Discourse vs Linen

Comparing two open source alternatives to Discord and Slack. Use the comparison below to decide which one fits your needs.

Discourse

GPL-2.0

Open source community forum platform combining long-form discussion, real-time chat, and strong moderation. Self-host it or use managed hosting.

Visit Full details

Linen

AGPL-3.0

Lightweight, Google-searchable open source Slack and Discord alternative designed for online communities.

Visit Full details

Side-by-side comparison

	Discourse	Linen
License	GPL-2.0	AGPL-3.0
Self-hostable	Yes	Yes
GitHub Stars	47,958	2,774
Forks	9,032	109
Open Issues	291	136
Last Commit	Oct 10, 2026	Dec 9, 2024
First Released	Jan 12, 2013	Feb 15, 2022
Categories	Team Chat & Messaging Tools	Team Chat & Messaging Tools
Tags	#forum #chat	—

GitHub stars over time

Discourse47,958

Linen

Similar open source alternatives

Mumble

Low-latency, open-source voice chat built for gaming — self-host your own server with no subscription required.

Alternative to:

Discord

Chatto

A self-hosted chat application for teams and communities with video calls, voice calls, and screen sharing.

Alternative to:

Slack

Huly

All-in-one open source platform that combines project management, CRM, chat, HR, and wiki as an alternative to Linear, Jira, Slack, and Notion.

Alternative to:

Notion

Bytedesk

Open source AI-powered omnichannel customer service platform that combines live chat, ticketing, and team collaboration as an alternative to Slack, Zendesk, Intercom, and HubSpot.

Alternative to:

Slack

Sharkord

Self-hosted chat server with voice, video, text, and screen sharing — Discord-like features on your own infrastructure.

Alternative to:

Discord

Zulip

Open-source team chat with a unique topic-based threading model that makes it easy to follow multiple conversations.

Alternative to:

Slack