Reddit is a threaded discussion platform optimized for long-form content discovery and archival across millions of communities, while Discord is a real-time chat platform designed for synchronous conversation and community building with voice and video integration. Reddit emphasizes asynchronous discussion with permanent searchable archives; Discord prioritizes immediate interaction with ephemeral chat streams.
Reddit vs Discord — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Threaded discussion platform with 430M monthly users focused on long-form content discovery.
Real-time chat platform with 150M monthly users built for gaming, streaming, and community engagement.
Primary Communication Style. Monthly Active Users. Content Permanence. Voice Chat Capability. Community Structure. Monetization for Creators. Mobile App Rating
Choose Reddit if you need searchable, discoverable long-form discussions, want to consume content asynchronously, or need access to niche communities with deep archives. Choose Discord if you prioritize real-time voice communication, want tight-knit private communities, need HD video conferencing, or prefer synchronous gaming and streaming integration.
Monthly Active Users (Entertainment Focus)
Reddit: 430 million monthly active users | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 52 minutes per session | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 8000+ entertainment-focused subreddits | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 30-60 minutes average | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 2-5x higher intent (baseline 1.0) | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Occasional AMAs (Ask Me Anything) | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Community-based with subreddit moderators | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Native video, clips, and streaming integration | Discord: N/A
Trending Entertainment Topics Visibility
Reddit: 24-72 hours peak visibility | Discord: N/A
Entertainment Discussion Threads per Day
Reddit: 500,000+ entertainment discussions daily | Discord: N/A
User Demographics (18-34 Entertainment Audience)
Reddit: 58% of users aged 18-34 | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Anonymous usernames allowed | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Premium memberships and minimal ads | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Community-driven moderation by volunteer moderators | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 140,000+ subreddits | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 130+ million (official app) | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Pseudonymous (username required, public) | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Images, video, GIFs, livestream, text | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Decentralized (volunteer mods per subreddit) | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 500,000+ daily posts | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 430 million | Discord: 150 million
Reddit: 140+ thousand subreddits | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 35% of total traffic | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Awards & Premium revenue sharing only | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Optional; primarily anonymous | Discord: N/A
Reddit: Transparent voting algorithm (upvote/downvote visible) | Discord: N/A
Reddit: 28 minutes | Discord: 195 minutes
Reddit: Limited (Reddit Talk: ~100) | Discord: 50 participants
Reddit: $5.99 (Reddit Premium) | Discord: $9.99 (Discord Nitro)
Reddit: 140,000 active subreddits | Discord: ~8,000 public servers (estimated)
Reddit: 4.2 stars (2.5M reviews) | Discord: 4.3 stars (3.8M reviews)
Reddit: 1000 MB (1 GB) | Discord: 100 MB
Reddit: N/A | Discord: 50-100ms with spatial audio
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Limited/Third-party only
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Comprehensive API with bot framework (GDC 2026)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: No native calendar integration
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Free (with Nitro at $9.99)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Outstanding (advanced codecs)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: 0 (no native support)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Minimal (intuitive design)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: 500+ million registered users
Reddit: N/A | Discord: SOC 2, GDPR (limited enterprise focus)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Discord Nitro $9.99-99.99/year
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Up to 50 (voice channel)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Limited, experimental
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Permanent (searchable)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Basic moderation bots
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Yes, SOC 2 Type II
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Free (with Nitro at $9.99/mo optional)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Opus (optimized, 128kbps default)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Not available for group chats
Message History Scanning for AI Training
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Yes (Discord trains AI on content)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: $9.99 per server/month
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Basic (bots only)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: 128 kbps optimized
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Proprietary/Closed
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Free (Nitro $9.99/year)
Reddit: N/A | Discord: Encryption, limited certifications
How to choose between Reddit and Discord
Reddit vs Discord — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Reddit vs Discord. Contains 107 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Reddit vs Discord — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Reddit vs Discord.
Can I find old posts on Reddit but not Discord?
Yes. Reddit's entire post history is searchable indefinitely through Reddit's search engine or external tools like Google. Discord messages on free servers are deleted after 30 days, making historical discussions inaccessible. Discord's archive feature on paid plans retains unlimited history, but requires active storage.
Which platform is better for gaming communities?
Discord is significantly better for gaming due to integrated voice chat, screen sharing, Twitch/YouTube streaming integration, and real-time coordination. Reddit excels at game discussion, strategy guides, and long-form reviews, but lacks the synchronous tools gamers need during gameplay. Most gaming communities use both platforms for different purposes.
How do I discover new communities on each platform?
Reddit's home feed algorithmically recommends subreddits based on your subscriptions, and r/all exposes trending posts across 140,000+ public communities. Discord requires direct invites or finding community links externally; communities are not organically discoverable within the platform. Reddit is dramatically superior for serendipitous community discovery.
Which platform has better moderation tools?
Discord offers superior moderation with granular role-based permissions, automated bot systems (MEE6, Dyno), and real-time moderation dashboards. Reddit provides community-wide moderation but operates primarily through volunteer moderators with fewer automated enforcement tools. Discord's moderation scales better for large active communities.
Can I use either platform for professional team collaboration?
Discord is better for real-time team communication with HD video, screen sharing, and organized channels. Reddit can host professional discussions but lacks privacy controls and real-time features. Neither rivals dedicated tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams, but Discord is functionally superior for professional use cases requiring synchronous communication.
How to Choose Between Reddit and Discord
Primary Communication Style: Reddit has Asynchronous threaded discussions, while Discord has Real-time synchronous chat.
Monthly Active Users: Reddit has 430+ million (2024), while Discord has 150+ million (2024).
Content Permanence: Reddit has Permanent, searchable indefinitely, while Discord has Messages deleted after 30 days on free servers.
Voice Chat Capability: Reddit has No native voice (Reddit Talk limited), while Discord has Crystal-clear HD voice with noise suppression.
Community Structure: Reddit has Subreddits (topic-based, open discovery), while Discord has Servers (invite-based, closed communities).
Monetization for Creators: Reddit has Reddit Awards, Premium revenue share (2025), while Discord has Server subscriptions, nitro boost revenue share.
Mobile App Rating: Reddit has 4.2/5 stars (2.5M reviews), while Discord has 4.3/5 stars (3.8M reviews).