commons
Built in the open
THE REPLACEMENT INDEX

Open alternatives to Discord.

Compare projects for community messaging. Pick the workflow you need, then check the gaps and adoption documentation.

Want to help build an alternative?

Platforms describe available clients; self-hosted services still need a server. “Mixed licenses” means editions or components have different terms.

A PLACE TO START

Open alternatives exist. Start a Commons project.

The curated references below are independent upstream projects. A member-owned Commons project is a separate place to share work and coordinate a team.

No Commons project is linked to Discord yet. Add yours or use the guide to start one.

How to start one
1 project for this comparison

Reviewed upstream alternatives

Comparisons cover specific workflows, not complete feature parity. An active alpha can be worth building while still being unsuitable for daily work.

Productivity

Element Web

Established project

A Matrix client for federated team and community messaging.

WebSelf-hosted / HostedAGPL-3.0 · web clientOpen source
Federated community messagingSelected workflows

Check voice communities, bots and moderation rather than assuming Discord-wide parity.

Sources, activity & license scope

A Matrix homeserver is separate from the client.

License source Release: 1.12.31 · Oct 13, 2026
Workflow source

Reviewed Oct 14, 2026 · Commons editorial research

Explore project Adoption & documentation

Independent curated reference · discuss it here; contribute upstream.