BetterDiscord adds free themes, plugins, and UI customization to the Discord desktop app. See features, install steps, risks, and FAQs.
BetterDiscord is a free, open-source modification for the official Discord desktop client. Rather than being a separate app, it injects a loader into the existing Discord installation, giving users access to custom themes, community and self-made plugins, and interface options that Discord does not officially offer.
The project traces back to August 2015, when a developer known as Jiiks first built BetterDiscord. After periods of dormancy and a fork called BandagedBD maintained by a developer known as Zerebos, a rewrite started in 2020 became the codebase that ships today under the BetterDiscord GitHub organization.
Because it is entirely client-side and open source, anyone can inspect, modify, or contribute to the code. There is no company behind BetterDiscord and no paid tier; it is maintained by volunteer contributors and funded informally through donations.
BetterDiscord's two main pillars are themes and plugins. Themes use CSS to restyle the entire Discord interface, including support for transparent or fully custom layouts, while plugins use JavaScript through a built-in plugin API to add new behavior, such as message utilities, status automation, or voice message sending.
The app also ships with a live CSS editor for real-time style debugging, developer-facing utility classes, and compatibility with third-party emote services like BTTV and FFZ so users can send extra emotes to other BetterDiscord users.
Because themes and plugins are community-submitted, quality and safety vary. BetterDiscord itself does not review third-party plugin code for malicious behavior, so users are expected to install plugins from sources they trust.
BetterDiscord is completely free to download and use, and it will remain free since it is an open-source community project rather than a commercial product.
There are no subscription tiers, paid plugins sold by the core project, or in-app purchases. Some individual theme or plugin authors accept optional donations, but this is separate from BetterDiscord itself.
The only cost to consider is not financial but the standing-service risk: because BetterDiscord violates Discord's Terms of Service, using it carries some risk of account action from Discord, which functions as the real trade-off against its zero monetary price.
Yes. BetterDiscord is free and open source, with no subscription or paid tier for the core software.
Yes. Discord has publicly stated that client modifications like BetterDiscord are against its Terms of Service because they alter the client outside of what Discord officially supports.
Using BetterDiscord carries some risk of account action since it violates the Terms of Service, though enforcement has historically focused more on accounts using it for spam, automation, or abusive plugins rather than every installation. There is no guarantee either way.
Users download the official installer from betterdiscord.app, which patches the local Discord client files to add the BetterDiscord loader, themes menu, and plugin menu.
No. BetterDiscord only works with the official Discord desktop application on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Both are Discord client mods with themes and plugins; Vencord is a separate, newer project with a different codebase and plugin format, and some tools bridge compatibility between the two ecosystems.
The current codebase, maintained under the BetterDiscord GitHub organization, descends from a rewrite started by a developer known as Zerebos after earlier versions by the original creator, Jiiks, went dormant.
Yes. BetterDiscord exposes a documented plugin API and developer utility classes so anyone comfortable with JavaScript can build custom plugins.