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Discord vs Zoom: Which Is Better?

While choosing between Discord or Zoom is a matter of preference, understanding the benefits and drawbacks helps you make an informed decision. Here is how to choose between the two.

Difference Between Zoom And Discord

Discord is a place where you and your invite-only friends hang out, game, and share your day. Zoom also offers a virtual space where you can hang out, but focuses more on business and instructional applications. Zoom meetings disappear once the meeting is over, whereas Discord servers are persistent.

Let’s start with the developer’s definition of each platform. 

Zoom is a virtual platform for video conferencing, webinars, and screen sharing. It is compatible with most digital methods, including iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, etc. Zoom offers a free sign-up and hosts multiple people with ease. Zoom offers straightforward access, smooth navigation, and the ability to join the meeting on different devices.

The main function of Zoom is to host meetings. Once a Zoom meeting ends, any text exchanges made during the meeting disappear. There is no way to access a Zoom meeting once it has ended.

Discord servers, on the other hand, are persistent. If someone sends a message in a Discord server, that message will remain visible to the members of the server in perpetuity.

Unlike Zoom meetings, which disappear once the host ends the meeting, a Discord server is available to the server’s participants 24/7. Users can log into Discord and see all of the text exchanges, shared images, etc. that they missed while they were away.

A Discord server is like a private social network. Users can check-in periodically throughout the day and see what server members are posting or discussing.

Put differently, Discord is used to create virtual “hangout spaces”, whereas Zoom is used to host one-off meetings and conferences.

Pros And Cons Of Zoom

Benefits Of Zoom

  • Free virtual meeting hosting accessible to any user 
  • A tool for meetings at your convenience to keep business and processes running smoothly 
  • Meetings can be audio-video or audio-only 
  • Useful for one-on-one meetings as well as group meetings 
  • Allows screen-sharing with the group, so they see what you see 
  • Ideal for instructional purposes 
  • Record sessions for future use 
  • Zoom is free 
  • Easy to use and scalable for any size group 

Drawbacks Of Zoom

  • Subscriptions can be costly 
  • It does not allow for monitoring of inappropriate behavior or comments 
  • Zoombombing is growing where unwanted or uninvited people access your meeting 
  • Operates from an app that users must download
  • Messages are not available once the meeting has ended

Reasons Why Zoom Is Better Than Discord

Zoom is better than Discord because it allows users to access meetings from any device. It also doesn’t require dedicated software to operate, enabling most users to enter meetings without issues. Zoom has better quality screensharing than Discord.

Zoom works well for up to fifty people, which is a plus for smaller groups. You can easily communicate with your team members within the company or from other locations as long as the meeting does not exceed this number. 

Zoom offers whiteboard, screen-sharing, and remote functions. There is also a breakout room function.

Zoom is great if you would like to host a public meeting, because you can allow any users with the invite link to join your meeting.

Pros And Cons Of Discord 

Discord is a different platform that began as a space for gamers but has quickly grown to attract business, religious, and educational users. 

Benefits Of Discord

  • Great for sharing files and information with team members 
  • Text-chat offers multiple channels 
  • Allows group communication and one-on-one messaging 
  • Easy install for most any group 
  • Voice calls are clear 
  • Good screen-sharing quality 
  • Sends attachments well 
  • Chat rooms are helpful within groups such as a small business or church 
  • Offers QR codes for easy joining 
  • Stickers and emojis are fun 

Drawbacks Of Discord

  • Sometimes tricky to navigate fullscreen 
  • Lacks aesthetics 
  • Hard to locate other like-minded communities 
  • Adjusting profile names and channel names is sometimes hard 
  • Inability to mute a person 
  • Small attachment sizes in the free version 
  • Search mode lags at times 
  • Sending a direct message is complicated 
  • Voice communication can lag 

Reasons Why Discord Is Better Than Zoom

Discord is better than Zoom because it allows you to create a space with lots of channels dedicated to the sub-topics of your group. With Discord, you can create truly virtual communities for sharing and hanging out, whereas Zoom is better-suited to holding one-off meetings. 

The applications for Discord are focused more on creating online communities for fun and entertainment. People choose Discord to have group painting nights, to do yoga with friends, and even for virtual wedding party celebrations. 

Discord members generally join a group based on interests or shared likes. It works equally well for K-Pop fans as for a college-level science instructor holding office hours for questions and working through complex problems. 

Which Is Better: Zoom Or Discord?

Zoom is better for business and more formal applications. Discord is better for meeting with those of similar interests, activities, and general socializing, but isn’t suitable for formal applications. Zoom is the better choice for hosting meetings or conferences, whereas Discord is best for creating a private social network for people with common interests.

Companies are now global and have employees who work from all parts of the world. When you need to host meetings with your team, Zoom is the better choice. Once you register for a Zoom account, you get a link to set up your meeting space. From there, all you do is send a link to your team or invitees, and they link up and join the Zoom call. 

Video conferencing is strong, and the whiteboard function makes Zoom ideal for instructional meetings. 

Zoom offers several plans: 

  • The Free provides 40-minute meetings to up to 40 people. 
  • The Pro-plan costs around $15 per month and gives you 30 hours of meeting time. 
  • The Business plan can host up to 300 people with a single sign-on, transcriptions, and other features. It costs around $20 per month. 
  • The Enterprise plan is around $20 per month and gives you everything in the business plan with space for 1000 participants, dedicated customer service, and unlimited cloud storage. 

Discord offers two plans:

  • The Free plan gives you file sharing up to 8Mb. 
  • The Nitro plan allows sharing up to 1000Mb. 

Now that you know the application for each platform, you can evaluate whether Zoom or Discord will best meet your needs. 

Final Thoughts

It’s difficult to say whether Zoom or Discord is the better application because they are used for such different purposes.

Zoom is the better choice for hosting formal meetings with colleagues, while Discord is the better option for creating your own virtual community of likeminded people.



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👋 Hey There, I'm Eric!

Since 2018, I've been making streams come true.

I like gaming, streaming and watching other people stream. I created this website to help streamers, viewers, and gamers answer questions they have regarding live streaming, gaming, and PCs. I am a Twitch affiliate and currently stream on Twitch 3 days a week. I also have a Youtube channel where I make videos about streaming. I hope you find my content helpful. Feel free to stop by one of my streams to say hi.