Crews vs Discord
Discord is the default place a lot of groups end up. It's free, it's fast, the voice and video chat are excellent, and there's a bot for almost anything. If your group mostly hangs out online, especially while gaming, it's hard to beat.
Crews is built for a different job: organizers running a club or program whose life revolves around plans. Run clubs, studios, sports clubs, community meetups. We put a shared calendar, RSVPs and event chat at the center, then add a memory wall and friendly leagues so members have something to come back to between events. It's a paid tool ($59/month per crew after a 14-day free trial), so it makes the most sense when running the group is part of your job or your budget.
Who should pick Discord, who should pick Crews
Pick Discord if…
- Your group mostly hangs out online, in voice channels or while gaming
- You want a large server with many topic channels
- You rely on bots and integrations to automate things
- Your members already live on Discord all day
- You’re a casual group of friends and want something free
Pick Crews if…
- You run a club or program that meets up in person
- You are tired of chasing RSVPs in a channel
- You want each event to have its own page, chat and headcount
- You want a simple space without configuring bots, roles and channels
At a glance
Shared calendar
- Crews
- Shared crew calendar, plus a personal calendar across all your crews
- Discord
- Scheduled events listed inside each server
Event RSVPs
- Crews
- Going / maybe / not going, capacity limits, invite-only events
- Discord
- Members can mark interest in scheduled events
Event chat
- Crews
- Every event gets its own chat
- Discord
- Usually a channel or thread you set up yourself
Group chat
- Crews
- Real-time crew chat with threads, reactions, @mentions and pinned messages
- Discord
- Channels, threads, forums, reactions and mentions
Voice & video
- Crews
- Not available
- Discord
- Excellent voice, video and screen sharing
Polls
- Crews
- Polls right in crew and event chat
- Discord
- Polls in chat, plus many bot options
Photo memories
- Crews
- Memory wall; turn any chat photo into a memory
- Discord
- Photos live in channel history
Leagues & challenges
- Crews
- Leagues by crew size and crew-vs-crew challenges
- Discord
- Not built around crew-vs-crew competition; bots can add games
Bots & integrations
- Crews
- Not available
- Discord
- Huge bot and app ecosystem
Push notifications
- Crews
- In-app and web push notifications
- Discord
- Mobile and desktop notifications
Invite links
- Crews
- Expiring, role-based invite links and join requests
- Discord
- Server invite links with expiry options
Price
- Crews
- 14-day free trial, then $59/mo per crew
- Discord
- Free to use, with optional paid extras
Key differences
- 1
Plans first vs conversation first
Discord is organized around channels where conversation flows. Crews is organized around a calendar: every plan is an event with a date, RSVPs and its own chat, so the logistics for Saturday’s run don’t get lost under the memes.
- 2
One calendar across all your groups
On Discord, events live inside each server. Crews gives you a personal calendar that pulls in events from every crew you’re in, and you can export them as ICS to the calendar app you already use.
- 3
Voice and extensibility
Discord is far ahead here. Voice channels, video, screen sharing and a massive bot ecosystem are its core strengths. Crews has no voice chat and no integrations.
- 4
A reason to come back between events
Crews places crews in leagues by size. Crews challenge each other (open or one-on-one) by submitting memory posts, members vote, and the winner earns 100 points. Points reset weekly, so there’s always a fresh race.
- 5
Setup effort
A well-run Discord server usually means designing channels, roles and bots. A crew works out of the box: create it, add an event, invite your members.
When Discord is the better choice
Discord is the better pick in plenty of situations, and we’d rather you use the right tool.
- Your group spends most of its time together online, especially in voice
- You run a large public community with many topics and moderators
- You need bots for moderation, games, music or custom workflows
- You stream, share screens or play games together regularly
Moving your group from Discord
You don’t have to shut your server down. Many groups keep Discord for hanging out and use Crews for the plans.
- 1.Create your crew and choose public or private. Private crews are joined by invite link or approved join request.
- 2.Mirror your key roles: make your server mods crew moderators.
- 3.Add the next few upcoming plans to the crew calendar, so there is something to RSVP to on day one.
- 4.Post a link to your crew in an announcements channel and pin it; members join directly (public crew) or request to join (private crew).
- 5.From then on, post new plans in Crews and link to the event from Discord.
- 6.Ask members to install Crews to their home screen and turn on push notifications, so they don’t miss new events.
The verdict
Discord is a better chat and voice app, full stop, and it's free. If your group mostly talks, plays or streams together, or you're a casual group of friends, stay there. If you run a club that mostly meets up and you're tired of chasing RSVPs in a channel, Crews is built for exactly that, and the $59/month per crew is a business expense that buys back organizer time. Some clubs use both: Discord for hanging out, Crews for the plans.
Start 14-day free trialFrequently asked questions
Is Crews a Discord alternative?
For groups that mainly meet up in person, yes. Crews covers chat, events, RSVPs and photos in one place. For online-first or voice-heavy groups, Discord is still the better fit.
Does Crews have voice or video chat?
No. Crews focuses on text chat, events and memories. If voice matters to your group, keep Discord for that.
Can we use Crews and Discord together?
Yes, and many groups do. Keep Discord for hanging out and use Crews for events, RSVPs and memories. Share Crews event links in your Discord channels.
Does Crews support bots or integrations?
Not currently. Crews is intentionally simple. You can export events as ICS to your own calendar and export participant lists as CSV.
How much does Crews cost?
Every crew starts with a 14-day free trial, no card needed. After that it’s $59/month per crew, paid by the organizer, and members join free. That includes up to 100 members; each extra 100 members is +$18/month. Billing is monthly and you can cancel anytime. Full details are on the pricing page (/pricing).
Crews features
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Comparison based on publicly available information as of September 2026; features change — check each product's site. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners.