TeamSpeak vs. Discord: Choose the Best Option for Gamers [Detailed Comparison]

If you’re looking for a place to voice chat online with friends or talk to other online gamers while you work through a campaign together, you’re probably considering Discord vs. TeamSpeak. These platforms are the top voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) platforms for gamers and special interest audiences, but which one is the best? Let’s explore these applications, how they work, where they excel, and how you can choose between them.

Now that you have a basic idea of TeamSpeak and Discord, and you know a bit about how they each work, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of TeamSpeak vs. Discord and how to choose the best platform for your needs.

First, let’s talk about ease of use. TeamSpeak is not the most intuitive platform around. Users must be fairly tech-savvy to download the application, install it, and launch it. Plus, if you don’t already have a private host server, you’ll need to get that sorted out before you can use TeamSpeak’s software. On the other hand, getting started with Discord is as easy as creating an account, finding a channel you like, and joining a server. You can also start and run your own server on Discord from anywhere, as well. 

We could say that Discord wins this round based on sheer ease of use, but it’s also more visually pleasing as well. Some users have likened TeamSpeak’s interface to Windows 95, an operating system that’s actually older than a lot of TeamSpeak and Discord users. In comparison, Discord is updated and sleek, with an attractive interface that’s familiar to today’s users.

Winner: Discord

Both Discord and TeamSpeak are primarily focused on voice chats, which makes sense as they’re both VoIP platforms. But how good is the audio experience with each? This area is actually a little bit complicated. When we look at the programs’ audio codecs, Discord seems like it should be the clear winner, as it uses the Opus codec, which has long since surpassed the two codecs that TeamSpeak uses (CELT and Speex). With that in mind, tech-savvy users who like having a choice between codecs might prefer TeamSpeak.

Beyond the codec issue, TeamSpeak offers all of its users audio with a bitrate of 100-Kbps. Discord users with free accounts can only enjoy up to 64-Kbps audio. If you opt to pay for a premium Discord account, you can get your audio up to 384 Kbps. Of course, if you crank up the audio bitrate, it also impacts your bandwidth, which can be frustrating, as well.

Winner: TeamSpeak

Bandwidth is like gold for a lot of online gamers. If you’re running a high-FPS game online, you need to preserve your bandwidth to decrease the likelihood of lag and glitches that can disrupt gameplay. This is especially important for streamers who broadcast their gameplay online while recording an audio and video feed. 

Discord’s sleek interface, video capabilities, emojis, and customizations are all highly attractive, but they also come with a lot more bandwidth usage. While TeamSpeak is a bit harder to navigate and doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles that Discord has, if you need to preserve bandwidth, TeamSpeak wins.

Pro-tip: streamers who play high-FPS games often use Discord, despite its higher bandwidth usage. Keep your game running smoothly by shutting down programs and apps that you’re not using for your game or chat. If you still experience lag, run Task Manager to ensure that no applications are running in the background, eating up bandwidth.

Winner: TeamSpeak

TeamSpeak has long reigned as the go-to VoIP companion to online games and eSports, and its developers have kept it focused on this arena. As a result, TeamSpeak doesn’t include a lot of other features, such as video capabilities or text chats. Discord gives users the ability to talk to one another, hold private conversations over chat, and make video calls. If you need to do more than just talk to other users, Discord is the clear choice here.

Winner: Discord

When it comes to security, both platforms have taken measures to ensure that users’ information is kept private and safe from cyberattacks. With that in mind, TeamSpeak boasts high-level encryption and customizable user permissions on self-hosted servers. TeamSpeak also allows users to participate anonymously, which is not an available feature with Discord. This capability can be a double-edged sword when it comes to moderating servers and ensuring quality interactions between users.

Discord’s security is not quite as tight as TeamSpeak, but users can take steps to protect their information and their accounts. If you’re using Discord, be sure to use a strong password, enable two-factor authentication (2FA), and customize the Privacy & Safety section of your User Settings to ensure maximum security. 

Pro-tip: always enable 2FA and check your privacy settings before starting a new server or joining a server on either platform. 

Winner: TeamSpeak

Price may not be the most important factor when choosing a VoIP app, but it’s definitely one of the first things users ask about. If you want to join existing servers on TeamSpeak or Discord, you can use either app for free. You can also host a single server with up to 32 participants for free on TeamSpeak, but you’ll have to pay for server hosting if you don’t have your own server hardware. 

Discord, on the other hand, allows users to host servers for free on the platform without the same limitations that TeamSpeak places on its users. Adding virtual servers and participants starts at $55 per year on TeamSpeak, and goes up from there to as much as $500 per year. Discord does have paid licenses, starting at $9.99 per month. Premium Discord subscriptions give users access to features like streaming videos in HD, customizable emojis, and other fun benefits. While these features will enhance your Discord experience, you can still enjoy all that Discord has to offer with a free account. For our money, Discord is the better option when it comes to pricing.

Winner: Discord

Both platforms have available plugins and integrations to enhance the user experience. For example, there’s a 3D audio plugin for TeamSpeak that allows you to hear audio in surround sound, as if you’re surrounded by your team, clan, or group in your game. Discord discourages most plugins, though, as the platform is designed to provide the full experience users are looking for without the need of add-ons. Discord also includes 3D sound as a default feature. So, while TeamSpeak has more options for add-ons, Discord may still provide a similar experience without making a lot of changes.

Winner: TeamSpeak

While both platforms include text chat capabilities, Discord stands out as the top competitor here. TeamSpeak lets users chat in plain text, which is functionally adequate, but it leaves something to be desired in terms of user experience. People are accustomed to using emojis and enhanced text features in all text communications across all kinds of applications. From texting on your phone to sending DMs and commenting on social media posts, emojis, and other text features are a part of the way we communicate today. Text chats in Discord feel more engaging and natural, thanks to these small features.

Winner: Discord

Users looking to join servers dedicated to their specific interests or games will have an easier time in Discord than TeamSpeak. TeamSpeak organizes its servers by geolocation, which is great if you’re looking for local chats. However, if you want to join a server based on a topic, you might be searching for a while. Discord, on the other hand, groups its servers under topic channels. So, if you want to find a server dedicated to your favorite podcast or you’d like to join a clan or campaign in a game like World of Warcraft, you’ll have an easier time with Discord.

Winner: Discord

Having weighed the pros and cons of Discord and TeamSpeak, we would recommend Discord for most users. Corporations that want a solution for highly secure internal voice communications that have on-premise server hardware might find TeamSpeak to be the better option, but alternatives like Slack or Skype for Business might work just as well with more features. For individuals, and especially gamers and streamers, Discord gives an overall more streamlined experience with more features and benefits. It’s easier to set up, includes more features (including video chat), and you don’t need to figure out how to host your own server to get started.