Review: Clubhouse vs. Discord

First impressions from a designer’s perspective

With all the attention to the social powerhouse Clubhouse and the group chat giant Discord, here’s a first impression on the two platforms and how they compare from a designer’s perspective.

Disclaimer: I use Discord significantly more than Clubhouse which will bias my review. Personally I see Clubhouse is more like the ocean whereas Discord is more like a lake in terms of my usage.

Both Clubhouse and Discord are audio-based social media platforms. Clubhouse centers around live-chat rooms, whereas Discord’s origins for gaming communities makes it well suited for smaller communities. Discord’s server structure allows for a shared ‘space’ in addition to calling make for more structured sharing vs. audio-only calls found in Clubhouse.

Let’s see how they compare:

Highlights on Clubhouse

As the pandemic has made physical gatherings unwise and learning through conferences more , I am thankful for how social tech can enable new connections. Both Clubhouse and Discord offer the presence of ‘friends of friends’ and the ability to find like-minded folks while exploring your own niche interests.