Fluxer vs Stoat vs Discord: which one should you use?
Two open-source challengers and the champ, round by round: price, uploads, streaming, apps and self-hosting. Plus where Taverns fits, since we make it.
Facts checked October 6, 2026, from each app’s own site.
Quick answer
Fluxer or Stoat: which is better?
Pick Stoat if you want a free, donation-funded, open-source app with no paid tier. Pick Fluxer if you want a Discord-like open-source app and are happy to pay $4.99 a month for bigger uploads and 4K streams.
Both are AGPL open source and you can host either one yourself. Neither is end-to-end encrypted yet (Fluxer has it on its roadmap), and both keep free uploads around 20 to 25 MB and free screen share at 720p 30 fps. Discord still has the biggest crowd and encrypts calls end to end. Taverns, which we make, gives you 2 GB uploads and 1080p 60fps screen share for free.
- Free uploads: Fluxer 25 MB, Stoat 20 MB, Discord 20 MB, Taverns 2 GB
- Free screen share: 720p 30 fps on Fluxer, Stoat and Discord; 1080p 60 fps on Taverns
- iPhone: Discord and Taverns are in the App Store; Fluxer is a TestFlight beta; Stoat has none yet
- Open source: Fluxer and Stoat yes; Discord and Taverns no
Four apps, six rounds.
Each round shows what you get, as each app documents it. Taverns is the fourth column, and it is ours.
Price
- Fluxer
- Free; Plutonium $4.99 a month
- Stoat
- Free, funded by donations
- Discord
- Free; Nitro $9.99 a month
- Taverns
- Free; optional extras
Verdict: Stoat and Taverns ask for nothing. Fluxer and Discord sell a plan that lifts the free limits.
File uploads
- Fluxer
- 25 MB free, 500 MB on Plutonium; big files expire
- Stoat
- 20 MB
- Discord
- 20 MB free, 1 GB on Nitro
- Taverns
- 2 GB free
Verdict: Taverns, by a mile, for big clips. Between the other three, Fluxer edges it at 25 MB.
Voice, video and screen share
- Fluxer
- 720p 30 fps free, up to 4K 60 on Plutonium
- Stoat
- 720p 30 fps (added July 2026)
- Discord
- 720p 30 fps free, up to 4K 60 on Nitro
- Taverns
- 1080p 60 fps free
Verdict: On a free plan, Taverns. If you pay, Fluxer and Discord both reach 4K 60.
Custom emoji and stickers
- Fluxer
- 500 emoji, 500 stickers
- Stoat
- 100 emoji
- Discord
- 100 emoji, 5 stickers before boosts
- Taverns
- 700 emoji, 1,000 stickers
Verdict: Taverns has the most room, Fluxer is generous too, and Discord makes you boost for more.
Open source and self-hosting
- Fluxer
- AGPL-3.0, free to self-host
- Stoat
- AGPLv3, self-host guide
- Discord
- No
- Taverns
- No
Verdict: Fluxer and Stoat. This is the main reason people look at them.
Apps
- Fluxer
- Google Play beta, iPhone via TestFlight; desktop (Mac needs Apple silicon) and web
- Stoat
- Google Play, desktop and web; no iPhone app yet
- Discord
- App Store, Google Play, desktop and web
- Taverns
- App Store, Google Play, Windows, Mac, Linux, Steam Deck and web
Verdict: Discord and Taverns are in both phone stores. Stoat has no iPhone app yet, and Fluxer’s iPhone app is a TestFlight beta.
- Fluxer (opens in a new tab)
- Fluxer Plutonium (opens in a new tab)
- Fluxer 2026 roadmap (opens in a new tab)
- Stoat (opens in a new tab)
- Stoat developer FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- Stoat video and screen share release notes (opens in a new tab)
- Discord File Attachments FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- Discord Go Live (opens in a new tab)
- Discord Nitro (opens in a new tab)
- Discord end-to-end encryption (opens in a new tab)
Who should pick what.
Pick Fluxer if
You want a Discord-like app on open-source software, and you might pay for bigger limits.
- You like a familiar Discord layout
- You want custom CSS themes
- You would pay $4.99 a month for 500 MB uploads and 4K streams
Pick Stoat if
You want open source with no paid tier at all.
- You want it free and funded by donations
- You may host your own instance
- 20 MB uploads and 720p screen share are enough
Stay on Discord if
Everyone you play with is already there.
- Your bots and integrations live there
- You do not mind paying for HD streams and big uploads
Try Taverns if
You want the Discord-style setup with the big stuff free.
- 2 GB uploads and 1080p 60fps screen share, free
- Watch parties in Stage halls
- 700 emoji and 1,000 stickers per tavern
Fair warning: Taverns is not open source. If that is a must-have, Stoat or Fluxer will suit you better.
Every platform. No sideloading.
Taverns is in the App Store and on Google Play, with free desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux (it runs on the Steam Deck too) and tav.gg in any browser. No TestFlight invites, no APKs.
Phone apps from the App Store and Google Play. Desktop apps straight from tav.gg. Nothing to sideload.
- WindowsWindows 10 and 11
- MacmacOS 13 and later
- LinuxAppImage or apt
- Steam DeckDesktop Mode
- iPhone and iPadApp Store
- AndroidGoogle Play
- Any browsertav.gg
Windows and the Windows logo are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, iPad, Mac, macOS and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.
Steam and Steam Deck are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Taverns is not affiliated with or endorsed by Valve.
Leaving Discord? Bring your server.
Discord Ripper copies your server’s channels, categories, roles, emoji and stickers into a new tavern. Your Discord server is not changed, and members and messages stay there, so you can try Taverns with no risk.
How we compared them
Taverns publishes this page and is one of the four apps on it. On October 6, 2026 we read Fluxer’s, Stoat’s and Discord’s own websites, help, pricing and download pages, release notes and store listings, and compared what each one documents. Fluxer’s emoji and sticker numbers are the defaults in its open-source code.
Apps change fast. If something here is out of date, tell us at support@tav.gg and we will fix it.
- Fluxer (opens in a new tab)
- Fluxer Plutonium (opens in a new tab)
- Fluxer 2026 roadmap (opens in a new tab)
- Stoat (opens in a new tab)
- Stoat developer FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- Stoat video and screen share release notes (opens in a new tab)
- Discord File Attachments FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- Discord Nitro (opens in a new tab)
- Discord Go Live (opens in a new tab)
- Discord end-to-end encryption (opens in a new tab)
- Element end-to-end encryption (opens in a new tab)
- Stoat downloads (opens in a new tab)
- Fluxer downloads (opens in a new tab)
Questions, answered.
Is Fluxer better than Stoat?
Neither wins everything. Fluxer has a familiar Discord feel, free 25 MB uploads, and Plutonium ($4.99 a month) for 500 MB uploads and 4K streams; Stoat is completely free and funded by donations. Both are open source and self-hostable, and neither is end-to-end encrypted yet.
Is Stoat the same as Revolt?
Yes. Revolt renamed itself Stoat on October 1, 2025. Accounts and servers carried over, and nobody had to do anything.
Does Stoat have screen sharing?
Yes. Stoat added video calls and screen sharing in voice channels, DMs and groups on July 17, 2026, starting at 720p and 30 fps.
Is Fluxer end-to-end encrypted?
Not yet. End-to-end encryption for DMs and group DMs is on Fluxer’s 2026 to 2027 roadmap. Today Discord encrypts calls end to end, and Element encrypts DMs and private rooms.
Do Fluxer and Stoat have iPhone apps?
Not in the App Store yet. Fluxer’s iPhone app is a TestFlight beta, and Stoat says a native iOS app is in the works, so iPhone users use its web app. Both are on Google Play. Discord and Taverns are in both stores.
Keep exploring.
Still
deciding?
Try Taverns free in your browser while you test the others. It takes a minute, and your Discord stays exactly as it is.