Mumble vs Stoat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Stoat grades higher than Mumble: 3.2 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Stoat grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Mumble if
- Fits if you want voice chat with low delay for a gaming group
- Works for admins who want to run their own voice server
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want rich text chat, as it is basic
- Not for you if you don't want to run or find a server, since one is needed
- Watch out: the mobile apps are third-party and not maintained by the team
- Watch out: development is by volunteers, and the 1.6 series is still a release candidate
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
| 2.8GPAMumbleGood | 3.2GPAStoatVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe client and server are free and open source with no licence cost. You need a server to talk on: a public one, or one you host. | 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 | ANo paid tier and no cap on record: nothing to pay for. | 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 | CLow-latency voice, positional audio, an overlay, permissions, encryption and a recorder. Text chat is basic compared with team messengers. | 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 | CNo store rating on record. Joining a public server is simple, though running your own takes setup and a learning curve. | CNo store rating on record. You make an account and join or create a server, so there is some learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux clients. Mobile apps are third-party projects the Mumble team says it does not maintain. | 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 | low-latency voice chat on a server you control | 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: Mumble and Stoat. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mumble has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Stoat has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Stoat scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, none scores higher than Mumble 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
- Mumble is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Stoat also covers file sharing.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceSelf-hostableTeam chat
At a glance
| Mumble | Stoat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Mumble is free and open source, with no licensing cost for the client or the server. | 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 | The Mumble project | Revolt Platforms Ltd |
| Price read from | mumble.info | stoat.chat |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Mumble
- Mumble is voice chat first, and text chat is basic compared with team messengers.
- You or a hosting provider must run the server; public servers are another way to connect.
- Mobile apps are third-party projects the Mumble team says it does not maintain, and the latest macOS 1.5 build is 1.5.901.
- Development is by a team of volunteers, with a release candidate of the 1.6 series available.
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
Mumble
- Low-latency voice
- Mumble describes itself as the first VoIP application to establish true low-latency voice communication, and targets talking while gaming.
- Positional audio and overlay
- In supported games you hear players from where they are located in the game, and an overlay shows who is talking.
- Permission system
- An extensive access control list sets who can speak, listen or enter which channels, for example letting leaders talk to two groups.
- Self-hosted server
- The server program runs on your own hardware, with administration through the Ice protocol, authenticators and community web interfaces.
- Encrypted communication
- The site says communication is always encrypted and uses public/private-key authentication by default.
- Multi-channel recorder
- Users record podcasts with the built-in multi-channel audio recorder, according to the project site.
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
Mumble
Free$0
Open-source client and server, free to download and host yourself, with no paid tiers.
Stoat
Free$0
Everything is free: servers, channels, voice chat, custom emojis, 20MB uploads and group DMs of up to 50 members.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mumble or Stoat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Mumble and Stoat are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Mumble or Stoat?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Mumble and Stoat have a free plan.
Which platforms do Mumble and Stoat run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Stoat lists a web app and iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.