Software · head to head
Xbox Game Pass vs Discord
Xbox Game Pass
Software
Play together with friends, new games and classic favorites
- 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: Xbox Game Pass day-one access to new Xbox-published games is only included on the Ultimate tier, not on Essential or Premium; 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 Xbox Game Pass and Discord actually diverge.
| Attribute | Xbox Game Pass | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android |
| Founded | Unknown | 2015 |
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 Xbox Game Pass
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.
Xbox Game Pass
No use cases recorded yet. See the Xbox Game Pass review.
Discord
- Text, voice and video chat for communities and gaming groupsnot Xbox Game Pass
- Running a moderated community server with roles and channelsnot Xbox Game Pass
- Screen sharing and streaming gameplay to a small groupnot Xbox Game Pass
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Xbox Game Pass
- Day-one access to new Xbox-published games is only included on the Ultimate tier, not on Essential or Premium
- Cloud gaming quality is explicitly tiered, with the vendor stating Premium gets improved cloud quality and only Ultimate gets premium cloud gaming
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
Xbox Game Pass
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Xbox Game Pass 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 Xbox Game Pass if
Nothing in the data separates Xbox Game Pass 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 Xbox Game Pass or Discord better?
- Neither clearly leads. Xbox Game Pass 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, Xbox Game Pass or Discord?
- Discord has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Xbox Game Pass and Free for Discord.
- Does Xbox Game Pass or Discord run on more platforms?
- Xbox Game Pass 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. Xbox Game Pass starts at On request.
- What can Xbox Game Pass do that Discord cannot?
- Discord covers Voice channels, Video calls, Text channels, Screen sharing.