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Discord vs Guilded 2026: Features & User Comparison

Discord dominates with 200+ million monthly users and superior gaming integration, while Guilded offers more customizable moderation tools and better server organization features at no cost. Discord remains the industry standard for gaming communities, whereas Guilded appeals to users prioritizing granular control and organization.

Discord

Discord

VoIP and instant messaging platform with 150+ million monthly users, dominant in gaming communities.

Gaming communities, streaming networks, large-scale communities (500+ members), organizations leveraging gaming platform integrations

Score56%
VS
G

Guilded

Purpose-built gaming community platform optimized for esports teams with 1+ million users and advanced moderation.

Community organizers needing calendar integration, moderation-heavy communities, smaller gaming guilds (50-500 members), organizations avoiding subscription tiers

Score56%
125 attributes7 differences18 pros/cons

Quick Answer

AI Summary

Discord dominates with 200+ million monthly users and superior gaming integration, while Guilded offers more customizable moderation tools and better server organization features at no cost. Discord remains the industry standard for gaming communities, whereas Guilded appeals to users prioritizing granular control and organization.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Choose Discord if you're building a gaming community, need massive ecosystem integration (Steam, Twitch, YouTube), or want access to the largest user base with established community standards. Choose Guilded if you need enterprise-grade moderation controls, prefer forum-style organization with native calendar/event management, or want a free alternative without subscription pressure for premium features.

Community feedback

Was this verdict helpful?

Discord
7.9/10
Guilded
7.1/10
G
Discord

Choose Discord if

Best pick

Gaming communities, streaming networks, large-scale communities (500+ members), organizations leveraging gaming platform integrations

G

Choose Guilded if

Community organizers needing calendar integration, moderation-heavy communities, smaller gaming guilds (50-500 members), organizations avoiding subscription tiers

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Key Differences at a Glance

  • Monthly Active Users:Discord wins(200+ million vs 5-10 million estimated)
  • Maximum File Upload Size (Free):Guilded wins(50 MB vs 25 MB)
  • Built-in Calendar Feature:Guilded wins(Yes (native feature) vs No (requires bot integration))
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

65 numeric metrics compared

MetricDiscordGuildedRatio
Audio Latency(milliseconds)50-100ms with spatial audio
Free Audio Quality(kbps)128 kbps
Base Pricing (Monthly)(USD)Free (with Nitro at $9.99)
Maximum Video Meeting Participants(participants)25 participants
Language Translation Support(languages)0 (no native support)
Registered Users Globally(millions)500+ million registered users
Free Tier Cost(USD)Completely free
Group Video Call Duration Limit (Free)(minutes)1440 (24 hours)
Maximum Meeting Participants(participants)Up to 50 (voice channel)
Max File Upload Size(MB)100 MB
Mobile App Size (iOS)(MB)~150 MB
Bot/Integration Ecosystem Size(available bots)10,000+ bots
Cost for Personal Use(USD/month)Free (with Nitro at $9.99/mo optional)
Public Bot Library Size(bots)500,000+
Monthly Cost (Basic Premium)(USD)$9.99
Monthly Cost (Pro Plan)(USD)$9.99 per server/month
Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz)48 kHz
Maximum Video Call Participants(people)50+ participants
Voice Chat Bitrate(kbps)128 kbps optimized
Third-Party Integrations(integrations)400+
Paid Plan Starting Price(USD/month)Free (Nitro $9.99/year)
Max Video Conference Participants(people)50
Voice Codec Quality Rating(score (1-10))9.5
Enterprise Security Certifications(count)SOC 2 only
Time to Deploy(seconds (average))1
Uptime Guarantee(percent)99.99%
Monthly Cost (1 Pro User)(USD)$0 (free tier)
Screen Sharing Maximum FPS(fps)60fps
Supported Language Captions(languages)15 languages
Enterprise Fortune 500 Adoption Rate(percent)Less than 5%
Maximum Simultaneous Video Participants (Free)(participants)50 with Nitro ($99.99/year)
Audio Sampling Rate(kHz)48kHz premium
Real-Time Auto-Transcription Languages(languages)Speech-to-text via integrations only
Average Daily Time Spent(minutes)195 minutes
Maximum Voice Call Participants(users)50 participants
Content Retention Period (Free)(days)30 days
Number of Public Communities(thousands)~8,000 public servers (estimated)
Mobile App Store Rating(stars)4.3 stars (3.8M reviews)
Maximum Free Storage Per Upload(MB)100 MB
Voice Latency(milliseconds)50-80ms
Third-Party Bot Integrations Available(count)10,000+ bots
Base Pricing (Team/Workspace)(USD per month)Free
Voice Latency (Lower is Better)(milliseconds)20-30ms
Free Tier Monthly Active Users(millions)150 million
Video Participants (Free Tier)(maximum simultaneous)8 video participants
Workspace/Server Creation Cost(USD per month)Free (unlimited)
Monthly Cost (Pro/Premium Plan)(USD)$9.99
Maximum Group Call Participants (Free Tier)(users)100
Screen Share FPS (Free Tier)(fps)60
Maximum Webinar Participants (Paid Plan)(users)100
Average Voice Latency(milliseconds)Under 100ms optimized
Free Tier File Upload Size Limit(MB)8 MB per file
Monthly Cost Per User (Pro Plan)(USD)Free (Nitro $9.99 optional)
Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations)150+
Message Search Quality Score(1-10 scale)2.0
Setup Time for New Teams(minutes)5-10
User Base Size(millions of developers)200 million registered
Voice Call Audio Quality Score(1-10 scale)9.5
Mobile App File Size(MB)90-120 MB
Voice Channel Latency(milliseconds)80-120ms40-60ms
Official Game Integrations(integrations)2000+200+
Available Bots(bots)6.7+ million~5,000
Free Tier File Upload(MB)100 MB50 MB
Server Creation Limit(servers)100Unlimited
Premium Subscription Cost(USD/month)$9.99$4.99

Sourced from publicly available data ·

Key Differences

7 attributes compared head-to-head

Discord
2Discord
Guilded leads1 tie
G
4Guilded
  • Monthly Active Users

    Discord

    200+ million(winner)

    Guilded

    5-10 million estimated

  • Maximum File Upload Size (Free)

    Discord

    25 MB

    Guilded

    50 MB(winner)

  • Built-in Calendar Feature

    Discord

    No (requires bot integration)

    Guilded

    Yes (native feature)(winner)

  • Custom Roles Hierarchy Control

    Discord

    Basic role system

    Guilded

    Advanced nested role management with item-level permissions(winner)

  • Gaming Partner Integrations

    Discord

    Steam, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, Battle.net, EA Play, Ubisoft+(winner)

    Guilded

    Limited third-party gaming integrations

  • Thread Organization System

    Discord

    Thread-based (introduced 2021)

    Guilded

    Forum-style with categories and subcategories(winner)

  • Cost for Core Features

    Discord

    Free (Nitro subscription optional at $9.99/month)

    Guilded

    Free (no premium tier required for core features)

Full Comparison

Discord
GGuilded
Free Tier Participant Limit(participants)
Unlimited
Free Tier Video Call Duration(minutes)
Unlimited
Maximum Group Call Participants (Free Tier)(users)
100
Maximum Webinar Participants (Paid Plan)(users)
100
Maximum Concurrent Voice Users (Free Tier)(users)
Unlimited
Audio Latency(milliseconds)
50-100ms with spatial audio
Mobile App Size (iOS)(MB)
~150 MB
Voice Audio Codec Quality(kHz)
48 kHz
Maximum Video Call Participants(people)
50+ participants
Voice Chat Bitrate(kbps)
128 kbps optimized
Show 9 more attributes
Message Search Speed(seconds)
0.1-0.3 seconds
Time to Deploy(seconds (average))
1
Uptime Guarantee(percent)
99.99%
Screen Sharing Maximum FPS(fps)
60fps
Voice Latency(milliseconds)
50-80ms
Voice Latency (Lower is Better)(milliseconds)
20-30ms
Average Voice Latency(milliseconds)
Under 100ms optimized
Mobile App File Size(MB)
90-120 MB
Voice Channel Latency(milliseconds)
80-120ms
40-60ms
Free Audio Quality(kbps)
128 kbps
Maximum Video Resolution(pixels)
1080p (premium servers)
Video Meeting Notes with AI
No
Maximum Video Meeting Participants(participants)
25 participants
Language Translation Support(languages)
0 (no native support)
Group Video Call Duration Limit (Free)(minutes)
1440 (24 hours)
Real-Time Translation Support(Languages)
Limited, experimental
Show 24 more attributes
Message History Retention(text)
Permanent (searchable)
AI Assistant Capabilities(text)
Basic moderation bots
Max File Upload Size(MB)
100 MB
Voice Channel Participant Limit(users)
Unlimited
Screen Share Quality(fps @ resolution)
1080p @ 60fps
Free Message History(days)
Unlimited
Third-Party Integrations(integrations)
400+
Max Video Conference Participants(people)
50
Supported Language Captions(languages)
15 languages
Maximum Voice Call Participants(users)
50 participants
Content Retention Period (Free)(days)
30 days
Maximum Free Storage Per Upload(MB)
100 MB
Free Tier Message History(messages)
Unlimited
Video Participants (Free Tier)(maximum simultaneous)
8 video participants
Native Meeting Recording
No (bot-dependent)
Persistent Message History
Yes (unlimited)
Free Tier File Upload Size Limit(MB)
8 MB per file
Voice Call Audio Quality Score(1-10 scale)
9.5
Offline Message Functionality(yes/no)
Limited
Max Group Video Call Participants(users)
Unlimited
Message History Search
Full history searchable
Official Game Integrations(integrations)
2000+
200+
Free Tier File Upload(MB)
100 MB
50 MB
Server Creation Limit(servers)
100
Unlimited
Enterprise SSO Support
Limited/Third-party only
Custom Workflow Automation
Basic (bots only)
Developer API for Integrations
Comprehensive API with bot framework (GDC 2026)
Bot/Integration Ecosystem Size(available bots)
10,000+ bots
Third-Party Bot Integrations Available(count)
10,000+ bots
Calendar Integration
Limited third-party apps
Microsoft 365 Integration
No native integration
Base Pricing (Monthly)(USD)
Free (with Nitro at $9.99)
Free Tier Cost(USD)
Completely free
Paid Plan Cost (Single User/Month)(USD)
Discord Nitro $9.99-99.99/year
Cost for Personal Use(USD/month)
Free (with Nitro at $9.99/mo optional)
Monthly Cost (Basic Premium)(USD)
$9.99
Show 7 more attributes
Monthly Cost (Pro Plan)(USD)
$9.99 per server/month
Paid Plan Starting Price(USD/month)
Free (Nitro $9.99/year)
Free Tier Call Duration Limit(minutes)
Unlimited
Monthly Cost (1 Pro User)(USD)
$0 (free tier)
Workspace/Server Creation Cost(USD per month)
Free (unlimited)
Monthly Cost Per User (Pro Plan)(USD)
Free (Nitro $9.99 optional)
Premium Subscription Cost(USD/month)
$9.99
$4.99
Voice Chat Quality Rating(subjective score)
Outstanding (advanced codecs)
Voice Codec Quality Rating(score (1-10))
9.5
Video Resolution Support(maximum resolution)
1080p (1920x1080)
User Learning Curve(difficulty rating)
Minimal (intuitive design)
Learning Curve(difficulty rating)
1.5
Message Search Quality Score(1-10 scale)
2.0
Registered Users Globally(millions)
500+ million registered users
Free Tier Monthly Active Users(millions)
150 million
User Base Size(millions of developers)
200 million registered
Enterprise Security Compliance(certifications)
SOC 2, GDPR (limited enterprise focus)
SOC 2 Compliance(text)
Yes, SOC 2 Type II
Default End-to-End Encryption
No (opt-in only)
Source Code Availability
Proprietary/Closed
Enterprise Security Certifications(count)
SOC 2 only
Show 4 more attributes
HIPAA Compliance Certification(yes/no)
Not certified
SOC 2 Type II Compliance
Yes
End-to-End Encryption
Not enabled by default (optional for 1-on-1 only)
Default Encryption Type
Server-side only (E2E requires manual enable)
Maximum Meeting Participants(participants)
Up to 50 (voice channel)
Public Bot Library Size(bots)
500,000+
Voice Codec Quality(codec type)
Opus (optimized, 128kbps default)
Message History Scanning for AI Training(status)
Yes (Discord trains AI on content)
SOC 2 Type II Certified
No
Users Per Workspace(count)
Unlimited
Maximum Server/Community Size(members)
Unlimited (16.7M+ in largest server)
Self-Hosting Option
No
Self-Hosting Support
Not supported; Discord-only infrastructure
Monthly Active Users(millions)
150+ million
1+ million
Message History (Free Plan)(days)
unlimited
HIPAA Compliance Certified
No
HIPAA Compliance(Yes/No)
Not HIPAA certified
Maximum Free Server Categories(categories)
Unlimited
Enterprise Fortune 500 Adoption Rate(percent)
Less than 5%
Free Video Call Duration Limit(minutes)
Unlimited
Maximum Simultaneous Video Participants (Free)(participants)
50 with Nitro ($99.99/year)
Audio Sampling Rate(kHz)
48kHz premium
Message History Retention (Free)(searchable messages)
Unlimited
Google Calendar Integration
No direct integration
Real-Time Auto-Transcription Languages(languages)
Speech-to-text via integrations only
Average Daily Time Spent(minutes)
195 minutes
Number of Public Communities(thousands)
~8,000 public servers (estimated)
Mobile App Store Rating(stars)
4.3 stars (3.8M reviews)
Base Pricing (Team/Workspace)(USD per month)
Free
Free Group Video Call Duration Limit(minutes)
Unlimited
Free Tier Group Video Call Duration Limit(minutes)
Unlimited
Monthly Cost (Pro/Premium Plan)(USD)
$9.99
Screen Share FPS (Free Tier)(fps)
60
Source Code Accessibility
Proprietary/Closed-source
User Data Retention Control
Limited control; Discord retains indefinitely
Auto-Delete Message Option
Not available
Third-Party Integrations Available(integrations)
150+
Available Bots(bots)
6.7+ million
~5,000
Setup Time for New Teams(minutes)
5-10
AI-Powered Features(count)
No native AI features
Moderation Tools Sophistication(features)
Advanced (roles, automod, audit logs, permissions)
Community Moderation Features(features)
AutoMod, basic filters, requires bots
Native role hierarchies, granular permissions, content automation

Pros & Cons

10 pros·8 cons across both

Discord
G
Discord

Discord

+5-4

Pros

  • 200+ million monthly active users creating largest community ecosystem
  • Native integrations with Steam, Twitch, YouTube, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Battle.net
  • Superior voice codec optimization for gaming (Opus codec at 48kHz)
  • Extensive bot marketplace with 700,000+ verified bots for automation
  • Established monetization features (Server Boosting) allowing community funding

Cons

  • 25 MB file upload limit on free tier requires frequent compression for media
  • No native calendar system (requires third-party bot implementation)
  • Moderation tools require community manager expertise to configure properly
  • Server organization limited to text/voice channels without hierarchical categorization
G

Guilded

+5-4

Pros

  • Native calendar and event scheduling system eliminating bot dependency
  • 50 MB file upload limit (2x Discord's free tier) for media-heavy communities
  • Advanced role hierarchy with item-level permission controls for granular moderation
  • Forum-style organization with nested categories and subcategories for better discoverability
  • Lightweight platform with faster message load times and lower bandwidth requirements

Cons

  • 5-10 million estimated users compared to Discord's 200 million limits network effects
  • Minimal third-party integrations and limited bot ecosystem (estimated 500+ bots vs Discord's 700,000)
  • Weak gaming platform integration (no native Steam, Twitch, or console connections)
  • Smaller community of developers and fewer third-party resources for customization

Frequently Asked Questions

5 questions

  1. Discord is significantly better for gaming communities due to its 200+ million user base, native integrations with Steam, Twitch, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Battle.net, plus optimization for gaming voice chat (Opus codec at 48kHz). Guilded is suitable only for smaller gaming guilds (50-500 members) prioritizing moderation control over network effects.

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