Chat and messaging programs have come a long way since the days of MSN Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, and ICQ. In recent years, Discord seems to be one of the most popular programs to use, especially for gamers. It has a lot of features, from voice and video calls to in-app streaming and file sharing. Discord's popularity comes from its ease of use, features, and massive communities it offers. These days, even a lot of manufacturers have their own Discord server, as it allows them to stay up to date with their customers and provide better support.

With all good products comes some heavy competition. It's only natural that when something does so well, people want to put their own spin on it and try and see if they can create something better. While it will be hard to dethrone Discord, currently there are a few programs that are working on doing just that, and, depending on what you want to use your chat program for, may even be the better option. One of the big things we are seeing from competitors is the importance of security and privacy.

4 Tox

Tox is free software that uses open-source libraries to offer encrypted chatting. It uses distributed servers from its users, meaning there are no central servers that can be shut down. Tox even has multiple clients available to choose from based on your needs, including one that works on bare-bones systems that don't have graphical interfaces. The development of each client is led by different people, keeping in line with the open-source nature of the service.

At its core, Tox is available on Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and Android. It offers instant messaging, voice chats, video calls, screen and file sharing, and even a group chatting option. It features an easy-to-use UI that shouldn't take most people too long to make the most of.

3 Revolt

Revolt is an up-and-coming Discord alternative. In October 2024, Revolt passed the 500,000 registered user mark, which helped to put it on the map. Similar to Discord, you can create servers that can also have multiple channels in them. Of course, you can also create user roles that can be used to allow access to specific channels. It bears a strong resemblance to Discord, even the UI is quite similar.

Revolt is quickly becoming more popular and is available on a wide range of devices. It is available on Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and even macOS, meaning that almost anyone who wants to should be able to make use of it. Revolt also boasts that it won't sell or leak your data to advertisers. Using open-source code means that anyone willing can audit Revolt. The team also mentions that it will soon be bringing end-to-end encryption to all DMs and group chats.

2 Guilded

Guilded is branded as a chat for gaming communities. It has been around for a good few years now, and is often mentioned as one of the best Discord alternatives. While similar, Guilded has a couple of main features up its sleeves that help make it a better choice for gamers who are really looking to focus on chatting about a specific game or two.

Unlike Discord, Guilded will allow you to create sub-servers for each game you want, and in those, you can create multiple channels. This means that those interested in one game don't have to look at the channels for other games. There are loads of communities you can join, and it appears some Twitch streamers use Guilded to host their communities. It has built-in ChatGPT functionality and plenty of features to help take supported game servers to the next level.

1 Element

Element is a secure communications platform that was built by the creators of Matrix. Element and Element X offer self-hosted and fully managed server deployments, giving you the options that matter most. Thanks to its Server Suite, users have full control of customization options for their server. Element is available on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Those looking to use it on a mobile device should download the Element X app, which is available for both Android and IOS. Element X is designed to provide an alternative to WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.

Free end-to-end encrypted messaging and unlimited voice and video calls are the main features that Element has to offer its users. You can search for users by name, email, and username, or even send them your custom invite link if they are not already using Element. Once you have friends to chat with, you can share your location, screen, and files or even create polls to help make choosing between one option or the other much easier.

What it all comes down to

At the end of the day, Discord is great at what it does and what it has to offer. However, some may feel that it has gone too mainstream and may not always have the end user's best interest at heart. As mentioned, one of the biggest focuses for the Discord alternatives is privacy and security. We are also seeing that some of the alternatives are open-source, which gives users more transparency about the app they're using.

Most users who spend any amount of time on a PC will have some sort of chat program. Whether you are using Skype, Discord, WhatsApp, or anything else, it is always imperative to look into the app's security and practices. Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are becoming more popular and have many uses outside of torrents and blockchain. P2P networks can also be a great way to host decentralized chat programs, which give a lot of users a safer sense of security as all of their data isn't being stored in a single location by some big company.

Chat programs are here to stay and there is no better time than now to start a community chat, even if it's just with friends and family. They offer a great way to stay in touch and share all your favorite moments via photos and videos, keeping everything organized and easy to find.