The two most popular game-based voice communication programs today are TeamSpeak and Discord, with both having their own distinctive features.
While choosing one of the two, there could be many questions that clout your mind. If TeamSpeak is still used? or Which is the better program? What are their distinctive features?
So, let's compare the two, TeamSpeak and Discord, and find out all the details.
Pros and Cons of TeamSpeak:
Pros:
- High sound quality: The sound quality on TeamSpeak is very good, with noise-free, clear sound and also other features like background noise reduction and echo cancellation.
- Less CPU, memory, and bandwidth usage: TeamSpeak uses far less CPU, memory, and bandwidth as compared to Discord. Thus the gamers who do not have high-end gaming systems do not have to worry much about gaming performance.
- Game overlay: You can keep using TeamSpeak in the game because of the in-game overlay. Thus, you can easily text and change TeamSpeak settings in the middle of a game.
- Greater privacy and security: TeamSpeak has better security; with its military-grade encryption the data is not shared with any third party and the users are kept anonymous.
Cons:
- Insufficient text chat capacity: When it comes to messaging TeamSpeak is way behind Discord. So, if you take textual communication really seriously, you might have some inconvenience working with TeamSpeak.
- Paid server: You have to pay for hosting a server on TeamSpeak.
- Not suitable for beginners: It is not very easy to use and has a much more complex interface than that of Discord. Thus it is not very suitable for beginners.
After considering both, the Pros and the Cons we can definitely say that TeamSpeak is a good program, which could be considered ahead of Discord with its low hardware and bandwidth usage, high-quality sound, and advanced security and privacy features. The areas that it lags behind are its complex interface, inept text-chat features and paid servers.
Pros and Cons of Discord:
Pros:
- Simple and easy to use interface: The interface on Discord looks a lot more modern and is a lot easier to use than TeamSpeak. Thus beginners will not find it very tough to use this sort of program right away.
- Free servers: Free servers could be hosted on Discord. And you can also enjoy most of the program's features for free.
- Many text chat features: Discord lets you send gifs, emojis and photos, attach files and do a lot more than just voice communicating.
- Many users and communities: Discord works more like a social network than a conventional voice communication program. There are many different communities on Discord which you can use to communicate.
- Game overlay: Discord also has its own interface you can access while playing. This interface could also be customized according to your wish or disabled completely.
Cons:
- Collects user data: Discord does collect user data and this includes emails, text chats, images, and voice chats. Whether this data is then sold to third parties or not, is not known but then it is very likely that the company might use this data. After you know this, it is completely your choice whether you want to use this program or not.
- Lower sound quality: Discord's sound quality isn't bad, but it isn't as good as that of TeamSpeak, but you probably wouldn't even notice the change unless you are someone who is bothered by the small details.
- Increased CPU, Memory, and Bandwidth Usage: It is a lot more tiring for the CPU as it takes up a lot of the memory and the bandwidth usage is also quite high. So, Discord does have a huge impact on your background gaming experience.
Discord has become something more than just a voice communication program, it has become a social network where people with similar interests hand out. You can also join these communities and chat with them outside of the game. It is the more modern of the two programs that we are testing and has a much more modern interface but sometimes you might think that it contains too many features. Thus, if you just want to play and have a voice communication with your buddies while playing, Discord may not be the right choice for you.
Discord or TeamSpeak: Which Should Be Preferred?
Now we delve straight to the question of the hour: Should you use TeamSpeak or Discord? Well, you need to prioritize what you want here. If you are concerned about your privacy, then you should keep in mind that Discord does collect your data. Plus, if you only want to have a good time with your friends while playing, you should look for software that doesn't tire your system. In these cases, you could go for TeamSpeak.
On the other side of things, if you are looking for a free, easy-to-use program that has a modern interface, Discord might be your pick. You will also get to socialize with different communities on Discord and you can benefit from the written communication tools like image sharing, gifs, video calling, etc
So, it is you who has to decide now, keeping all the pros and cons in mind. All the best.