Choosing a Discord alternative for your private community
Eleven tools side by side: what each one costs, whether members can pay for access, and where each one wins.
The right Discord alternative for communities depends on what yours needs most: free chat, paid access, or voice. Telegram, WhatsApp Communities and Stoat cost nothing, and all three have voice calls or voice chat. Circle, Skool, Mighty Networks and Groupanda have paid access built in, while Discord offers voice, video and streaming in one app.
Why look for a Discord alternative at all?
Discord describes itself as a place to talk, play and hang out, with voice, video and text chat, and plenty of communities belong there. For a private group that wants to charge for access, two facts from Discord's own documents change the picture.
Paid access is for US owners only
Server Subscriptions need US banking information and US identification held at Stripe. Discord states that Server Subscriptions will not be available outside of the United States.
10% for Discord, and 6% for processing
Discord's Creator Revenue FAQ describes a 90/10 split: the owner receives 90% of each membership payment, and Discord keeps 10%. Its Monetization Terms calculate that 10% from the payment less applicable transaction taxes, payment processing fees and transaction fees. The same terms take a 6% payment processing fee out of the payment on desktop and in the browser.
What a paid Discord server requires, and what it costs next to Groupanda, is compared row by row on its own page.
How did we choose these eleven tools?
We kept the tools a private community can realistically move to today: group chat apps, a forum, a team chat, and platforms with paid access built in. Voice-first tools for gaming sessions are left out, because this list is for groups that mostly write.
Their own pages, with dates
Every fact about a tool comes from that tool's own pricing, help or product pages. Except for Stoat's iOS page, we read them on 27 September 2026, including the Discord and Slack documents behind our two comparison pages. We read the Slack and Zulip pages again on 28 September 2026 and Circle's page on transaction fees on 29 September 2026. We read Stoat's iOS page on 30 September 2026. We read Telegram's page on groups again on 30 September 2026.
Three questions per tool
What it costs a community. Whether members can pay for access through it, and what the tool takes from that payment. And what it is best at, written as a verdict that names the case where the tool wins.
Alphabetical, not ranked
The tools are listed in alphabetical order, so the order is not a ranking. Groupanda is one of the eleven and answers the same three questions.
Left out, and why
One tool that other lists still include is not here. Guilded's own site now says it is no longer available.
How do these Discord alternatives compare?
Eleven tools, one row each, in alphabetical order. Prices are in US dollars as each vendor's page showed them, and the sources and dates are under the table.
| Tool | What it costs | Can members pay for access? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circle | No free plan, a 14-day trial. From $89 a month, billed annually. | Yes. Circle's transaction fee is 2% on Professional, 1% on Business and 0.5% on Circle Plus. Stripe's processing fee is charged separately. | A branded paid community with courses, events and its own website. |
| Discourse | Free hosted plan with 2 staff seats and 10 categories. Pro $100 a month. Free to self-host. | On Pro and above, through its Subscriptions plugin and a Stripe account. No Discourse fee stated. | A forum-style community where long discussions matter more than live chat. |
| Element | Free app for personal use. Own server: free Community edition for 1 to 100 users, or a professional plan priced per seat. | Not a feature Element describes. | A group that wants end-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the open Matrix standard. |
| Groupanda | Free, with no member limit and no time limit. No monthly charge, no per-member pricing. | Yes: up to 5 plans, monthly or one-time. Groupanda keeps 6% of each payment, and Stripe's fee is deducted from the owner's payout. | A private group where members pay for access and chat in channels is enough. |
| Mighty Networks | No free plan, a 14-day trial. From $79 a month billed annually, or $95 monthly. | Yes, by subscription or one-time payment. 2% down to 0.5% by plan. | A paid membership that bundles courses, events and community. |
| Skool | $9 a month on Hobby, $99 on Pro. | Yes. 10% plus 30 cents per transaction on Hobby, 2.9% plus 30 cents on Pro, processing included. 30% more on members Skool brings in, on by default. | A paid group built around courses and live calls, starting cheap. |
| Slack | Free plan shows the last 90 days. Pro and Business+ are priced per user per month, and Enterprise+ goes through sales. | Not a feature Slack describes. A paid workspace is billed for its active members. | A group that works like a team, or a qualifying charity with 250 members or fewer. |
| Stoat | Free and open source, and you can host it yourself. | Not a feature Stoat describes. | A free community that wants servers, channels and voice chat without Discord. |
| Telegram | Free. Groups hold up to 200,000 members. | For channels: invite links that require a monthly payment in Telegram Stars. | Very large groups, and paid channels for people already on Telegram. |
| WhatsApp Communities | Free, though data charges may apply. Up to 100 groups and 2,000 members per community. | None for groups in WhatsApp's help pages. Channel subscriptions are rolling out to selected channels. | A local group of up to 2,000 people who all use WhatsApp already. |
| Zulip | Free plan shows and searches the latest 10,000 messages. Standard $6.67 per user a month, billed annually. | Not a feature Zulip describes. | A busy community that wants every conversation filed under a topic. |
Every source carries two dates. Each line below gives the date the page carries, on the page or in its metadata, or says that it carries none, and the day we read it. Except for Stoat's iOS page, we read every page on 27 September 2026. We read the Slack and Zulip pages again on 28 September 2026 and Circle's page on transaction fees on 29 September 2026. We read Stoat's iOS page on 30 September 2026. We read Telegram's page on groups again on 30 September 2026. We read the English version of every Telegram page. The Groupanda row describes Groupanda on 27 September 2026.
Sources
- Circle, PricingPlans, prices on annual billing, and the 14-day trial. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Circle, Paywall transaction feesCircle's fee per plan (2% on Professional, 1% on Business, 0.5% on Circle Plus), which comes with Stripe's and is deducted from payouts. Last updated May 2026. Read 29 September 2026.
- Discourse, PricingThe free hosted plan, Pro and Business prices, and self-hosting. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Discourse, SubscriptionsPaid access to groups on Pro and above, with a Stripe account. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Element, PricingThe free Community edition for 1 to 100 users, meant for non-professional use and evaluations, per-seat pricing, and the messaging features. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Element, home pageThe free app for personal use, and the Matrix open standard. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Mighty Networks, PricingPlans, monthly and annual prices, the 14-day trial, payment types and fees. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Skool, PricingHobby and Pro prices, and unlimited members. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Skool, Skool Payments FAQsFees per plan with processing included, the 30% Growth Boost commission, and weekly payouts. Updated 10 September 2026. Read 27 September 2026.
- Slack, Usage limits for free workspacesThe 90 day window, and the one year rule dated 26 August 2024 inside the text. No date of its own. Read 28 September 2026.
- Slack, Apply for the Slack for Nonprofits discountThe free Pro upgrade for qualifying workspaces of 250 members or fewer. No date of its own. Read 27 September 2026.
- Slack, PricingThree paid plans: Pro and Business+ priced per user per month, Enterprise+ through sales. No date of its own. Read 28 September 2026.
- Slack, Slack's Fair Billing PolicyA paid workspace is billed for its active members. No date of its own. Read 28 September 2026.
- Stoat, home pageFeatures, apps, self-hosting, free and open source, and Revolt Platforms Ltd in the footer. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Stoat, GitHub organizationStoat describes itself as formerly Revolt. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Stoat, iOS download pageA native iOS app is in the works, and the web app can be added to the home screen until it ships. No date on the page. Read 30 September 2026. Stoat's home page listed iOS among its apps when we read it on 27 September 2026.
- Telegram, GroupsUp to 200,000 members per group. Page metadata says published 29 January 2018. Read 27 and 30 September 2026.
- Telegram, FAQPrivate messaging is free, with no subscription fees, and groups have voice chats. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Telegram, Super Channels, Star Reactions and SubscriptionsPaid invite links for channels, monthly in Telegram Stars. Published 14 August 2024. Read 27 September 2026.
- Telegram, Rich Text Editor, Communities, Ephemeral Messages in GroupsCommunities that link groups, channels and bots. Published 14 July 2026. Read 27 September 2026.
- WhatsApp, How to create a communityUp to 100 groups and 2,000 members per community. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- WhatsApp, About adding subscriptions to your channelChannel subscriptions are rolling out to a select group of channels. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- WhatsApp, About WhatsApp ChannelsChannel updates are a one-way broadcast rather than a conversation. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- WhatsApp, home pageFree messaging and calling, with data charges that may apply. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Zulip, Plans and pricingThe free plan, Standard prices, sponsorship for communities, and self-hosting. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Zulip, Zulip Cloud billingOn the free plan only the most recent 10,000 messages can be viewed and searched, and older ones stay stored. No date on the page. Read 28 September 2026.
- Zulip, home pageEvery conversation starts with a brief topic. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Discord, home pageVoice, video and text chat, and streaming. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
- Discord, Creator Revenue FAQThe 90/10 split, and the US-only rule for Server Subscriptions. Updated 28 August 2025. Read 27 September 2026.
- Discord, Monetization TermsHow the 10% is calculated, after transaction taxes and fees, and the 6% processing fee. Last updated 6 June 2024. Read 27 September 2026.
- Guilded, home pageGuilded is no longer available. No date on the page. Read 27 September 2026.
What should you use instead of Discord?
One verdict per tool, then the facts behind it. The order is alphabetical, not a ranking.
Circle
Best for a branded paid community with courses, live events and a website of its own.
Circle puts a community, courses, live events, a website and payments on one plan, with iOS, Android and desktop apps. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Plans start at $89 a month on annual billing, for unlimited members. Members pay through Circle's Stripe integration. Circle's transaction fee is 2% on Professional, 1% on Business and 0.5% on Circle Plus. Stripe's processing fee is a separate charge on each payment.
Discourse
Best for a forum-style community where long discussions matter more than live chat.
Discourse organizes discussions into categories and tags, and its Pro plan includes chat. The free hosted plan has unlimited members, 2 staff seats and 10 categories. Pro costs $100 a month and Business $500. Discourse is open source, and running it on your own server is free. Paid access comes from its Subscriptions plugin on Pro and above. The plugin sells recurring or one-time subscriptions to a group and needs a Stripe account. Neither the plugin page nor the pricing page states a Discourse fee on those payments.
Element
Best for a group that wants end-to-end encrypted chat and calls on the open Matrix standard.
Element is a messaging app built on Matrix, an open and decentralised standard. It has threads, voice messages, polls and reactions, and its voice and video calls work one to one and in groups. Everything is end-to-end encrypted by default. The app is free for personal use, on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android and the web. For a server of your own, the free Community edition covers 1 to 100 users and is meant for non-professional deployments and evaluations. The Enterprise plan is priced per seat per month. Element's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Groupanda
Best for a private group where members pay for access and chat in channels is enough.
Groupanda is a workspace for private communities: real-time chat in channels, with an owner, admins and members, and plans that members buy. It is free, with no member limit and no time limit. You can offer up to 5 plans side by side. Each is a monthly subscription or a one-time payment with no renewal date, and each opens its own channels. Members buy a plan in the browser, and the iOS and Android apps send them there. On a paid group the member pays the price you set. Out of that payment, Groupanda keeps a 6% platform fee. Stripe's processing fee is deducted from your payout. Nothing is added on top of what the member pays. Stripe Connect pays out to the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Norway, Liechtenstein, Canada, and Switzerland.
What Groupanda does not have: threads, voice or video calls, screen share, bots and integrations. You search messages within a channel, one channel at a time.
Mighty Networks
Best for a paid membership that bundles courses, events and community, with branded apps at the top.
Mighty Networks combines a community with courses and automations, and its top plan, Mighty Pro, adds your own branded apps. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial. Launch costs $79 a month on annual billing or $95 month to month, for unlimited members. Members can pay by subscription or one-time payment, for the whole network or a single space. Mighty Networks takes 2% on Launch, 1% on Scale, and 0.5% on Growth and Mighty Pro.
Skool
Best for a paid group built around courses and live calls that wants a low monthly price to start.
Skool pairs a community with courses and live calls. Hobby costs $9 a month and Pro $99, both with unlimited members. Skool processes the payments itself, and its fee includes processing. It takes 10% plus 30 cents per transaction on Hobby, and 2.9% plus 30 cents on Pro, or 3.9% plus 30 cents on transactions above $900. Its Growth Boost, on by default, adds a 30% commission on members Skool brings you, for as long as their subscription stays active. You can turn it off in the group's settings. Payouts go to your bank account every Wednesday.
What Skool costs next to Groupanda, and how Groupanda works as a Skool alternative, are compared row by row on a separate page.
Slack
Best for a group that works like a team, or a qualifying charity with 250 members or fewer.
Slack is a workplace chat tool, priced per user. Its free plan shows and searches the last 90 days. Slack says messages and files more than one year old will be permanently deleted from free workspaces. Of its three paid plans, Pro and Business+ are priced per user per month, and Enterprise+ goes through sales. Workspaces of up to 250 members that qualify for its nonprofit programme can get Pro free. A paid workspace is billed for its active members, and Slack's pages describe no way for members to pay for access.
Slack's per user pricing, and what its free plan does to your history, are compared row by row on a separate page.
Stoat
Best for a free community that wants servers, channels and voice chat without Discord.
Stoat, the app that used to be Revolt, is an open-source group chat app with servers, channels, voice chat, file sharing and role-based permissions. It is free, with no ads, and you can host your own server if you want to. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and the web. Stoat's iOS page says a native iOS app is in the works, and that the web app can be added to the home screen until it ships. Stoat's site describes no way for members to pay for access.
Telegram
Best for very large groups, and for paid channels whose members already use Telegram.
Telegram is a free messaging app, and its groups hold up to 200,000 members. Any group can start a voice chat that members join whenever they want. Since July 2026, several groups, channels and bots can be linked into one community. For channels, admins can create invite links that require a monthly payment in Telegram Stars.
What a paid Telegram group requires, and what it costs next to Groupanda, is compared row by row on its own page.
WhatsApp Communities
Best for a local group of up to 2,000 people who all use WhatsApp already.
A WhatsApp community gathers up to 100 groups, with an announcements group that reaches everyone, for up to 2,000 members in total. Messaging and calling on WhatsApp are free, though data charges may apply. Its help pages describe no way to charge for joining a group or a community. Channel subscriptions are rolling out gradually to a select group of channels, and channel updates are a one-way broadcast rather than a conversation.
Zulip
Best for a busy community that wants every conversation filed under a topic, and qualifies for Zulip's free Standard plan.
Zulip is an open-source chat app where every conversation starts with a brief topic, so replies stay in context. On Zulip Cloud's free plan, only the most recent 10,000 messages can be viewed and searched, and older ones stay stored. Standard costs $6.67 per user a month billed annually, or $8 month to month. Zulip offers a free Standard plan to most communities for which the free plan is not an option, and self-hosting is free. Its plans page describes no way for members to pay for access.
Is a monthly plan or a share of each payment cheaper?
The tools with paid access built in charge in one of two ways. Which one costs you less depends on how much your members pay in total each month.
A monthly price and a small share
Circle starts at $89 a month on annual billing, on Professional, where its transaction fee is 2% of each payment. Stripe's processing fee is a separate charge. Mighty Networks starts at $79 a month on annual billing and takes 2% on Launch. Skool Pro costs $99 a month and takes 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction, processing included.
No monthly price, or a small one, and a larger share
On Groupanda the member pays the price you set. Out of that payment, Groupanda keeps a 6% platform fee. Stripe's processing fee is deducted from your payout. Nothing is added on top of what the member pays, and there is no monthly charge. Skool Hobby costs $9 a month and takes 10% plus 30 cents per transaction, processing included. Discord takes 10%, plus 6% for processing on desktop and in the browser.
Where the two meet
Circle and Groupanda both leave Stripe's processing fee out of their percentage, so this compares only what each platform itself takes. At Circle's annual price, its Professional plan and Groupanda's 6% of each payment cost the same when members pay $2,225 a month in total: $133.50 either way. Below that amount Groupanda costs less, and above it Circle does.
Skool's percentages include payment processing, so they only compare with Circle's or Groupanda's once you add Stripe's rate, which depends on card and currency. On members Skool brings you, its Growth Boost adds 30% unless you turn it off.
When should you stay on Discord?
A list of alternatives that never recommends staying put is not worth reading. Stay on Discord if one of these is true.
- Voice, video and streaming are the heart of your group. Discord has all three built in, and Groupanda has no calls, video or screen share.
- Your community is free and will stay free, so paid access and its fees never come into it.
- You are in the United States and ready to give up 10% plus processing to keep everyone where they already are.
The tools above earn their place when none of those is true, or when paying for access has to work outside the United States.
For Circle, Mighty Networks, Skool and the other platforms with paid access side by side, see our list of best community platforms.
Questions people ask about Discord alternatives
Are there good alternatives to Discord?
Yes, and the right one depends on what your community needs most. For free group chat, Telegram, WhatsApp Communities and Stoat cost nothing, and all three have voice calls or voice chat. For long discussions, Discourse and Zulip organize conversations by category or by topic. For paid access, Circle, Skool, Mighty Networks and Groupanda have it built in.
Which Discord alternatives are free?
Telegram, WhatsApp Communities and Stoat cost nothing to use, Element's app is free for personal use, and Groupanda is free with no member limit. Slack, Discourse and Zulip have free plans with limits. Slack's free plan shows the last 90 days, Discourse's allows 2 staff seats and 10 categories, and Zulip's shows and searches the latest 10,000 messages. Circle and Mighty Networks have no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and Skool starts at $9 a month.
Which Discord alternatives let members pay for access?
Circle, Skool, Mighty Networks and Groupanda have paid access built in. Discourse adds it through its Subscriptions plugin on the Pro plan and above, with a Stripe account. Telegram lets channel admins create invite links that require a monthly payment in Telegram Stars. Slack bills a workspace for its active members, and its pages describe no way for members to pay. WhatsApp is only rolling out channel subscriptions to selected channels. The table above gives each fee as the vendor states it.
When should a community stay on Discord?
When voice, video and streaming are the heart of the group, because Discord has all three built in. Also when the community is free and will stay free, so paid access and its fees never come into it. Discord's Server Subscriptions are not available outside the United States, so a group that wants to charge from elsewhere needs one of the alternatives above.
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