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Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

10 reference sources

Information updated Nov 10, 2026

How we review
Discord logo

Discord Review

Server-based voice, video and text chat that grew out of gaming communities

Editorial Team7.0/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
Freemium · $2.99/mo
Visit Discord
Compare side by side
On this page

Decide at a glance

Our verdict

Discord suits friend groups and communities that want voice rooms, topic channels and screen sharing, with most features free and a 4.7/5 App Store rating. The trade-offs: text messages are not end-to-end encrypted, Trustpilot reviewers are heavily critical of support and moderation, and age verification plus the 2025 ID-photo exposure are worth weighing.

Best for: Gaming, study and fan communities that need voice rooms, topic channels and screen sharing

Skip it if: People exchanging sensitive information, since text messages are not end-to-end encrypted and Discord stores them

Pros

  • The free tier covers messaging, voice and video; Nitro Basic ($2.99/month) and Nitro ($9.99/month) add customisation and bigger uploads
  • End-to-end encrypted voice and video (DAVE) in DMs, group chats, voice channels and Go Live streams
  • Available on web, iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux; 4.7/5 from over 3.5 million App Store ratings

Cons

  • Text messages and Stage channels are not end-to-end encrypted
  • Trustpilot gives just 1.4/5 from 459 reviews (the profile is unclaimed, so the sample may not be representative), mostly about bans, support and verification
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • 90M+ daily active users, according to Discord's internal Q4 2025 data

Cons

  • The 2026 global age-verification plan drew backlash, and in October 2025 ID photos of about 70,000 users were exposed via a third-party support vendor
  • Nitro prices vary by country and the pricing page lists monthly prices only

Best for

  • Friend groups who want to drop into voice chat without scheduling a call
  • Community owners who want to manage roles, permissions and bots themselves

Skip it if

  • Anyone who needs quick help when an account is locked; many Trustpilot reviews say reaching a human is hard

Problems it solves

Experience & key features

What is Discord?

Discord is a communications platform launched in May 2015 by Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy, initially aimed at gamers. Humam Sakhnini succeeded Citron as CEO in April 2025. Users create or join servers, each made up of text and voice channels. The company reports 90M+ daily active users (internal Q4 2025 data) and says 90%+ of users play video games (2025 survey). According to Wikipedia, Bloomberg reported in mid-January 2026 that Discord had confidentially filed for an IPO.

Key features

The App Store description highlights group chat, streaming, custom emoji, stickers and profiles, dropping into voice chats without calling anyone, seeing what friends are playing and built-in activities across PC, phone and console. For calls Discord uses its DAVE end-to-end encryption protocol in direct messages, group messages, voice channels and Go Live; since 1 March 2026 clients without DAVE support cannot join calls. Stage channels are encrypted only between client and server.

Pricing and value

Discord is free for most needs. According to the Nitro page, Nitro Basic costs $2.99/month (emoji anywhere, 50 MB uploads, custom app icons) and Nitro $9.99/month (adding custom profiles, 1 GB uploads, HD streaming, 2 Server Boosts and Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition in select regions). The page says prices vary by country and lists monthly prices only; the US App Store charges the same $2.99 and $9.99 a month. The privacy policy says Discord is funded by subscriptions, paid products and sponsored content, and uses data to choose relevant sponsored content.

More analysis

Risks and trade-offs

In October 2025 Discord confirmed that a third-party customer-support provider was breached; Discord said about 70,000 users may have had government-ID images exposed, submitted for age-related appeals, while the attackers claimed a larger, unverified figure. According to Wikipedia, Discord announced global age verification in March 2026, faced backlash and pushed the rollout to the second half of 2026. On Trustpilot 60% of 459 reviews are one star, mostly about bans and support; the profile is unclaimed, so the sample may be skewed.

Who it's for and how it compares

Discord suits communities that talk often around a shared theme. Reddit and Hacker News are better for public, long-lived, search-indexed discussion; Telegram and Slack are other group-messaging options. If your text messages need strong privacy, look at apps with end-to-end encryption by default.

Screenshots

App Store promotional image: group chat
App Store promotional image: group chat
App Store promotional image: streaming to friends
App Store promotional image: streaming to friends
App Store promotional image: seeing what friends are playing
App Store promotional image: seeing what friends are playing

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026

Free

Personal

Free

Free messaging, voice and video; upload limits are lower than on paid plans (Nitro Basic 50 MB, Nitro 1 GB per the Nitro page).

Nitro Basic

Personal

$2.99/mo

Custom emoji anywhere, 50 MB uploads and custom app icons. Prices vary by country.

Nitro

Personal

$9.99/mo

Everything in Nitro Basic plus custom profiles, 1 GB uploads, HD video streaming, colour app themes, 2 Server Boosts (per the Nitro FAQ) and Xbox Game Pass (Starter Edition) in select regions. Prices vary by country.

Free plan limits
Most messaging, voice and video features are free. The Nitro page doesn't spell out free-tier limits; it only shows that Nitro Basic (50 MB) and Nitro (1 GB) allow larger uploads.
Free trial
No free trial
Cancellation & refunds

Nitro's refund policy could not be verified because the relevant help page returned an access error. One Trustpilot reviewer reports being refused a Nitro refund.

Privacy

The privacy policy (effective 29 September 2025) says Discord collects account details (username, password, contact info, birthday), content you create (messages, files, voice messages), payment information, usage activity and device data such as IP address, and also receives some data, including demographics, from advertisers and third-party data providers. Discord says it does not sell personal information but uses data to personalise the product and deliver relevant sponsored content; users can limit personalisation in settings. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest, but the policy describes only voice and video as end-to-end encrypted; Discord stores the text messages you send in order to display them. The DAVE protocol end-to-end encrypts voice and video calls in direct messages, group messages, voice channels and Go Live; Stage channels are encrypted only between client and server. A birthday is required and Discord may ask for age verification. In October 2025 Discord confirmed that a third-party customer-support provider was breached, exposing government-ID photos of about 70,000 users by Discord's count; the attackers claimed more, which is unverified.

Official pricing page

Discord alternatives

Discord logoVSCircle logoDiscord vs Circle
Microsoft Teams logo7.5/10

Microsoft Teams

Chat, meetings and collaboration inside the Microsoft 365 ecosystem

Freemium
WhatsApp logo7.4/10

WhatsApp

Free messaging and calling with default end-to-end encryption, used worldwide

Free
All alternatives

Frequently asked questions

Is Discord free?

Yes, most messaging, voice and video features are free. Nitro Basic ($2.99/month) and Nitro ($9.99/month) add customisation and larger uploads; prices vary by country.

Are Discord messages end-to-end encrypted?

Not for text: it is encrypted in transit and at rest, but Discord stores the messages you send. Voice and video calls in DMs, group messages, voice channels and Go Live use DAVE end-to-end encryption; Stage channels do not.

Was my data exposed in the 2025 breach?

According to Discord, only users who had contacted Customer Support or Trust & Safety were affected; about 70,000 may have had ID photos exposed. The attackers claim more, which is unverified.

Does Discord require age verification?

You must provide a birthday, and Discord may ask for more information to verify age. According to Wikipedia, Discord announced global age verification in March 2026 and, after backlash, pushed it to the second half of 2026; details may change, so check Discord's latest notices.

Review evidence & sources10

Scores

Ease of use
7.6
Why this score

A 4.7/5 App Store score and apps for every major platform. Marked down because the server, channel and role model is confusing for newcomers, and Trustpilot reviewers describe verification loops. The interface is English-only.

Features
8.4
Why this score

Text, voice and video chat, screen sharing, custom emoji and stickers, roles and permissions, bots, a social SDK for developers and end-to-end encrypted calls. No end-to-end encryption for text.

Value for money
8.0
Why this score

Most features are free; the $2.99 and $9.99 monthly tiers mainly add customisation and larger uploads. The Nitro page shows no yearly price and the refund policy could not be verified.

Performance
7.5
Why this score

Serves 90M+ daily users and ships frequent updates (iOS version 353.0 on 9 November 2026). No independent latency or uptime data, so the score is held back.

Support
4.8
Why this score

There is a help centre and a request form, but Trustpilot (1.4/5) carries many complaints about not reaching a human, account recovery and ban appeals; the sample is small and the profile unclaimed.

Privacy & security
5.8
Why this score

Credit for not selling personal data and for end-to-end encrypted calls. Marked down because text is not end-to-end encrypted, data is used for sponsored content, advertiser data is received, a birthday is required and age checks may follow, and ID photos of about 70,000 users were exposed.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
Discord Inc.
Headquarters
United States
Launched
2015
Category
Community

Capabilities

  • Public API
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Integrations
  • Mobile app
  • End-to-end encryption

Platforms

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux

Interface languages

  • English

Integrations

  • Xbox
  • PlayStation

Support

  • Email
  • Help center
  • Community forum

Change history

  1. Feature.Deadline for DAVE end-to-end encryption on calls: clients without support can no longer join.
  2. Update.Discord announces global age verification; after backlash the rollout is pushed to the second half of 2026 (per Wikipedia).
  3. Update.Discord discloses a breach at a third-party customer-support provider; an 8 October update says about 70,000 users may have had government-ID photos exposed.
Full change history (7)
  1. Company.Humam Sakhnini becomes CEO; Jason Citron moves to a board member and advisor role.
  2. Company.Discord ends sale talks with Microsoft and stays independent, per reports cited by Wikipedia.
  3. Company.Discord raises $150 million at a $2 billion valuation.
  4. Launch.Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy launch Discord (public release 13 May 2015).
About the author

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