Discord is an American online platform that allows people to communicate through voice calls, video calls, text messages, and sharing media. Communication can be private or take place in online groups called "servers." A server is a group of chat rooms and voice channels that stay open even when people leave. These servers can be joined using special links. Discord works on computers running Windows, macOS, or Linux, and on mobile devices like Android, iOS, and iPadOS. It also works in web browsers.

As of 2024, Discord has about 150 million users who use it each month and 19 million servers that are active each week. It is mainly used by gamers, but more users are interested in other topics. In March 2024, Discord was the 30th most visited website worldwide, and about 23% of its traffic came from the United States. In March 2022, Discord had 600 employees worldwide.

History

Discord was created by Jason Citron and Stanislav Vishnevskiy. Citron founded a social gaming network called OpenFeint and sold it to GREE in 2011 for $104 million. He used this money to start a game development studio named Hammer & Chisel in 2012. The studio’s first product was a game called Fates Forever, released in 2014. Citron hoped it would be the first multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game on mobile platforms, but it was not successful.

During the development of Fates Forever, Citron noticed that it was difficult for his team to use voice over IP (VoIP) software to discuss tactics in games like Final Fantasy XIV and League of Legends. This led to the creation of a chat service designed to be easy to use and not slow down performance. The name "Discord" was chosen because it is easy to say, spell, and remember. It also relates to the idea of talking, which was the problem Citron wanted to solve in the gaming community.

To develop Discord, Hammer & Chisel received funding from YouWeb’s 9+ business incubator, Benchmark Capital, and Tencent. Discord was publicly released in May 2015 under the domain name discordapp.com. It did not target a specific audience, but gaming-related online communities quickly began using it instead of older chat services. The platform became popular among esports players, LAN tournament gamers, and users of platforms like Twitch, Diablo, and World of Warcraft.

In January 2016, Discord raised $20 million in funding, including an investment from WarnerMedia (then TimeWarner). WarnerMedia was later acquired by AT&T in 2018, and its investment group shut down in 2019. In April 2018, Microsoft announced support for Discord on Xbox Live, allowing users to connect their Xbox Live and Discord accounts.

In December 2018, Discord raised $150 million in funding at a $2 billion valuation. The investment was led by Greenoaks Capital, with contributions from Firstmark, Tencent, IVP, Index Ventures, and Technology Opportunity Partners. In June 2020, Discord announced it would expand beyond video gaming to become a general-purpose communication tool. It changed its slogan to "Your place to talk" and received $100 million in new investments to support these changes.

In March 2021, Discord hired its first chief financial officer, Tomasz Marcinkowski, who previously worked at Pinterest. This move was seen as a step toward an initial public offering, though Citron said he was not considering taking the company public. Discord doubled its monthly user base to about 140 million in 2020. That same year, reports suggested Microsoft might buy Discord for $10 billion, but the company decided to remain independent. In April 2021, Sony Interactive Entertainment invested in Discord and planned to integrate some of its services into the PlayStation Network by 2022.

In May 2021, Discord updated its logo and branding for its sixth anniversary. The changes included a more colorful design and a new slogan, "imagine a place," which some users criticized. In July 2021, Discord acquired Sentropy, a company that helps manage online content.

By August 2021, Discord reported $130 million in revenue for 2020, up from $43 million in 2019. Its valuation reached $15 billion, partly due to increased use during the COVID-19 pandemic and a shift toward smaller, private communication spaces. In September 2021, Discord raised an additional $500 million in funding.

In September 2021, Google sent legal notices to developers of two popular music bots on Discord—Groovy and Rythm—because they played YouTube videos without ads. Two weeks later, Discord partnered with YouTube to test a feature called "Watch Together," which allows users to watch videos together.

In November 2021, Citron shared mockups of Discord integrating cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), but later said the company had no plans to implement these features. In November 2022, the European Union fined Discord €800,000 for violating data protection rules. The violations included allowing the app to run in the background after closing and not disconnecting users from voice chats.

In early 2023, classified U.S. government documents were shared on a Discord server, revealing details about the Russo-Ukrainian war and intelligence operations. In August 2023, Discord laid off 4% of its staff as part of a restructuring effort. In December 2023, the company updated its mobile app with features like dark mode and voice messages.

Between 2020 and 2024, Discord’s workforce grew fivefold. In January 2024, the company laid off 17% of its employees. On April Fools’ Day 2024, a video from Discord’s app was mistakenly counted as the most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours, but the count was later corrected.

In April 2025, Citron stepped down as Discord

Features

Discord is a platform designed to help people manage online communities. It offers tools for communication, such as voice and video calls, chat rooms that stay open, and the ability to send direct messages or create private groups. It also connects with other services popular among gamers.

Discord communities are organized into groups called servers. These groups are also referred to as "guilds" in developer guides to avoid confusion with actual computer servers. Users can create servers for free, set how visible they are, and make voice and text chat rooms. They can also sort these rooms into categories. Most servers can have up to 250,000 members, but this number can increase if the server owner asks Discord. Users can assign roles to members, which control access to channels, change user colors, and identify moderation teams. The largest server on Discord was Snowsgiving 2021, which had 1 million members. In 2023, the Midjourney server reached over 15 million members, becoming the largest.

Since 2017, Discord has allowed game developers and publishers to officially verify their servers. Verified servers have special badges to show they are official. These servers are managed by the developers’ or publishers’ teams. Verification was later expanded to include esports teams and musicians. By late 2017, about 450 servers were verified. In 2023, Discord paused its verification program for maintenance and has not restarted it as of September 2024.

Channels on Discord can be used for voice chat, streaming, instant messages, and sharing files. In May 2021, Discord added Stage Channels, which allow live, moderated audio discussions. These channels were limited to invited or ticketed users. A tool to find open Stage Channels was removed in October 2021.

In August 2021, Discord introduced Threads, temporary text channels that automatically disappear after a set time. This feature was meant to encourage more communication in servers. In September 2022, Forum Channels were added, allowing for longer, separate conversations similar to online forums. In June 2023, Media Channels were launched, which only support videos and images.

To join Discord, users need an email address and create a username. Until mid-2023, usernames included a four-digit number called a "discriminator" (like a "Discord tag") to allow duplicate names. Nitro subscribers could change this number. In May 2023, Discord replaced this system with a handle-based one, requiring users to choose new usernames. Priority for selecting usernames was based on registration date, Nitro status, and server ownership. Some users worried about others using their old names.

In June 2021, users could add an "about me" section and a custom-colored banner to their profiles. Nitro subscribers could use images or animations for their banners. In October 2017, video calling and screen sharing were added, allowing up to 10 users in private calls, later expanded to 50 due to increased demand during the pandemic.

In August 2019, servers gained live streaming features, letting users share their screens or specific apps. These features were not meant to compete with platforms like Twitch but to help small groups. In August 2018, Discord launched a games store beta, offering exclusive games for 90 days. Nitro subscribers received free games, and the Nitro price increased to $9.99 per month. A cheaper version, "Nitro Classic," was also introduced.

In December 2018, Discord reduced its game revenue cut to 10% after the Epic Games Store offered a 12% cut. In March 2019, developers could sell games through their own servers, with Discord handling payments. Later that year, the digital storefront was removed, and free games were discontinued in October 2019.

In December 2016, Discord introduced the GameBridge API, allowing games to connect directly with the platform. In December 2017, the "rich presence" SDK was added, enabling game progress updates and joining games through Discord.

Bots are tools created by users to help manage servers. They can assist with moderation, host games, or perform other tasks. In 2021, about 430,000 bots were active in 30% of servers. Discord provides official APIs for bot development, and an app directory was launched in 2022 for adding bots. Bots are considered an important part of Discord.

In March 2025, a Social SDK was released, allowing games to use Discord’s features for in-game communication. Although Discord does not allow changes to its app, unofficial tools like BetterDiscord exist. These tools add features like custom themes or increased voice volume. BetterDiscord is generally well-received, though it may have bugs. Users are not at risk of being banned as long as they follow Discord’s rules.

Infrastructure

Discord is software for ongoing group chats, built using a type of database system that ensures data is consistent over time. Initially, Discord used MongoDB as its database. As the number of messages grew to one billion, the system moved to Apache Cassandra. Later, when messages reached one trillion, the system transitioned to ScyllaDB.

The desktop, web, and iOS apps use a programming tool called React. For iOS and iPadOS, React Native is used. The Android app was first developed separately but now shares code with the iOS app. The desktop version is built using the Electron framework, which allows it to run on multiple platforms and function as a downloadable application on personal computers.

Discord relies on Google Cloud Platform’s infrastructure, which operates in more than 30 data centers across 13 regions to reduce delays for users. For transmitting voice and video, Discord uses WebRTC technology supported by dedicated servers from Datapacket.

In July 2020, Discord added noise suppression to its mobile app using Krisp, an audio-filtering technology. The software’s backend is primarily written in Elixir and Python, along with Rust, Go, and C++.

Monetization

The software itself is free to use, but the developers explored ways to earn money. One method included offering paid customization options, such as adding emojis or stickers.

In January 2017, Discord introduced its first paid subscription plan called "Discord Nitro Classic" (originally named "Discord Nitro"). For $4.99 per month, users received features like an animated avatar, custom and animated emojis for all servers, larger file upload limits (from 8 MB to 50 MB), higher-resolution screen sharing, a choice of discriminator (from #0001 to #9999), and a unique profile badge.

In October 2018, "Discord Nitro" was renamed "Discord Nitro Classic," and a new plan called "Discord Nitro" was launched for $9.99 per month. This plan included access to free browser games through the Discord game store. At the time of the change, users who had monthly subscriptions to "Discord Nitro Classic" were given free access to "Discord Nitro" until January 1, 2020, and yearly subscribers received it until January 1, 2021.

In October 2019, Discord stopped offering free games through its Nitro service.

In June 2019, Discord launched "Server Boosts," a feature that allowed users to buy "boosts" for specific servers. Each boost cost $4.99 per month and provided benefits like better audio quality in voice channels and animated server icons. Users with "Discord Nitro" or "Discord Nitro Classic" subscriptions received a 30% discount on server boosts, and "Nitro" subscribers also got two free boosts.

In October 2020, Discord began testing digital stickers for users in Canada. Most stickers cost between $1.50 and $2.25. "Discord Nitro" subscribers received a free sticker pack called "What's Up Wumpus," featuring Discord's mascot, Wumpus. In May 2023, most stickers became free for all users, and the ability to purchase stickers was removed. Users who had already bought stickers were refunded.

In October 2022, the "Discord Nitro Classic" subscription was replaced by a cheaper plan called "Discord Nitro Basic," priced at $2.99 per month. This plan included some, but not all, features from the $9.99 "Discord Nitro" plan.

In October 2023, Discord added "Avatar Decorations" and "Profile Themes," which are animated designs users can buy from the Discord Shop.

Another way Discord earns money is by charging a 10% fee for all games sold through verified servers by game developers.

Reception

By January 2016, Hammer & Chisel reported that Discord had 3 million users, with 1 million new users added each month. By July, the number reached 11 million users. By December 2016, the company said it had 25 million users worldwide. By the end of 2017, the service had nearly 90 million users, with about 1.5 million new users joining each week. When Discord reached its third anniversary, the company stated it had 130 million users who signed up. Most of the service’s servers were used for gaming, but some were created for non-gaming purposes, such as stock trading, fantasy football, and other shared interest groups.

In May 2016, one year after its release, Tom Marks, writing for PC Gamer, said Discord was the best VoIP service available. Lifehacker praised Discord’s interface, ease of use, and ability to work on different platforms.

In 2021, Discord had at least 350 million registered users across its web and mobile platforms. It was used by 56 million people each month, with 25 billion messages sent every month. By June 2020, the company reported 100 million active users each month. As of 2024, the service had over 227 million monthly active users.

Criticisms and controversies

Discord has faced challenges with harmful behavior and abuse in its chat communities. Some groups of users have "raided" other chat servers, meaning many users joined a server at once. These raids often involved filling chats with topics about race, religion, politics, and pornography. In 2017, Discord announced plans to make changes to address these issues.

Discord has a Trust and Safety department that handles user reports. However, because Discord focuses on private communities, it is difficult to study how well the department works. A study in New Media & Society criticized Discord for moving server search tools to unmoderated third-party apps, which can help harmful groups find new followers.

In January 2018, The Daily Beast reported that some Discord servers were sharing revenge porn and helping harass victims. These actions broke Discord’s rules, and the company shut down servers and banned users involved.

In September 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a report summarizing responses from nine companies, including Discord, about how they collect and use user and non-user data, including data from children and teenagers. The report found that these practices could put people at risk of identity theft, stalking, discrimination, mental health issues, and reputational harm.

In September 2025, Discord’s customer service, managed by Zendesk, experienced a data breach. This exposed images of users’ government-issued IDs used for age verification. Hackers claimed to have stolen 1.5 terabytes of data, including over 2.1 million ID photos. Discord said 70,000 users were affected and began notifying them in early October.

Discord became popular among the alt-right movement because of its privacy features. Keegan Hankes of the Southern Poverty Law Center stated that being a leader in the alt-right movement often required using Discord.

Citron said that servers involved in illegal activities or rule violations would be shut down, but no examples were given.

After the violent events during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017, it was found that Discord had been used to plan the white nationalist rally. Figures like Richard Spencer and Andrew Anglin participated. Discord closed servers supporting the alt-right and far-right, banned users, and condemned white supremacy and neo-Nazism. It worked with the Southern Poverty Law Center to identify and ban hate groups, including those linked to Atomwaffen Division, Nordic Resistance Movement, Iron March, and European Domas.

In March 2019, media group Unicorn Riot shared content from a Discord server used by members of the white nationalist group Identity Evropa, who were also part of the U.S. military. Unicorn Riot later published lists of servers connected to alt-right and white supremacist groups.

In January 2021, two days after the U.S. Capitol attack, Discord deleted the pro-Donald Trump server "The Donald" because it was linked to an online forum that encouraged violence and spread misinformation about the 2020 election. Discord said there was no evidence the server organized the attack.

In January 2022, Logically, a British anti-disinformation group, reported that Holocaust denial, neo-Nazism, and hate speech were common on Discord and Telegram groups linked to the German website Disclose.tv.

In May 2022, Payton S. Gendron was named the suspect in a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, that killed ten people. It was reported that Gendron used a private Discord server to plan the attack. He shared the server with others before the shooting, and messages were later posted on 4chan. Discord said moderators removed the server after the attack. New York’s attorney general launched an investigation into Discord and other platforms to determine if they had done enough to prevent such content.

After the assassination of Charlie Kirk in September 2025, FBI director Kash Patel said over 20 users in a Discord community were under investigation. The alleged shooter, Tyler James Robinson, had posted messages admitting guilt. Before his arrest, users compared supposed images of the shooter to Robinson, who joked he was being framed. Discord later suspended Robinson’s account.

CNN reported that Discord has faced issues with the sexual exploitation of children and teenagers on its platform.

In July 2018, Discord updated its rules to ban drawn pornography featuring underage subjects. Some users criticized moderators for allowing "cub" content, which involves underage furry artwork, under the same guidelines. Moderators explained that "cub porn" was different from other forms of content and allowed if properly tagged. After complaints, Discord revised its guidelines in February 2019 to prohibit the sexualization of non-humanoid animals and mythological creatures if they appeared underage. It also began sharing regular transparency reports.

In June 2023, NBC News reported 35 cases of adults charged with kidnapping, grooming, or sexual assault involving Discord, and 165 cases of prosecution for sharing child sexual exploitation material on the platform.

In March 2024, a joint investigation by The Washington Post, Wired, Der Spiegel, and Recorder revealed that a group called 764 conducted child grooming, sexual abuse, and murder on Discord. The group was linked to cases in Germany, the U.S., and Romania dating to April 2021. Discord said it reported hundreds of cases and removed over 34,000 accounts tied to 764.

Around April 2025, Discord began testing age verification for some users ahead of new online safety laws in the UK and Australia. Age verification was required only if users had not completed other steps or accessed explicit content. The process used a face scan, which Discord said never left the user’s device.