For community owners · Closed alpha
A Discord alternative you can host yourself.
Choose openDiscord when running community chat on infrastructure you control matters enough to maintain it. Keep Discord if your members depend on its existing apps, bots and communities. openDiscord is an early product, so pilot it with a small group before moving your community.
Hosted accounts require administrator approval during closed alpha. Self-hosting does not require an account on opendiscord.app.
Which option fits your community?
| Option | Choose it when | Cost and tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| openDiscord | You want source access, community channels, roles and optional LiveKit voice on your own server. | AGPL-3.0 software with no license fee. Infrastructure and operations cost extra. Closed alpha; no independent security audit. |
| Discord | Your members already use it and you want a managed service with an established app and integration ecosystem. | Core chat is free; Nitro is optional. You do not operate the community service on your own infrastructure. |
| Element / Matrix | An open federation standard or a supported enterprise deployment is central to your requirements. | Element lists a free self-hosted Community edition for non-professional use/evaluation, and paid Enterprise plans. Check edition terms for your deployment. |
| Stoat | You want another open-source community platform to evaluate, including group DMs. | Its official site describes free self-hosting and group DMs up to 50 members. Verify the current release and client coverage against your needs. |
Written by the openDiscord project. Competitor statements checked against the linked official pages on ; this is a documentation comparison, not a performance benchmark. Paid amounts vary by plan and region; check the vendor before purchasing.
What you should know before switching
Encryption has boundaries. Only 1:1 text DMs are end-to-end encrypted. Community messages, files and voice are not end-to-end encrypted. Instance operators can access server-side content. No independent security audit has been completed. Read the privacy and encryption details.
Voice needs infrastructure. Voice, video and screen sharing require optional LiveKit configuration and reachable media ports. Test actual member devices and restrictive networks before a rollout. Our hosting guide and cost checklist explain the operational commitment.
Plan a fresh start. The documented community export/import format moves openDiscord communities between instances. It is not a Discord message-history importer. Do not assume Discord members, bot code or integrations transfer unchanged. Review the public API and webhook documentation before rebuilding integrations.
Check missing workflows. Group DMs and DM calls remain on the roadmap. If these are essential, evaluate alternatives before inviting members. The public roadmap distinguishes implemented features from remaining acceptance work.
Run a pilot before moving everyone
- Create a small test community and reproduce your real role and private-channel rules.
- Ask members to try text, voice, screen sharing and notifications on the devices they actually use.
- Test a webhook and review export/import and backup restoration before making it your primary community.
For a hosted pilot, request access to the alpha. For a deployment you operate, compare hosting responsibilities and costs.