Encrypted Discord alternatives
Almost every chat app says it is encrypted. Most mean TLS: your messages are encrypted on the way to the server, then the server can read them. End-to-end encryption (E2EE) means only the people in the conversation can read them, not the company or whoever runs the server.
The board shows exactly what each app encrypts end to end.
| Destination | Open source | Hosting | Encryption | Voice | Video | Threads | Members pay | Runs on | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DISCORDleaving | No | Cloud only | TLS + E2EE voice | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free | PCMACLINUXIPHONEANDROIDWEB | STABLE |
| ARMADA | Yes | Cloud or self-hostDecentralized | E2EE everything | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free | PCMACLINUXIPHONEANDROIDWEB | BETA |
| ELEMENT | Yes | Cloud or self-hostFederated | TLS + E2EE private rooms | Yes | Yes | Yes | Free | PCMACLINUXIPHONEANDROIDWEB | STABLE |
What the encryption labels mean
TLS: traffic is encrypted in transit. The host can read messages.
E2EE voice: calls are end-to-end encrypted, text is not. This is Discord today.
E2EE private rooms: private rooms and DMs are end-to-end encrypted by default, public rooms are not. This is Element and other Matrix apps.
E2EE everything: every message and call is end-to-end encrypted. This is Armada.
The catch with end-to-end encryption
If the server can't read messages, it can't search them, moderate them automatically, or recover them when someone loses their device. Big public communities usually don't need E2EE. Small private ones often do.
Sources
More ways to narrow it down
- Open source Discord alternatives
- Self-hosted Discord alternatives
- Discord's age checks, and where people are going
- How to move a Discord server
- Discord alternatives for businesses
Something wrong? Tell r/LeavingDiscord.