Gaming · head to head
Discord vs Steam
S
Steam
Gaming
The ultimate destination for playing, discussing, and creating games
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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; Steam publishing a game requires developers to pay a non-refundable $100 Steam Direct fee per title, recouped only once the product earns $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Discord and Steam actually diverge.
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Gaming).
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 Steam
Nothing recorded that Discord does not also cover.
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 Steam
- Running a moderated community server with roles and channelsnot Steam
- Screen sharing and streaming gameplay to a small groupnot Steam
Steam
No use cases recorded yet. See the Steam review.
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
Steam
- Publishing a game requires developers to pay a non-refundable $100 Steam Direct fee per title, recouped only once the product earns $1,000 in adjusted gross revenue
- Core purchases and library are tied to a single Steam account with no vendor-stated official resale or transfer mechanism for owned games
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
Steam
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Steam 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.
Choose Steam if
Nothing in the data separates Steam from Discord on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Discord or Steam better?
- Neither clearly leads. Discord starts at Free and Steam at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Discord or Steam?
- Discord has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Discord and On request for Steam.
- Does Discord or Steam run on more platforms?
- Discord runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android. Steam runs on Web.
- Can I use Discord for free?
- Yes. Discord has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Steam 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 Steam is typically brought in for.
- What can Discord do that Steam cannot?
- Discord covers Voice channels, Video calls, Text channels, Screen sharing.