Software · head to head
Steam vs Discord
Steam
Software
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: 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; 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
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Steam and Discord actually diverge.
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 Steam
Nothing recorded that Discord does not also cover.
Only in Discord
- Voice channels
- Video calls
- Text channels
- Screen sharing
- Go Live streaming
- Server organization
- Role management
- Moderation tools
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Steam
No use cases recorded yet. See the Steam review.
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
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Steam
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Steam review.
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
Which should you pick?
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.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Steam or Discord better?
- Neither clearly leads. Steam starts at On request and Discord at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Steam or Discord?
- Discord has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Steam and Free for Discord.
- Does Steam or Discord run on more platforms?
- Steam runs on Web. Discord runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android.
- 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 can Steam do that Discord cannot?
- Discord covers Voice channels, Video calls, Text channels, Screen sharing.