The Complete Guide to Installing Discord on Windows and Linux

Hey there! Looking to install Discord and see what all the hype is about? As a long-time Discord user and open source enthusiast, I‘m excited to walk you through the full installation process on both Windows and Linux.

Trust me—getting Discord up and running is quick, easy, and 100% free. In no time, you‘ll be chatting with communities about your favorite games, shows, hobbies and more. Let‘s get started!

Why Discord is Worth Installing

Before we dive into the how-to, let me share a bit about why Discord is so popular these days:

It‘s fast and smooth. Discord‘s interface is snappy and optimized for both desktop and mobile. No lag or moments of frustration!
Feature-rich chat. In addition to text, you get free voice and video calls. Discord also supports screen sharing and group DMs.
Robust community tools. Discord servers give you forums, member roles, custom emojis, announcement channels—everything you need to build an active community.
Cross-platform experience. Discord works great on Windows, Mac, Linux, web, iPhone, and Android. Stay connected from anywhere.

And the best part? Discord offers all this 100% free. No subscriptions or hidden fees required! The optional "Nitro" plan unlocks some cosmetic perks for $9.99/month.

With over 150 million monthly active users, Discord is the go-to place for genuine conversations about gaming, tech, art, music and more. Let‘s get you chatting!

Step-by-Step Guide to Install Discord on Windows

The official Discord desktop app runs smoothly on Windows 7 or higher. Here‘s how to install it on your PC:

Download the Discord Installer

Open any browser and go to discord.com/download.
Click the big blue Download for Windows button. This will start downloading the DiscordSetup.exe installer file.

Run the Installer

Once downloaded, double-click the DiscordSetup.exe file to launch the install wizard.
Click Next to begin the installation process.
Accept the license agreement and click Next to continue.
Select the installation location on your PC and click Install.

Launch Discord!

After a minute or two, Discord will be fully installed. Click Finish to launch the app.

And that‘s it! The Discord app is now installed and ready to start chatting on your Windows PC.

The first time you open Discord, you‘ll go through a quick account setup. Enter your email and password to register, or log in with an existing account.

You can also find the Discord desktop app in your Windows Start Menu. Just search "Discord" to launch it anytime.

Installing Discord on Linux

Let‘s shift gears and talk installing Discord on Linux. I‘ll be demonstrating on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, but these steps work for most Debian-based distros.

According to a Discord user survey, Linux makes up 2.7% of the Discord userbase—not a huge share, but still over 4 million monthly active users!

Here are two simple methods to install Discord on Linux:

Method 1: Install using Snap

Snap is a super handy package manager for Linux. To install Discord as a Snap app:

Open your terminal and run:
```
 sudo snap install discord
```
Wait a minute or two for the install to complete.
Then start Discord with:
```
 discord &
```

And done! Discord is now installed via Snap. Look for it in your distro‘s app menu.

Method 2: Install using a .deb package

If you prefer Debian packages, Discord provides a direct .deb download:

Grab the .deb file from Discord‘s download page.
In your terminal, run:
```
 sudo dpkg -i discord-x.y.z.deb
```
Launch Discord from your app menu!

No matter which install method you use, the first launch will guide you through logging in or creating your Discord account.

And remember: you can always use the Discord web app if you don‘t want to install anything locally on your Linux system.

Joining Awesome Communities on Discord

Now comes the really fun part—joining Discord servers! Here are a few great servers to explore when you‘re starting out:

Gamer‘s Galaxy – One of the biggest gaming communities on Discord with over 175,000 members. Talk games and connect with players.
CodeNewbies – The most welcoming chat for programming beginners and experts. Share coding help and projects.
Anime Soul – Everything anime! Chat, share fanart, get viewing recommendations, and more.
Discord.js – THE hangout for Discord bot coding. Get help with your bots from 80,000+ developers.

Search for servers based on your interests and join the conversation. The friendly communities are what make Discord so special.

Get Chatting!

There you have it—a complete walkthrough on installing Discord for desktop. Thanks for following along!

With Discord up and running, you can now connect with awesome communities around your hobbies, studies, and passions. Need any help getting started? Feel free to ask me here in the comments!

Happy chatting, friend!