Comparison

discourse vs Root

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

discourse

This platform facilitates organized online discussions and debates, offering a structured alternative to typical social media forums. Users can engage in moderated conversations, receive criteria-based feedback on their opinions, and compete to become the most popular panelist.

Highlights
  • Organized discussions
  • Limited panel size
  • Criteria-based feedback
  • Ranking and experience
  • Debate-style format
Features
Read full description

WHAT IS DISCOURSE? We're an online forum and debate platform that promotes deep, organized discussion. We're similar to platforms like Reddit and Clubhouse, but we approach online discussion from a modern perspective. ---------------------------------------------- WHAT MAKES DISCOURSE DIFFERENT? Online discussions on other apps and websites are disorganized, messy and 1-dimensional. You can spend an hour reading a discussion and not gain any real value: it's too easy to get lost in the crowd of voices yelling over each other. Discourse aims to solve this problem by organizing discussions more like formal debates. A limited panel participates in the topic while the audience rates their opinions on a variety of criteria instead of simple likes/dislikes. At the end of the discussion, we present the results and crown the most popular panelist. ---------------------------------------------- HOW CAN YOU BENEFIT FROM USING DISCOURSE? You go to the gym to improve your bodies, but what do you do to improve your minds? Reading books, watching documentaries and educating yourself is important. But without a platform to exercise what you've learned, you're losing half its value. Build and deepen your opinions by competing with conflicting perspectives on discourse. ---------------------------------------------- WHAT ARE OUR STANDOUT FEATURES? - Limited panel size - Criteria based feedback - Organized discussions (Opening, Comments, Closing) - Ranking and experience ---------------------------------------------- WHO BUILT DISCOURSE? Discourse is built by a solo-developer/founder. We're currently a company of 1 but are looking to grow into a team that can provide you with a valuable experience. Please support us on our journey.

About

Root

This platform empowers communities to connect, collaborate, and grow. It offers tools for organizing groups, from gaming guilds to interest-based clubs. Stay connected on the go with mobile chat, voice, and video calls, and manage your community with customizable channels and permissions.

Highlights
  • Community connection and collaboration
  • Mobile chat and notifications
  • Voice and video calls
  • Customizable channels, roles, and permissions
  • Desktop command center with integrated apps
Read full description

Root is the platform for communities to connect, collaborate, and grow. Whether you're leading a gaming guild, organizing a creative collective, or building an interest-based group, Root gives you the tools to bring people together and get things done. On desktop, Root is your full-featured command center. On mobile, it’s the easiest way to stay in the loop—chatting, reacting, and coordinating from anywhere. Why Root Stay connected on the go—Keep conversations flowing and never miss a moment, even when you’re away from your desk. Join voice and video calls— Talk face-to-face or drop into a channel when things go live, all from your phone. Navigate and multitask with ease — Switch between communities, check who’s online, and filter notifications by friends, mentions, and more. Designed for real communities—Structure your space with channels, roles, and permissions that reflect how your group works. Unlock more on desktop—Use Root on desktop for integrated apps like docs, tasks, and apps. Root for mobile gives you the essentials and keeps you connected today, with more on the way.

Screenshots

discourse4 screens
Root4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: discourse at 5.0 against Root's 4.1. Root's advantage is ratings volume (107 vs 1) and chart position (#112 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

discourse holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Root has 107 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
discourse versus Root: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterdiscourseRoot
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.1 (107 ratings)
Positive reviews—66.3% of reviews
Number of ratings1107 — better
Update frequency—Weekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#112 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB153 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperZainuddin QaziRoot Communications, Inc

Customer experience

discourse

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Root

All ratings107 ratings
Positive79.4%
Neutral4.7%
Negative15.9%
Written reviews86 reviews
Positive66.3%
Neutral11.6%
Negative22.1%

In-app purchases

None

discourse

No in-app purchases

None

Root

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is discourse free?
discourse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Root free?
Root is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, discourse or Root?
discourse is rated higher. discourse averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Root averages 4.1 from 107 ratings.
Do discourse or Root have ads?
Neither discourse nor Root shows ads.

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