Which Discord alternatives are open source?
Fluxer, Stoat, Matrix and Mumble are open source, and you can run any of them on your own machine for free. TeamSpeak, Root and GameVox haven't published their source code, and TeamSpeak and GameVox charge for some or all self-hosted servers.
| Source code | Self-hosting | Who makes it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fluxer | AGPL 3.0 or later | Free, with no license key | Fluxer Platform AB in Sweden, with no outside investors |
| Stoat | AGPL 3.0 or later, with some shared libraries under MIT | Free, with Docker Compose on a Linux server | Revolt Platforms Ltd in England, funded by donations |
| Matrix (Element) | Synapse is AGPL 3.0 or later, and its contributors sign a CLA | Free, and Element also sells paid editions | The Matrix.org Foundation, a UK non-profit, and Element, a company funded by investors |
| Mumble | BSD 3-Clause | Free, with no paid version | Volunteer developers |
| TeamSpeak | Closed source | Free for non-commercial use up to 32 slots, and paid licenses above that | TeamSpeak Systems, Inc. in California |
| Root | Closed source | Not yet, and Root says it wants to allow it | Root Communications, Inc. in Los Angeles, backed by venture capital |
| GameVox | Not published | From US$2 a month for new servers, with sign-in through GameVox | LightSpeed Gaming LLC in Ohio, which says it has no investors |
Which Discord alternatives are end-to-end encrypted?
Element turns on end-to-end encryption by default in DMs and private rooms, and Element Call encrypts calls. TeamSpeak encrypts its global chat end to end and lets you turn it on for private group chats, and GameVox says its voice calls are end-to-end encrypted.
Stoat isn't end-to-end encrypted, and nothing on Fluxer is end-to-end encrypted yet. We plan it for Fluxer with no setting to turn it off, for calls in 2026 and for DMs and group DMs, with an experimental draft in 2026 and a stable release in 2027.
Which Discord alternatives are federated?
Matrix is a federated network, and one Matrix account can join rooms on any Matrix server. Fluxer plans optional federation, with an experimental draft in 2026 and a stable release in 2027, and Stoat's developer FAQ says federation isn't on its roadmap.
Which Discord alternative fits my group?
Fluxer and Stoat both have communities with text and voice channels, roles and permissions, custom emoji and bots, and you can host either one yourself for free. Fluxer's API is compatible with large parts of Discord's, and you can import a Discord server template to bring over your channels, your roles and the permissions of each role.
If your group mostly talks in voice, Mumble and TeamSpeak are both built around low-latency voice. Mumble is free and has positional audio and an in-game overlay for games, and TeamSpeak's hosted communities cost money after a free trial.
If you want end-to-end encryption and federation today, Matrix with Element has both. The Matrix.org Foundation wrote in February 2026 that no Matrix app is a full drop-in replacement for Discord yet, and that apps like Cinny may feel closer to it.
Root and GameVox have mobile apps in the App Store and Google Play and an in-game overlay, and GameVox has built-in AutoMod, polls and a soundboard.
Where are the other apps ahead of Fluxer?
fluxer.com opened to everyone in January 2026, and Stoat has run since 2021, Matrix since 2014, Mumble since 2005 and TeamSpeak since 2001. Stoat also needs less memory to self-host, with 2 GB to start, where Fluxer needs at least 4 GB.
Element and TeamSpeak encrypt some chats or calls end to end today, and Matrix is federated today. You can read where each app is ahead of Fluxer in our comparisons with Stoat, Matrix, Mumble, TeamSpeak, Root and GameVox.
How does Discord compare?
Discord's apps and server software are proprietary, and you can't host Discord yourself, although Discord publishes some of its libraries as open source. We've also compared Fluxer with Discord on price, privacy and features, including where Discord is ahead.
How do I start using Fluxer?
You can download Fluxer or open fluxer.com in your browser and make a free account. If you want to run it yourself, start with self-hosting Fluxer. If your community is on Discord, its channels, roles and permissions can come with it to Fluxer.
Discord is a trademark of Discord Inc., and Fluxer isn't affiliated with Discord.