, Discord or Stoat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Discord and Stoat have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.