Open-source alternative
Replace Discord with Stoat + Element
The best open-source alternative to Discord is Stoat (formerly Revolt) or Element, self-hosted on Railway. Self-host Discord-shaped chat. Stoat is Revolt under its 2025 name; Element is the Matrix client on a homeserver you run.
Estimated save $1,200 a year.
Open the stackStart on Railway
How Discord compares
| Discord | Stoat + Element | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Hosted subscription | Open-source or fair-code license; you pay the host |
| Hosting | Vendor cloud | Self-hosted on Railway or any VPS |
| Rough monthly cost | Public list price not verified this run | Hosting only — no SaaS seat meter in this repo |
- Stoat (formerly Revolt)
Self-hostable Discord-like chat (API, web, files)
- Element
Matrix client; pair with a homeserver you run
FAQ
- Is it free?
- The Stoat + Element licenses are open source or fair-code. You still pay hosting (Railway or any VPS) and any APIs the stack calls. There is no Discord seat or task bill on this path.
- Can I migrate from Discord?
- Yes. Start with the workflows or data you actually use, then cut over. The Stoat + Element stack page has the agent prompt and the cost table; most teams rebuild the slice that matters and leave old Discord links until they expire.
- How do I deploy it?
- Open the Stoat + Element stack, copy the agent prompt, and deploy on Railway (one service, PORT, and a volume when the app needs disk). Placeholder: Stoat from stoatchat/self-hosted (Compose: API, events, files, web) or Element + a Matrix homeserver. Volumes for files and the DB. Not a single-container toy.
- What does this replace?
- Discord. The published small-team estimate on this stack is $1,200 a year.
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