Softwr

Entertainment · head to head

Discord vs Realm

Discord logo

Discord

Entertainment

Your place to talk and hang out

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Realm logo

Realm

Religion

Church management and engagement platform by Community

From
On request
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; Realm realm is deprecated. MongoDB Realm documentation redirects to MongoDB Atlas pricing. No Realm-specific pricing published. Realm was MongoDB's mobile and edge database platform.
  • They diverge on capability: Discord covers Voice channels, Realm covers Member Directory.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Discord and Realm actually diverge.

Attributes where Discord and Realm differ
AttributeDiscordRealm
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
CategoryEntertainmentReligion
Founded20152012

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

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

Only in Realm

  • Member Directory
  • Group Management
  • Online Giving
  • Communications
  • Payment Processing
  • Email Integration
  • Event Management
  • Mobile App

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 Realm
  • Running a moderated community server with roles and channelsnot Realm
  • Screen sharing and streaming gameplay to a small groupnot Realm

Realm

  • Member managementnot Discord
  • Donation trackingnot Discord
  • Event planningnot Discord
  • Volunteer schedulingnot Discord
  • Communicationnot 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

Realm

  • Realm is deprecated. MongoDB Realm documentation redirects to MongoDB Atlas pricing. No Realm-specific pricing published. Realm was MongoDB's mobile and edge database platform.

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

Realm

On request
  • Essential$99/month
    • Basic features
    • Up to 500 members
  • Complete$299/month
    • All features
    • Unlimited members
    • Advanced analytics

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 Realm if

  • You need member directory.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want group management.
Realm review

Questions people ask

Is Discord or Realm better?
Neither clearly leads. Discord starts at Free and Realm at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Discord or Realm?
Discord has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Discord and On request for Realm.
Does Discord or Realm run on more platforms?
Discord runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android. Realm runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Discord for free?
Yes. Discord has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Realm starts at On request.
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 Realm is typically brought in for.
What can Discord do that Realm cannot?
Discord covers Voice channels, Video calls, Text channels, Screen sharing. Realm covers Member Directory, Group Management, Online Giving, Communications.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Discord: What is the price difference between Discord's free tier and Nitro subscriptions?

Discord's core service is free. Nitro Basic costs $2.99/month, and the full Nitro subscription costs $9.99/month. Both are recurring monthly charges with pricing that varies by region.

Source
Realm: Is Realm still available?

Realm appears to be deprecated or consolidated into MongoDB's other offerings. Documentation pages redirect to MongoDB Atlas without specific Realm information.

Source
Discord: Can I try Nitro before committing to a subscription?

No trial period is mentioned on Discord's Nitro pricing page.

Source
Realm: What happened to Realm pricing?

Realm no longer has published pricing. The product was MongoDB's mobile and edge database platform but has been discontinued or merged into other MongoDB services.

Source
Discord: What is included with the full Nitro subscription that is not in Nitro Basic?

Full Nitro includes Xbox Game Pass Starter Edition, custom profiles, 500MB file uploads (vs 50MB in Basic), HD video streaming, color app themes, 2 server boosts, and 3 friend passes to share Nitro benefits. Both tiers allow custom emoji anywhere.

Source
Discord: What happens to my Discord account if I cancel Nitro?

The pricing page does not specify what happens after cancellation. You would retain your Discord account but lose Nitro-exclusive features.

Source
Discord: Are there any differences in regional pricing or currency accepted?

Pricing varies by country and region. Users can check their localized rates in User Settings. Multiple payment methods are accepted.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Discord

More on Realm

Keep looking

Other head to heads