Vencord was built with security as a priority. By default, it does not allow loading random external plugins. All built-in plugins are publicly reviewed on GitHub. The developers explicitly refuse to implement features that could be used for mass harassment or spam (e.g., self-botting). Furthermore, Vencord includes a "cloud" toggle that disables all modded features when Discord’s overlay or certain sensitive pages are active. While Vencord is still a ToS violation, its conservative design and ethical plugin policy make it less likely to attract Discord’s attention and far less likely to contain malware.
For virtually everyone else—from first-time modders to experienced users who value stability and safety— It offers 95% of the functionality with 10% of the hassle. Its modern codebase, built-in marketplace, ethical plugin policy, and resilient patching make it the future of Discord client modding. BetterDiscord is the past; Vencord is the present. As Discord continues to evolve, Vencord’s thoughtful design ensures it will remain a step ahead, providing users with enhanced functionality without constantly fearing the next update or a compromised token. betterdiscord vs vencord
Vencord excels here. It includes a built-in plugin marketplace accessible directly from Discord’s settings. Users can toggle plugins on/off with a single click—no file management, no external downloads. Plugins update automatically with Vencord itself. Moreover, Vencord plugins are written in TypeScript and leverage modern React patterns, resulting in significantly less performance drag. The UI remains snappy even with dozens of plugins active. For themes, Vencord supports the modern "BetterDiscord format" but also offers a faster, native theming engine. Vencord was built with security as a priority
Discord, as a proprietary platform, offers a standardized user experience. For many, this is sufficient. However, a dedicated subset of users seeks more: more customization, more features, and more control over their interface. This demand has given rise to "client mods"—third-party software that injects code into Discord to alter its behavior. Among these, BetterDiscord and Vencord stand as the two titans. While both serve the same fundamental purpose, they represent fundamentally different philosophies regarding performance, security, community, and the future of modding. This essay argues that while BetterDiscord is the older, more established pioneer, Vencord is the modern, safer, and more sustainable choice for the majority of users. The developers explicitly refuse to implement features that
Vencord offers multiple install methods, including a lightweight PowerShell/terminal script, a browser extension (Vesktop) that isolates the mod from the main Discord process, and even a standalone client. Vencord updates are seamless, often without needing a restart. If something breaks, disabling Vencord is trivial.