As a Jain, the main concerns with Discord are usually:

• data/privacy (others using your information),
• exposure to abusive / violent content,
• addiction / time-waste, and
• indirect himsā through supporting companies that profit from such environments.

Open‑source, self‑hosted options let you reduce many of these issues because you control the server, rules, and content.

Here are some good open‑source alternatives to Discord:

1. Element (Matrix)

- Fully open source, end‑to‑end encryption available. - Supports group chat, voice and video calls, channels, and bridges to other apps. - You can self‑host a Matrix server, control who joins, and keep the community clean and Jain‑focused.

1. Rocket.Chat

- Open‑source team chat similar to Slack/Discord. - Channels, threads, file‑sharing, voice/video via integrations. - Can be fully self‑hosted, with your own moderation rules and no unwanted public servers.

1. Zulip

- Open‑source chat with “topic” based threads, very good for study groups and satsang discussions. - Web + mobile apps, can be self‑hosted. - Encourages more thoughtful, organized conversation (good for samyama and avoiding “noise”).

1. Stoat (formerly Revolt)

- Free and open‑source platform explicitly designed as a Discord‑style alternative. - Has servers, channels, text, voice, media sharing. - Focuses on privacy and can be self‑hosted.

1. Newer self‑hosted voice/chat options

- Projects like Sharkord, Loqa, VoceChat, etc. aim to be “Discord‑like” but self‑hosted and privacy‑focused. - These may be lighter and simpler for small Jain youth groups or paathshala communities.

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From a Jain dharmic angle:

Whichever software you choose, try to:

• Self‑host if possible – more control, less involvement in mass‑market content and ads.
• Create a Jain‑only, moderated community – clear rules: no meat content, no abusive language, no violent media, no night‑time misuse, etc.
• Limit usage – fix times for svādhyāy, pravachan, or coordination, and avoid unnecessary chatting to practice samyam and aparigraha.
• Prefer tools that:

- respect user privacy (less exploitation), - allow you to avoid harmful or violent communities, - and can be configured to minimize addictive “endless scrolling”.

If you tell me your main use (gaming with friends, Jain youth group, study circle, family coordination), I can suggest which one of these fits best and how to set it up in a more Jain‑friendly way.