How to Use Nitro: A Beginner’s Guide to Discord’s Premium Subscription

Editor’s Note: In May 2026, Nitro received one of its biggest expansions to date! We’ve updated this article to reflect all the cool new updates.

‍What is Discord Nitro? How does it work? Is Nitro free? And if not, where do you buy it? These are all things that may be swirling around your mind as you take a peek at everything that it has to offer. 

If you’re looking to expand your Nitro knowledge, you’re in the right place. Let’s talk about what Discord Nitro is all about, what sorts of perks it gives, and even ways to try Nitro for free before becoming a member yourself. 

So, what is Discord Nitro?

Bottom line: it’s a membership that supercharges your Discord experience. If you ever see someone who’s got an animated profile banner, or a different profile for each server they’re in, or who wows everyone in #general with cool custom emojis from another server they’re in, that’s Nitro at work right there. 

Other ways to know if someone has Discord Nitro: their streaming quality is clearer than a new pair of spectacles, their display name is a crazy cool font with a deep green glow, or they just gave YOU a two-week trial to Nitro. How kind of them!    

But hold up! We see you already trying to become a Nitro member, and we love your excitement, but we got a few tidbits of knowledge you might wanna know before committing. 

First: there’s actually two styles of Nitro membership, Nitro and Nitro Basic.

Discord Nitro vs Nitro Basic: What Each Tier Includes

Nitro and Nitro Basic both include additional ways to express yourself and have more fun on Discord, including using custom emojis and stickers anywhere, custom video backgrounds, and a snazzy profile badge that changes color the longer you’re a member. 

The standard Nitro goes even further, with animated avatars and profile banners, HD streaming, two Server Boosts, an Orbs boost for all completed Quests, and even perks for stuff outside of Discord, like gaming hardware discounts and access to over 50 games and 10 hours of cloud gaming each month with Xbox Game Pass for eligible subscribers. 

Yes, Nitro even includes PC (and console) games thanks to Xbox Game Pass. You’ll no longer have the excuse of “idk what to play” ever again. 

It’s totally up to you which style you want to go for. You can subscribe to either of the two Nitro tiers whenever you’d like, and managing your plan is as easy as going to User Settings > Nitro.

So how much does Discord Nitro Cost?

At the time of writing, in the US, Discord Nitro costs $9.99 if you pay per month, or $99.99 if you decide to pay on a yearly cadence. As for Nitro Basic, that’s $2.99 per month, or $29.99 for a year upfront. 

If you’re not in the US, you might be looking at a different price point. You can check your region’s pricing from the Nitro Localized Pricing support article or in User Settings > Nitro. 

Where can I buy Discord Nitro?

You can subscribe to Discord Nitro on any platform you use Discord on, including desktop, web, and mobile. You’re gonna want to check out User Settings > Nitro to get started. ‍

You can subscribe to Discord Nitro on any platform you use Discord on, including desktop, web, and mobile. You’re gonna want to check out User Settings > Nitro to get started. 

Can I Try Discord Nitro Before Becoming a Nitro Member?

Yes! There are actually two ways you can try out Nitro yourself before taking the plunge and becoming an esteemed Nitro member yourself.

The first way: redeem Discord Orbs for some Nitro! If you’ve never checked out Quests before, the gist of it is: you’ll complete a specific action, such as playing a specific game, in exchange for some Discord Orbs. 

Once you collect enough Orbs, you can exchange 1400 mystical spheres for 3 days of Nitro. 

Alternatively, your Nitro-having friends can share two-week trials with up to three friends who aren’t currently Nitro members, or if it’s been a long time since they were a Nitro member. 

You should slyly drop this support article on sharing Nitro in your DMs with your Nitro friend. Ya’know, as a hint, just in case they don’t know how to share their Nitro…

My friend gifted me Nitro! How do I redeem my Nitro gift?

First, give your friend a big ol’ “Thank you!” Then, simply click the Accept button in-app to redeem your Nitro.

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Can I redeem and stack multiple Nitro gifts?

Oh, absolutely. 

If you’re already a Nitro member and get gifted even more Nitro, it’ll roll over to the end of your subscription as credit. The next time you would have been billed, Discord will use your Nitro credit instead. 

You can also add any Nitro credit obtained from exchanging Discord Orbs to the end of your membership time, but not Nitro trials. 

One important note: your credit won’t apply immediately if you’ve accepted a gift for a version of Nitro different from the one you’re already a member of. If you are currently rockin’ Nitro Basic and receive a standard Nitro gift, your credit will kick in after you switch from Basic to Nitro. 

Don't worry though, if you decide to still accept your gift, your Nitro credits will live in your account until you decide to switch plans. 

Avoiding Nitro Scams: How can I tell my Nitro Gift is Real?

Good question! Nitro gifts will use the URL “https://discord.gift/” with that exact spelling.

If you really want to play it safe, don’t even click any links or boxes. Just copy and paste the entire redemption link into User Settings > Gift Inventory. We’ll kindly and safely inform you if it works, and you’ll have some new Nitro perks afterward!

Generally, you should make sure that any offers you entertain come from a reputable source. Or to be extra-extra-sure, grab some Nitro yourself (or for a friend) directly within User Settings.

What happened to Nitro Classic?

The short version is: Nitro Classic has been retired, and Nitro Basic has taken its place. If you already have a Nitro Classic membership, you can keep it as long as your membership is active.

New to Nitro and looking for a lower-commitment taster? We really suggest you check out Nitro Basic — we think you’ll like it.