Alternative to Discord
If you're here because you want something Discord-like without being locked into Discord, start here. If you want to compare Sable against other Matrix clients instead, see Comparison with other clients.
This page is inspired by the public Discord Replacers spreadsheet, but it only compares Sable against Discord.
Only implemented features count below. Features that are still in progress are marked with footnotes.
Messaging
| Feature | Sable | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption / privacy | Yes1 | Variable |
| Channels / rooms | Yes | Yes |
| Channel history | Yes | Yes |
| Persistent channel order | Partial2 3 | Yes |
| Threads | Yes | Yes |
| Attribute search | No | Yes |
| Pinned posts | Yes | Yes |
| Pluralkit-adjacent options | Built-in | With Bots/Apps |
| Direct messages | Yes | Yes |
| Post reactions | Yes | Yes |
| Embed previews | Yes | Yes |
| Text formatting | Yes | Yes |
| Message editing | Yes | Yes |
| Embeddable polls | No | Yes |
| Event management / scheduling | No | Yes |
| Full-text search | Partial4 | Yes |
Calls, Media, and Customization
| Feature | Sable | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Voice calls | Yes | Yes |
| Video calls | Yes | Yes |
| Screen sharing / streaming | Yes | Yes |
| Audio in Screenshare | Platform-Dependent | Platform-Dependent |
| Noise / echo suppression | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in soundboard | Limited5 | Yes |
| Custom emotes | Yes | Paid |
| Custom stickers | Yes | Paid |
| File sharing / hosting | Yes6 | Variable |
Widgets and Automation
| Feature | Sable | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Collaborative work | Partial7 | Variable |
| Bot hooks and / or plugins | Partial8 | Variable |
| In-Call widgets | No | Variable |
Platform Support
| Feature | Sable | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile app | Yes910 | Yes |
| Web app | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes9 | Yes |
Protocol, Hosting, and Ownership
| Feature | Sable | Discord |
|---|---|---|
| Decentralized / federated | Yes | No |
| Self-hosting available | Yes | No |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Data-harvesting free | Yes | No |
| KYC safe | Yes | No |
Sable supports Matrix end-to-end encryption where the room supports it. 2: Broader ordering work is tracked in Order by Activity (#166). 3: Space room ordering is supported from the Space Lobby today. Separate rooms and DMs do not yet have the same sorting controls. 4: End-To-End-Encrypted messages are currently not included in search. This is tracked in #1821 5: The current non-experimental call interface ships with a hard-coded set of sounds. 6: Files are hosted by the Matrix homeserver the user chooses. Usually, they aren't accessible by URL outside of Matrix, and require login. 7: Basic Matrix widget support can cover shared apps, but it is not fully tested yet. 8: Matrix bots are regular users rather than a client plugin system. Sable adds bot labeling and exposes room apps/widgets when present. 9: Native desktop and mobile builds are tracked in Add desktop and mobile builds (#88). 10: iOS is supported, but requires access to AltStore, AltStore PAL or another way to install IPA files. 11: For now, install the web app as a PWA on your phone. 12: Native desktop builds are still being worked on.