Install discord with Homebrew Cask

Project links

• Homepage
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

No executable aliases were found in the local package database.

Project history

Discord launched in May 2015 as a modern voice and text communication application for people playing games together. Early adoption spread from friends and Final Fantasy XIV guilds into larger gaming communities.

An unofficial API appeared in December 2015, followed by an official developer platform and a rapidly growing bot ecosystem. Over time Discord added video, screen sharing, community-management features, applications, Activities, and integrations across desktop, mobile, web, Xbox, and PlayStation.

In 2020 the company repositioned Discord as a general place to talk and spend time with communities and friends, while retaining gaming as a central use case. Discord celebrated ten years in May 2025.

Adoption history

Discord initially spread through gaming communities, including Final Fantasy XIV guilds. By 2017 it had exceeded 25 million users and was being adopted as a home by large communities.

The service expanded beyond its gaming origins into everyday communication for friend groups, clubs, creators, study groups, and other communities. Discord reported more than 100 million monthly active users in 2020 and more than 200 million monthly users around its tenth anniversary in 2025.

An extensible bot and application ecosystem became central to server administration, moderation, games, and custom workflows. Discord reported in 2022 that more than 30 percent of active servers used apps.

How it is used

Users create or join servers organized into text, voice, and forum-style channels; exchange direct messages; make voice or video calls; stream screens; and use bots or applications for moderation and custom functions. The service is available through desktop, mobile, and web clients.

Why package nerds care

Discord displaced many older combinations of gaming voice chat, IRC-style text chat, and community forums with a single cross-platform service. Its server/channel model, bot APIs, webhooks, rich presence, and large developer ecosystem make it important to gaming, open-source, and technical communities, even though the desktop client itself is proprietary.

Timeline

• 2015: Discord launched as a communication service for gaming friends.
• 2015: Discord released an unofficial API, catalyzing its bot ecosystem.
• 2017: Discord reported more than 25 million users.
• 2020: Discord broadened its public positioning beyond gaming and reported more than 100 million monthly active users.
• 2025: Discord celebrated its tenth anniversary and reported more than 200 million monthly users.

Related projects

• Discord's developer platform supports bots, applications, slash commands, webhooks, and embedded Activities.
• Nitro is Discord's paid subscription offering.
• Discord integrates voice communication with Xbox and PlayStation platforms.

Sources

• https://discord.com/blog/building-the-future-of-discord
• https://discord.com/blog/thank-you-for-ten-years
• https://discord.com/blog/the-future-of-bots-on-discord
• https://discord.com/blog/whats-going-down-in-discord-town
• https://discord.com/blog/your-place-to-talk
• https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/360033931551-Getting-Started