When deciding what tool to use for internal team communication, the first app that might come to mind is Slack, the current market leader for startups, SMEs, and technology companies when it comes to workplace communication. 

One alternative to consider, however, is Discord, a popular chat app originally developed for gamers but now used daily by millions. Discord's reach has extended beyond gaming, with many companies running customer and user communities on the platform. Some companies, including us at Mava, are also using Discord for internal team communications. Below are some pros and cons, along with tips on how to best use Discord for internal communication.

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Pros of Using Discord for Team Communication

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1. Comprehensive Basic Functionalities

Discord offers a wide range of basic functionalities that are essential for effective team communication. This includes chatting, dedicated channels for different topics, role management to ensure access to the right channels and custom notifications that ensure you never miss an important update. These features make Discord a platform to consider alongside more traditional internal communication tools.

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2. Competitive Pricing

One of Discord's standout advantages is its exceptionally competitive pricing model. Offering most essential features at no cost, Discord proves to be a budget-friendly solution suitable for teams of all sizes. The free tier extends comprehensive functionality, catering effectively to the needs of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups. While Discord does have a premium offering, many of its premium features are primarily targeted at making Discord more fun. 

In contrast, while Slack also offers a free version, many businesses find themselves quickly needing to upgrade to its premium plan. Slack's free version restricts access to recent messages, limiting users from viewing or searching the complete message history, which can be a significant drawback for growing teams.

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3. Excellent for Calls and Voice Hangouts

Discord excels in providing high-quality voice calls and hangouts. Whether you need to host a quick team sync, a longer brainstorming session, or even spontaneous voice hangouts, Discord's voice communication features are robust and reliable. The ability to seamlessly switch between text and voice communication makes this platform particularly versatile. Voice channels can have up to 100 participants, sufficient for most startups and SMEs; Slack allows up to 50 participants in calls with up to 2 participants on free plans. 

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Cons of Using Discord for Team Communication

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1. One inbox for all your DMs 

Discord's approach to direct messaging (DM) can be messy. DMs from different servers are all mixed together, which can lead to confusion and missed messages. Unlike Slack, which separates workspace DMs for better organization, Discord’s mixed DMs can sometimes feel cluttered. To avoid this issue, you may decide to set up separate Discord profiles for work and personal use, and switch between them .

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2. Lack of Slack Connect Equivalent

One of the downsides of Discord is the absence of a feature similar to Slack Connect. If your team needs to interact regularly with third parties, such as clients, contractors, or vendors, who are all on Slack and want to communicate with you over Slack, this could pose a challenge. In Slack, Slack Connect allows you to communicate across different organizations from within your own workspace, a feature Discord currently lacks and would only work in the first place if other organizations also use Discord.

and personal use.

3. Fewer Direct Integrations

When it comes to direct integrations with work apps, Slack has a more extensive library.

However, Discord does offer some flexibility through tools like Zapier, Make, or directly via its own webhooks. While you can achieve virtually all relevant integrations available in Slack, it may require a bit more setup and technical know-how to fully replicate the seamless integrations that Slack provides out of the box.

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Tips for Effectively Using Discord for Internal Communication

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1. Organize Channels & Categories 

Structure your server with clear, purpose-driven channels. For instance, create channels for different departments, projects, or specific topics. This helps in keeping conversations focused and minimizes noise, just like you would organize channels in other internal communication tools. 

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2. Set up custom notifications 

What’s more, team members can set up notifications on a general, channel or category level. This ensures they don’t miss important messages in channels relevant to them, while not getting distracted by irrelevant messages. For example, a marketing team member might want to be notified of all messages in the marketing channel, but only get notified of messages in the development channel if they are mentioned specifically.

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2. Utilize Roles and Permissions

Discord allows you to assign roles with specific permissions. This can help manage who can access which channels and what they can do within those channels. For example, you can have separate roles for team leads, managers, and interns to streamline the access and control. We’ve written a comprehensive guide to Discord roles & permissions here. 

In addition to helping with access control, roles are also useful when it comes to notifying team members. Mentioning a specific role, for example @developers, ensures team members with that role get notified if they choose to have notifications on when mentioned.

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3. Leverage Voice Channels for Meetings

Voice channels can be dedicated spaces for meetings and quick sync-ups. This can replicate the feel of spontaneous hallway conversations or focused brainstorming sessions. The ease of hopping in and out of voice channels can save time and reduce the formality typically associated with scheduled meetings.

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4. Make Use of Discord Apps

Bots and apps can significantly enhance your Discord server's functionality. From automating reminders to integrating with other work-related tools, bots can help you improve your productivity and streamline your workflow. 

While Discord has fewer direct integrations with work apps, some of the most popular tools such as Linear and Github do have their own Discord bots, and many others like Jira, have bots developed by third-party developers that allow you to sync Discord. As not all apps are publicly listed in Discord’s App Directory, your best bet is a quick Google search to see if your favorite tools have Discord bots available, and if not make use of a no-code platform like Make or Zapier.

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Conclusion

While Slack remains a strong frontrunner in the realm of team communication tools, Discord presents a compelling alternative, especially for startups and smaller teams looking to balance functionality with cost-efficiency. By understanding its pros and cons and following best practices for its use, teams can effectively utilize Discord for internal communication. If you're considering a switch or looking for an alternative, Discord's unique features and flexibility might just fit the bill for your team’s communication needs.

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