Teamspeak and Discord have both long been used as rather popular VOIP programs by gamers and other individuals in need of a great VOIP program alike.
But what makes the two of them different, and most importantly, which one should you pick? In this article, we’re comparing Teamspeak and Discord, two of the most popular VOIP programs in the market, to determine which one’s the best for you.
Privacy
The first thing on our list is privacy, as should be yours.
Encryption
Now while both Teamspeak and Discord offer some startling privacy features, Teamspeak, with its military-grade encryption and decentralised structure, comes out on top.Â
You get the choice of either hosting your own Teamspeak server or buying one from Teamspeak themselves. While this does require a fair bit of setting up, users with privacy in mind can rest easy.
Data collection
Discord collects a bunch of user information, including IP addresses, device make and model, among other credentials. Discord has stated that it uses this information to identify its user demographics but has provided no proofs to back its claim.
In fact, Discord mentions in its privacy policy that it may share your information with their related companies, developers using their SDK or API, agents, consultants, related third parties and even on legal requirements.
Teamspeak, on the other hand, promises not to provide your data to a third party, something it has rather proudly highlighted on its feature page.
So if you’re looking for a privacy centred application, Teamspeak is your best bet.Â
Also read: How to add a music bot to Discord?
Features and ease of use
While Teamspeak has some winners under its bag, overall, Discord wins hands down here.
User Interface and Servers
The layout of the application is quite easy to get used to, modern and rather fluid. Teamspeak, on the other hand, sticks to a rather old looking GUI. Not to mention there’s a lot of setting up you’re going to have to do to set up a server.
In Teamspeak, you’re going to have to manually enter the server IP address before you can hop on to the server of your choice. Permission control on Teamspeak is rather elaborate than Discord, but the latter makes it so easy that even experienced users might feel gravitated towards its design.
Creating a server and inviting users is a matter of a few clicks on Discord. You can set up complicated bots to monitor server activity, play music or share memes rather easily.Â
There’s no auto bookmarking of servers on Teamspeak either; you have to manually bookmark your frequent servers while Discord takes care of it all for you.Â
LAN
You do get offline or LAN functionality on Teamspeak as well, something that can come in really handy if you organise many LAN parties.
Audio Quality
In terms of audio quality, Teamspeak is better, considering it supports Opus, CELT and Speex codecs while Discord only supports Opus. However, the audio quality of Discord is rather good for everyday use. Not to mention you get group video calling and screen sharing features as well.
Mobile apps
Both programs have Android and iOS applications, but once again, Discord, with its fluid and modern layout, is far more pleasing and easy to use. They both have loads of features; Discord presents them in an easy to use and modern UI.
Also read: How to create a Discord bot?
Pricing
On Teamspeak, you’re going to have to pay either a monthly, annual or one-time fee to buy server slots sold under a ‘Gamer License’. However, as a user, you don’t have to pay a dime.
Aforementioned, Teamspeak lets you host servers either on your machine or buy one from them. In either case, you know your data is kept on a server that’s totally under your control. Server prices start at $55 for 64 slots on one virtual server and go as high as $500 for 1024 slots on two virtual servers, paid annually.
Discord, on the other hand, is completely free to use or host. You can have as many servers as you’d like, for no cost.
Users can, however, boost their favourite servers by purchasing Nitro boosts that can add more server slots, better quality audio, exclusive server emojis, 1080p 60 FPS streaming and several other features. These boosts come in at $4.99 a month.
This is completely optional, though, and if you’re on a boosted server, you will still enjoy the same perks regardless of your status on the server.
Also read: How to record Discord Audio with OBS? How to mute Discord Audio?
TeamSpeak vs Discord – Pros and Cons
Here are a few pros and cons come with either program.
| Program | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| TeamSpeak | Extremely secure. Excellent permission management capabilities. Users can host their own servers. Outstanding audio quality. | Can be quite costly depending on user’s requirements. A lot of setting up required. Dated UI. |
| Discord | Totally free to use. Relatively easy to use. Modern UI Advanced features such as streaming and video calling built in. | Not as privacy centric. Servers are hosted by Discord themselves. Doesn’t support as many codecs as TeamSpeak. |
Also read: How to logout of Discord?
So which one should you pick?
If you need to take control of what data you’re sharing, want to host your own servers, require unparalleled voice quality, Teamspeak is the way to go. The software has been around since August 2002 and has amassed a rather loyal fanbase in these two decades.
Yes, you’re going to have to do a lot of setting up, make sure everything’s properly configured, and users might face a few hiccups here and there, but if you require said features and the price isn’t too steep for you, Teamspeak is worth every dime.Â
On the other hand, if you need a place to hang out with your friends or gaming buddies, hate setting up things and want a simple, easy to use application that you can use for just about any form of communication, Discord is the way to go.Â
Also read: How to use Discord on PS4?
