Telegram is the better app overall, scoring 8.9 to 8.5. Telegram wins on 4 of the 5 scores, Discord on 1.
Communities, creators and power users who want channels, bots and multi-device sync
Gamers, hobby groups and online communities that want voice and text in one place
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Telegram | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Messaging & Calls | Messaging & Calls |
| Category rank | #3 of 8 | #5 of 8 |
| Developer | Telegram FZ-LLC | Discord Inc. |
| Pricing | Free + paid plans | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | ✓ |
Strengths and weaknesses
Telegram
- Instant sync across phone, desktop and web
- Channels and huge groups suit communities and creators
- Generous free tier with large file sharing
- Regular chats are not end-to-end encrypted
- Spam and scams are common in public groups
Telegram is the most feature-packed messenger around. Chats sync instantly across every device, groups can grow enormous, and channels, bots and mini apps turn it into a platform. The apps are fast and polished. The catch is privacy: regular chats live on Telegram's servers and are not end-to-end encrypted unless you start a one-on-one secret chat. Great for communities, not for secrets.
Full Telegram review
Discord
- Excellent free voice chat with low latency
- Flexible servers with roles, bots and permissions
- Nearly everything important is free
- Text messages are not end-to-end encrypted
- Busy servers can get noisy and hard to follow
Discord is the best free home for an online community. Servers mix text channels, drop-in voice rooms and screen sharing, and voice quality is excellent. Voice and video calls are now end-to-end encrypted, but text messages are not, and Discord moderates content on its servers. Nitro adds perks you can easily skip. Pick it for gaming groups, hobby communities and study servers, not for work.
Full Discord review
