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Software · head to head

Discord vs Pico-8

Discord logo

Discord

Software

Your place to talk and hang out

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pico-8 logo

Pico-8

Software

A fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games

From
$14.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Discord has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Discord file upload size is tied to subscription: Nitro Basic at $2.99 a month raises it to 50MB and Nitro at $9.99 a month to 500MB; Pico-8 extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette
  • They diverge on capability: Discord covers Voice channels, Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Discord and Pico-8 actually diverge.

Attributes where Discord and Pico-8 differ
AttributeDiscordPico-8
Starting priceFree$14.99/one-time
Pricing modelfreemiumone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, AndroidWindows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi
Founded20152005

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

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

  • Voice channels
  • Video calls
  • Text channels
  • Screen sharing
  • Go Live streaming
  • Server organization
  • Role management
  • Moderation tools

Only in Pico-8

  • Pixel art editor
  • Music composer
  • Lua scripting
  • Built-in palette
  • Sprite system
  • Map editor
  • Code editor
  • Game cartridges

Both cover

  • GitHub

What people use each for

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

Discord

  • Text, voice and video chat for communities and gaming groupsnot Pico-8
  • Running a moderated community server with roles and channelsnot Pico-8
  • Screen sharing and streaming gameplay to a small groupnot Pico-8

Pico-8

  • Retro-style indie game developmentnot Discord
  • Educational game programmingnot Discord
  • Game jam participationnot Discord
  • Pixel art game creation with strict creative constraintsnot Discord

Where each one falls short

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

Discord

  • File upload size is tied to subscription: Nitro Basic at $2.99 a month raises it to 50MB and Nitro at $9.99 a month to 500MB
  • HD video streaming requires the full Nitro subscription
  • Custom emoji use across servers, custom profiles and per server profiles are full Nitro only
  • Server boosts are bundled only with full Nitro, at two boosts plus a discount on extras
  • Nitro Basic explicitly excludes several Nitro perks including Xbox Game Pass access and custom video backgrounds

Pico-8

  • Extremely limited display resolution of 128x128 pixels with 16-colour palette
  • Cart size capped at 32 kilobytes
  • Only 256 sprites of 8x8 pixels available
  • Map limited to 128x32 tiles
  • Monophonic sound synthesis with 4-channel chip synthesis only
  • Lua programming language exclusively; no other language support

Pricing, plan by plan

Discord

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited text chat
    • Voice & video calls
    • Screen sharing
  • Nitro Basic$4.99/month
    • 50MB file uploads
    • Custom emojis anywhere
    • Special Nitro badge
  • Nitro$9.99/month
    • 500MB file uploads
    • HD video streaming
    • 2 Server Boosts

Pico-8

$14.99/one-time

No published plan breakdown. See the Pico-8 review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Discord if

  • You need voice channels.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
  • You also want video calls.
Discord review

Choose Pico-8 if

  • You need pixel art editor.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi.
  • You also want music composer.
Pico-8 review

Questions people ask

Is Discord or Pico-8 better?
Neither clearly leads. Discord starts at Free and Pico-8 at $14.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Discord or Pico-8?
Discord has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Discord and $14.99/one-time for Pico-8.
Does Discord or Pico-8 run on more platforms?
Discord runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android. Pico-8 runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi.
Can I use Discord for free?
Yes. Discord has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pico-8 starts at $14.99/one-time.
What is Discord best used for?
Discord is most often used for text, voice and video chat for communities and gaming groups, running a moderated community server with roles and channels, screen sharing and streaming gameplay to a small group. Of those, text, voice and video chat for communities and gaming groups and running a moderated community server with roles and channels are not what Pico-8 is typically brought in for.
What can Discord do that Pico-8 cannot?
Discord covers Voice channels, Video calls, Text channels, Screen sharing. Pico-8 covers Pixel art editor, Music composer, Lua scripting, Built-in palette. Both handle GitHub.
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Related pages

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