Softwr

Entertainment · head to head

Discord Nitro vs Heroic Games Launcher

Discord Nitro logo

Discord Nitro

Entertainment

Upgrade your Discord experience

From
$2.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Heroic Games Launcher logo

Heroic Games Launcher

Gaming

Open source client for Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries on Linux, Windows and macOS

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Heroic Games Launcher has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Discord Nitro pricing varies by country - not a single global price; Heroic Games Launcher it depends on reverse-engineered backends for each store, so an authentication change at Epic or Amazon breaks logins until unpaid maintainers respond.
  • They diverge on capability: Discord Nitro covers Enhanced file sharing, Heroic Games Launcher covers Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Discord Nitro and Heroic Games Launcher actually diverge.

Attributes where Discord Nitro and Heroic Games Launcher differ
AttributeDiscord NitroHeroic Games Launcher
Starting price$2.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, AndroidLinux, Windows, macOS
CategoryEntertainmentGaming
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Discord Nitro

  • Enhanced file sharing
  • HD video streaming
  • Custom emojis
  • Server boosts
  • Animated avatars
  • Custom video backgrounds
  • Higher quality streaming
  • Priority support

Only in Heroic Games Launcher

  • Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries
  • Cross-platform
  • Wine and Proton management
  • Steam Deck packaging
  • Cloud saves
  • Add to Steam

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Discord Nitro

  • Removing upload-size limits for sharing large files in serversnot Heroic Games Launcher
  • Custom and animated emoji, profile banners and avatar decorationsnot Heroic Games Launcher
  • Boosting servers to unlock server-wide perksnot Heroic Games Launcher
  • HD video streaming and higher-quality screen sharenot Heroic Games Launcher
  • Bundled perks such as Xbox Game Pass access on the full Nitro tiernot Heroic Games Launcher

Heroic Games Launcher

  • A Steam Deck owner who wants to play Epic or Amazon titles they already ownnot Discord Nitro
  • A Linux desktop user with a GOG library and no interest in configuring Wine by handnot Discord Nitro
  • A macOS user wanting access to a GOG library without a Windows machinenot Discord Nitro
  • Someone consolidating three storefront clients into one interface on Windowsnot Discord Nitro

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Discord Nitro

  • Pricing varies by country - not a single global price
  • Nitro Basic is feature-limited versus full Nitro (e.g. 50MB vs 500MB upload cap)
  • Bundled perks (e.g. Xbox Game Pass) are partner-dependent and subject to change or discontinuation
  • Server-boost perks only benefit servers the user actively boosts

Heroic Games Launcher

  • It depends on reverse-engineered backends for each store, so an authentication change at Epic or Amazon breaks logins until unpaid maintainers respond.
  • It does not handle Steam, so anyone with a mixed library still runs two clients and the consolidation is partial.
  • Cloud save support varies by store and by game, and finding out that a title does not sync usually happens after losing progress.
  • It is an Electron application, so memory use is high for what is fundamentally a list of games, which matters on a handheld with limited resources.
  • Games protected by kernel-level anti-cheat still do not run on Linux, and the launcher cannot change a publisher decision.

Pricing, plan by plan

Discord Nitro

$2.99/month
  • Nitro Basic$2.99/month
    • Custom emoji anywhere
    • 50MB uploads
    • Custom app icons
  • Nitro (Standard)$9.99/month
    • All Basic features
    • Xbox Game Pass Starter (50+ games)
    • Custom profiles per server

Heroic Games Launcher

Free
  • Heroic Games LauncherFree
    • Full functionality
    • No paid tier
    • Store accounts used directly

Which should you pick?

Choose Discord Nitro if

  • You need enhanced file sharing.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want hd video streaming.
Discord Nitro review

Choose Heroic Games Launcher if

  • You need epic, gog and amazon libraries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want cross-platform.
Heroic Games Launcher review

Questions people ask

Is Discord Nitro or Heroic Games Launcher better?
Neither clearly leads. Discord Nitro starts at $2.99/month and Heroic Games Launcher at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Discord Nitro or Heroic Games Launcher?
Heroic Games Launcher has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $2.99/month for Discord Nitro and Free for Heroic Games Launcher.
Does Discord Nitro or Heroic Games Launcher run on more platforms?
Discord Nitro runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. Heroic Games Launcher runs on Linux, Windows, macOS.
Can I use Heroic Games Launcher for free?
Yes. Heroic Games Launcher has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Discord Nitro starts at $2.99/month.
What is Discord Nitro best used for?
Discord Nitro is most often used for removing upload-size limits for sharing large files in servers, custom and animated emoji, profile banners and avatar decorations, boosting servers to unlock server-wide perks, hd video streaming and higher-quality screen share. Of those, removing upload-size limits for sharing large files in servers and custom and animated emoji, profile banners and avatar decorations are not what Heroic Games Launcher is typically brought in for.
What can Discord Nitro do that Heroic Games Launcher cannot?
Discord Nitro covers Enhanced file sharing, HD video streaming, Custom emojis, Server boosts. Heroic Games Launcher covers Epic, GOG and Amazon libraries, Cross-platform, Wine and Proton management, Steam Deck packaging.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Discord Nitro: How much does Discord Nitro cost?

Discord offers Nitro Basic at $2.99/month with custom emoji and 50MB uploads, and Nitro Standard at $9.99/month with Xbox Game Pass and 500MB uploads.

Source
Heroic Games Launcher: Why does this exist when Epic has its own launcher?

Epic publishes no Linux client. Heroic fills that gap and then extended to GOG, Amazon, Windows and macOS.

Discord Nitro: What is the difference between Nitro Basic and Nitro Standard?

Nitro Basic costs $2.99/month with 50MB uploads and custom emoji. Nitro Standard at $9.99/month adds Xbox Game Pass, 500MB uploads, HD video streaming, and 2 Server Boosts.

Source
Heroic Games Launcher: Is it safe to log into my store accounts?

It is open source and widely used, and it authenticates against the real store endpoints. As with any third-party client, you are trusting the maintainers and the build you installed.

Heroic Games Launcher: Does it work in Steam Deck game mode?

Yes, generally by adding titles to Steam as non-Steam shortcuts, which is a documented part of the normal workflow.

Share

Related pages

More on Discord Nitro

More on Heroic Games Launcher

Keep looking

Other head to heads