If you’re a Discord user, you’ve probably heard about customizing your experience. Two big names pop up: BetterDiscord and Vencord. Both give you cool themes, plugins, and extra features. But which one is really better?
TL;DR: Too Long, Didn’t Read
BetterDiscord is the older, more well-known choice with lots of community content. But Vencord is newer, easier to set up, and more secure. If you just want cool features without messing around too much, go with Vencord. However, if you’re all about deep customization, BetterDiscord might be more your style.
What Are These Tools Anyway?
At its core, Discord doesn’t offer much in terms of customization. That’s where these tools come in.
- BetterDiscord is a mod that lets you add themes, plugins, and tweak how Discord looks and works.
- Vencord is another mod, designed to do a similar thing—but in a safer and more modern way.
Both can supercharge your Discord experience. You can block ads, see deleted messages, or even use custom themes that make Discord look totally different.
But which one should you pick? Let’s break it down.
Installation and Setup
BetterDiscord can be a bit tricky. You need to download a separate installer, and sometimes it breaks when Discord updates. You also might need to copy plugin files into folders manually.
Vencord is much simpler. It has a modern installer and updates with Discord almost automatically. There’s less tinkering involved. Great for beginners!
Winner for Easy Setup: Vencord
Security and Stability
This part’s important. Security is a big deal when you’re modifying apps.
- BetterDiscord is older, and in some areas, it’s not well-maintained. Malicious plugins can easily be shared if you’re not careful.
- Vencord is open-source and constantly reviewed. It even has a built-in plugin store that checks for safety.
So if you’re worried about using shady files, Vencord is the safer bet.
Winner for Security: Vencord
Themes and Plugins
Let’s talk about the fun stuff. This is the real reason people love both tools.
BetterDiscord:
- Huge library of plugins and themes
- A strong community with lots of user-made content
- More powerful, but riskier
Vencord:
- Fewer themes (for now), but growing fast
- Built-in plugin manager. No more dragging files!
- Can load BetterDiscord themes with a converter
If your top priority is number of themes and plugins, BetterDiscord wins—no question. But Vencord makes it much easier to use the ones it supports.
Winner for Variety: BetterDiscord
Winner for Simplicity: Vencord
Updates and Support
When Discord itself updates, these mods can break. Here’s how each one handles that:
- BetterDiscord: Requires manual updates sometimes. Plugins can stop working and need fixing by their creators.
- Vencord: Auto-updates and patches itself. Much more stable when Discord changes stuff.
If you don’t want to deal with fixing things every other week, Vencord is much smoother.
Winner for Reliability: Vencord
Performance
Some users notice a difference in how Discord performs after installing mods.
- BetterDiscord: Can slow things down if you install too many plugins or themes.
- Vencord: Snappier and better optimized. It’s built with newer code and runs lighter.
If you have an older computer, Vencord will probably work better.
Winner for Speed: Vencord
Risk of Getting Banned
You might be wondering—can I get kicked off Discord for using these?
Technically, yes. Modifying the Discord client violates their Terms of Service. However, it’s very rare to see someone banned just for using BetterDiscord or Vencord.
That said, Vencord tries to keep a low profile. It’s less detectable and doesn’t mess with Discord’s code too aggressively.
BetterDiscord has a bigger target on its back because it’s older and more obvious.
Winner for Staying Under the Radar: Vencord
Community and Help
If you run into problems, community support is key.
- BetterDiscord: Has a larger, older community. Tons of guides, help forums, and YouTube tutorials.
- Vencord: Smaller, but active community. The official Discord server is very helpful.
If you like diving into Reddit and Discord servers to fix things, BetterDiscord gives you more content to explore. But Vencord’s team is more responsive overall.
Winner for Community Size: BetterDiscord
Winner for Helpful Support: Vencord
Cool Features Unique to Each
BetterDiscord Has:
- More mature plugin variety
- Custom CSS tweaking
- More unofficial community themes
Vencord Offers:
- Read deleted and edited messages
- Built-in Experiments toggle (unlock hidden Discord features)
- Plugin updates without restarting Discord
Each has its fun bits. But Vencord comes with more built-in goodies, while BetterDiscord relies on user-made plugins.
Final Verdict
Alright, so which one should you go for?
- Pick BetterDiscord if you’re a power user who wants the biggest library and loves digging in deep.
- Pick Vencord if you want an easy, clean experience that just works out of the box.
Still not sure? Try both! They’re free, and you can always uninstall the one you like less.
Summary Table:
| Feature | BetterDiscord | Vencord |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Installation | No | Yes |
| Security | Medium | High |
| Themes & Plugins | Large collection | Smaller, growing |
| Performance | Can be heavy | Optimized |
| Auto Updates | Sometimes manual | Yes |
Conclusion
In the end, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. BetterDiscord is like a toolbox—full of tools, but messy. Vencord is like a smart gadget that does the job with one click.
Choose based on your vibe. Are you the type who customizes everything, or the one who just wants it to work?
Whatever you pick, enjoy making Discord your own!
