Quick Answer
How many people use Discord in 2025?
Discord has 190 million monthly active users and 390 million registered users.
There is a never-ending list of chat apps available to international users today, one of them is Discord.
From its “I never heard of that app” status back in its early days in 2015 to hundreds and millions of users, this platform undoubtedly knows the right formula to success.
Today, even streaming Netflix with friends and family is possible through Discord’s share screen feature.
Different strokes for different folks, they say. But Discord seemingly ticks all the boxes.
Whether you are an avid gamer or you simply derive pleasure in frolicking from one server to another, this app is worth checking out.
Let’s discuss how many people use Discord.
Discord Users: How Many People Use Discord in 2025?
There are 190 million monthly active Discord users.
This number already represents a huge increase from its 150 million monthly users in 2020.
Moreover, such an impressive rate still does not account for its total number of users–accounting for both active and inactive accounts–which hit 390 million in 2021!
Discord Appeals to “All” Kinds of Users
There are many reasons behind Discord’s six-year term on the pedestal. Above anything, it appeals to all kinds of users.
Although it is largely marketed as a “gaming messenger”, Discord is also widely used among firms with professional and corporate backgrounds.
There is both an advantage and disadvantage to its multi-sectoral appeal. On the upside, targeting all kinds of chat app markets led to its rapid population growth.
Meanwhile, this lack of “specialization” is often tied to having no clear target market.
But overall, this framework is working so far for Discord, and this is the very reason why it rakes heaps of cash quarter after quarter.
Discord’s Monthly User Count History from 2017 to 2022
Dismantling the popular opinion, Discord is not among the world’s technology firms that experienced overnight success.
For the San Francisco, California-based firm, it was a gradual but steady route on its way to success.
Take a look at Discord’s monthly user count history covering 2017 to the present.
- 2017 – two years after its founding, Discord only had 10 million users under its roster. During the same period, Messenger is a clear winner in the instant messaging market with 1.3 billion monthly active users
- 2018 – Discord’s monthly active users experienced a 350% growth during the year, sending the total number to 45 million
- 2019 – Discord’s monthly active users grew with a minimal margin of only 11 million new users. This sent the total to 56 million monthly active users during the year
- 2020 – renewed attention came to Discord during the pandemic. The app experienced a near 100% growth, with its total monthly active users jumping to 100 million for the first time
- 2021 – Discord’s exponential growth continued until last year. It added 40 million new monthly active users during the year and sent the total number to 140 million
- 2022 – Discord currently boasts 150 million monthly active users and growing
Discord’s Total Number of Registered Users Over the Years
If you think Discord’s monthly active user count is already impressive, wait until you see its total number of users from 2016 to 2020 below.
This accounts for all registered users on the app, whether these accounts are active or inactive on the day the survey was taken.
- 2016 – the platform had 25 million total registered users during the year
- 2017 – the platform had 45 million total registered users during the year
- 2018 – the platform had 130 million total registered users during the year
- 2019 – the platform had 250 million total registered users during the year
- 2020 – the platform had 300 million total registered users during the year
How Does Discord Make Money?
Discord’s income stream differs from other chat apps which are highly dependent on ad revenue.
The popular platform creates big moolah from premium subscriptions and its game distribution business.
How much does a Discord premium subscription costs?
Premium access to Discord’s many features comes with a long list of benefits.
This is why many individuals, organizations, and businesses are willing to pay to make use of those advantages.
Discord’s Monthly Subscription Tiers Discussed
Again, Discord appeals to all kinds of internet consumers ranging from professionals, gamers, and regular users.
This means it appeals to a good number of markets that are willing to pay monthly just to their hands on a Discord premium.
NITRO Classic is an entry-level tier to Discord’s premium subscription plans, priced at $4.99 per month.
Meanwhile, the top-tier subscription is the Discord NITRO, priced at $9.99 monthly, or $99.99 for a yearly subscription.
It comes with many benefits such as having your custom emoji and an animated avatar, two server boosts, 100MB upload size for files shared on servers, and hi-resolution video quality when streaming.
History of Discord’s Annual Revenue
Despite having to pay between $4.99 to $9.99 per month, millions of users are biting the bait after seeing how well it worked for other subscription takers.
This led to a steady increase in Discord’s annual revenue and overall valuation in the last seven years.
Below is Discord’s annual revenue history from 2016 to 2020, followed by its yearly valuation history covering the same period.
Annual Revenue
- 2016 – the app reported $5 million in revenue during its first year in the market
- 2017 – it updated $10 million in revenue during the year
- 2018 – it updated $30 million in revenue during the year
- 2019 – it updated $45 million in revenue during the year
- 2020 – Discord’s annual revenue increased exponentially during the year, hitting $130 million for the first time
Total Enterprise Valuation
- 2017 – Discord’s total valuation is at $1.6 billion
- 2018 – Discord’s total valuation is at $2.0 billion
- 2019 – Discord’s total valuation is at $3.5 billion
- 2020 – Discord’s total valuation is at $7.0 billion
- 2021 – Discord’s total valuation is at $15.0 billion
Conclusion
Discord is one of today’s most successful private companies. It managed to reach a $15 billion valuation in 2021 despite operating as a private firm.
Thanks to its many investors, the app continues to grow and capture the hearts of millions of instant messaging fans all over the world- and now you know just how many people use Discord.
In the latter part of 2021, Discord secured a $500 new funding which Dragoneer Investment Group headed.
This huge amount of cash is expected to fund Discord’s many business targets, including becoming a standalone enterprise, capable of making more money out of its huge user base.
But are we expecting a nearing initial public offering? Discord’s management itself confirmed it is initiating talks with investment bankers to discuss a possible direct listing.
The question is “when”? It is only a matter of time.
