Discord started as a voice chat program for gamers, but has since grown to become a popular platform for hosting an assortment of communities. There are Discord servers for every interest, including games, movies, and music. To find these great Discord hangouts, all you have to do is look.

But it's not always easy to know where to begin your search, especially if you're new to Discord. That's why we've put together the ways to find the best Discord servers.

1. Use the Discord Discover Page

If you're using Discord on your computer, one of the must-know Discord tips is that you can find public community servers through the Discover page. From Discord's left-hand menu, select Explore Discoverable Servers (the compass icon).

The Discover homepage shows you some of the most popular Discord servers, like those for Fortnite, Genshin Impact, and Minecraft. These servers have hundreds of thousands of members.

To refine your results, use the categories in the left menu or type into the search bar. If a server takes your fancy, select it from the list; this allows you to browse it before committing to join.

Unfortunately, Discord doesn't have a Discover page in its mobile app. Instead, navigate to the Discord Servers website—you can use this on a computer too, if you prefer.

2. Use Third-Party Discord Server Directories

Another method to find the best Discord servers is to use a third-party directory. These aren't vetted by Discord itself, which means they list public servers that Discord's Discover page won't necessarily include. It's a great way to uncover small or niche servers.

Examples of these directory websites include Disboard, Discord Me, Discord Servers, and Discadia. These sites all have categories and search, so it's a breeze to find a community that suits you. If you join one and change your mind, it's easy to leave a Discord server.

3. Connect With Your Favorite Brands

Many brands, personalities, and influencers have a Discord server. While the methods above are great for finding new communities, you may already be part of one outside of Discord. In these cases, you can use their public invite link.

Plenty of websites run Discord servers to better connect with their audience, so look around the site or social media for a link. The same goes for Twitch streamers; this is great if you want to find servers full of other people who are into the same games as you.

If you subscribe to a Patreon campaign, you may find the creator has a Discord server. By linking your Patreon account to Discord, this often gives you some perks, like access to a Patreon members-only channel on the creator's server.

How to Find Private Discord Servers

In addition to public Discord servers, there are also private Discord servers that require an invitation. To gain access to these servers, someone on the server has to send you an invite link (formatted as discord.gg/ followed by random characters or a specific text string) or invite you from within Discord itself (right-click a server icon and select Invite People). These invites can only be created by someone who has the necessary server permissions.

These servers are typically much smaller than public ones, due to their invite-only nature. That can mean they're less active, but offer a tighter-knit community in return. If you find larger servers impersonal or filled with drama, a private server might be preferable.

Can't Find What You Want? Create Your Own Server

For a safe place to begin finding the best Discord servers, use the Discord Explore tool or connect with your existing communities. If you can't find what you want, extend your search with a third-party directory. If you still come up empty, consider setting up your own Discord server—it's free and easy.