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Skype vs Discord: Why Use One Over the Other?
Find out which of the two apps is the best for you
4 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, allowsvoice communication to happen over the Internet. People don’t have to be tied to a physical landline connection anymore
There are a variety of VoIP apps out there, like WhatsApp for mobile, but on Windows 11, the best ones are arguably Discord and Skype. But the question is: which is the best for you?
Is Skype better than Discord?
Skype and Discord are two excellent choices with different strong points, suitable for differing purposes. They both boast many adhering features and share some things in common.
However, there are still some distinctive features, and we put them at loggerheads in the next section of this guide.
Skype vs Discord: Comparison
Now, let’s compare Skype and Discord and see how they stack up against each other.
1. Features
Discordhas a better set of featuresby far. It’s very easy to enter a Discord server, and it has the tools to foster a close-knit community. And in those servers, you can create multiple channels. Skype can’t do this.
Inviting people over is more cumbersome on Skype since you have to generate a link to enter a chat. With Discord, the link is for the server. Any chats can be entered just by selecting them.
Discord Nitroadds premium features like HD Video Streaming plusServer Booststo enhance a stream’s audio quality to 384Kbps and increase the audience size.
Skype’s premium features are pretty lackluster. Users gain the ability to send SMS texts to non-Skype users and make calls to a landline phone.
2. System Impact
Skype and Discord both don’t take up a lot of bandwidth. You shouldn’t experience any heavy performance issues. However,Discord is known to suddenly eat up a lot of CPU resources.
The increased resource consumption can be caused by being a part of many Discord servers. This can eat up the CPU, especially if you are in the habit of uploading large-sized files.
Note that Discord devsrecently upgraded its file size limitto 25MB. This pales in comparison to Skype’s 300MB free upload size. However, that amount can be boosted to 500MB on Discord with Nitro.
3. User Interface
Discord’s user interface can be pretty intimidating. At first, it’s pretty simple as you don’t have much to deal with. But as you enter more servers and communities, things get complex.
Suddenly, you have a ton of notifications flying at you daily from multiple servers wanting your attention. You can get rid of them anytime, although the tool isn’t obvious.
Skype is much cleaner in comparison. Discord’s customization options, however, are better, allowing users to create an experience all their own such as allowingdifferent themes.
Skype vs Discord: Verdict
If you have a business or prefer its simplicity,Skype is the better piece of softwareand the one you should go with. However, that simplicity comes at the cost of having fewer tools.
If you want a communications app for anything else, Discord is the superior software.
It has better features, privacy, and a sophisticated interface. Skype’s major benefits are its interface, free 300MB file upload size, and it doesn’t cause your CPU to dip in performance.
⇒Get Skype
⇒Get Discord
If you need a list of otherchat messaging apps you can use on your browser, check our detailed guide for the top options available.
There are also other communication apps out there thatdon’t require an internet connection. If there are comparisons you’d like to see, tell us your suggestions in the comments.
More about the topics:Discord,Skype,Windows 11
Cesar Cadenas
Networking & Security Specialist
Cesar has been writing for and about technology going on for 6 years when he first started writing tech articles for his university paper. Since then, his passion for technology blossomed into a prosperous writing career. He first started writing about tech in the entertainment world and would later move on to write about smart life tech and social media. He was recently a Technical Writer for tech company Extron where he wrote user guides for audio and video equipment.
He has since moved on to being a freelance writer looking to have a career in copywriting and hopes to share his love and knowledge of technology with the world. Recently, Cesar has written for the cryptocurrency news site, BTCPro and helping people understand tech.
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Cesar Cadenas
Networking & Security Specialist
Cesar is a tech expert passionate about Windows, Microsoft, and anything surrounding the world of PCs.
