BetterDiscord is one of the most popular third-party modifications for Discord, allowing users to customize their experience through plugins and themes. With over 300,000 active installations, the BetterDiscord community creates thousands of quality plugins that unlock new features, utilities, and visual tweaks.
As a Discord power user and social media expert, I‘ve tested countless plugins over the years. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll be sharing the 7 best BetterDiscord plugins in 2022 based on usefulness, features, and overall quality. These plugins will enhance your Discord journey whether you‘re a gamer, anime fan, coder, or daily Discord user.
An Introduction to BetterDiscord Plugins
For those new to BetterDiscord, it comes with an built-in plugin loader and API that allows developers to make plugins using Javascript, CSS, and HTML. These plugins can do everything from altering aesthetics to enabling complex new utilities.
Installing plugins is easy – just download the file and place it in your BetterDiscord plugins folder. You can enable, disable, and delete plugins right from the BetterDiscord settings panel. There are options to selectively enable plugin components too.
While most BetterDiscord plugins are safe, some may violate Discord‘s Terms of Service. It‘s wise to carefully review plugins before installing them. I recommend sticking to trusted developers like Zerebos, DevilBro, and others who have a long history of creating plugins.
Now, let‘s get into the 7 best plugins! All download links and developer credits are included.
1. ShowHiddenChannels
Downloads: 223,000 | Developer: DevilBro
Download Link: ShowHiddenChannels
Many Discord servers utilize hidden channels that are only visible to users with certain roles. For example, a server may have secret channels limited to staff or donors.
ShowHiddenChannels makes these hidden channels visible to you, even if you don‘t have the role required to access them. Of course, you won‘t be able to read or send messages in locked channels – but you‘ll at least see that they exist.
This provides valuable insight into the structure and hierarchy of new servers you join. As a moderator myself, I love identifying hidden staff channels that I could potentially gain access to.
ShowHiddenChannels has been a staple BetterDiscord plugin for years now. With over 220,000 downloads, it‘s a must-have for Discord explorers.
2. GoogleTranslateOption
Downloads: 92,000 | Developer: DevilBro
Download Link: GoogleTranslateOption
Discord brings together millions of people from different cultures and languages. As a result, you‘ll often come across conversations in foreign languages you don‘t understand.
The GoogleTranslateOption plugin integrates real-time Google translations right into the Discord chat interface. When you right click any message, you‘ll have the option to instantly translate to your language of choice.
Rather than copying text and pasting it into Google Translate, you can get translations with a simple click. This makes communicating across language barriers easy and seamless.
GoogleTranslateOption has been downloaded over 90,000 times. It‘s an essential plugin for global Discord users and language learners.
3. BetterRoleColors
Downloads: 72,000 | Developer: Zerebos
Download Link: BetterRoleColors
On Discord, roles are assigned colors that appear next to names in chat. BetterRoleColors expands these role colors throughout the entire Discord interface for improved visibility.
In addition to chat, you‘ll see colored role tags on pop-outs, modals, voice users, notifications, the typing indicator, markdown preview, and more. BetterRoleColors even themes UI elements to match role colors.
This plugin lets you identify different classes of users at a glance based on color. For example, you can pinpoint mods in chat instantly.
BetterRoleColors has over 70,000 downloads and 89% 5-star ratings. It‘s one of the most popular cosmetic plugins available.
4. BadgesEverywhere
Downloads: 61,000 | Developer: DevilBro
Download Link: BadgesEverywhere
BadgesEverywhere displays Discord badges like Nitro boosting, HypeSquad, partnered server owner, and more everywhere in Discord – not just your profile.
By default, badges only show on profile popups. But with BadgesEverywhere, they‘ll be visible across chat, voice channels, member lists, notifications, and other locations.
I love having my badges on display no matter where I am on Discord. It allows me to proudly showcase support for Discord Nitro and Hypesquad.
BadgesEverywhere also makes it easy to identify other boosted users and Discord supporters across servers. With over 60,000 downloads, it‘s a simple yet powerful plugin.
5. HideDisabledEmojis
Downloads: 63,000 | Developer: Zerebos
Download Link: HideDisabledEmojis
Discord Nitro subscribers gain access to a massive emoji library. Without Nitro, most of these special emojis appear disabled and grayed out.
HideDisabledEmojis hides any emojis you can‘t actually use in Discord. This declutters the emoji picker popup and search menu, making it easier to find enabled emojis.
As a Nitro subscriber myself, I was tired of seeing hundreds of locked emojis I couldn‘t use. This plugin streamlined finding the perfect reaction emoji without the clutter.
HideDisabledEmojis has over 60,000 downloads and a 5-star rating. It‘s a must-have quality of life plugin for non-Nitro users.
6. ImageUtilities
Downloads: 54,000 | Developer: DevilBro
Download Link: ImageUtilities
ImageUtilities equips you with a full suite of enhanced tools for viewing, saving, and editing images and videos in Discord.
When you open an image, you‘ll see options like zoom, rotate, flip, filters, and more. You can also reverse image search, download files, view detailed metadata, and send images to image editors.
In chat, ImageUtilities generates embedded thumbnail previews when you post links. This gives you a visual preview of videos, images, sites, and other media.
I use ImageUtilities daily to manage the huge amount of images and memes shared in my servers. With over 50,000 downloads, this plugin is indispensible for power users.
7. AutoStartRichPresence
Downloads: 25,000 | Developer: Lucario
Download Link: AutoStartRichPresence
Rich Presence allows you to set a custom status like game activity, music, or streaming. AutoStartRichPresence launches your Rich Presence as soon as you open Discord.
This saves you from having to manually enable Rich Presence every session. Your chosen custom status will be immediately visible to friends when you log in.
As an avid gamer, I love being able to showcase the game I‘m playing without any extra steps. AutoStartRichPresence ensures my friends always know what I‘m up to on Discord.
Despite being relatively new, AutoStartRichPresence already has over 25,000 downloads and a 5-star rating. It‘s a must-have for Rich Presence users.
Evaluating and Installing BetterDiscord Plugins
When installing BetterDiscord plugins, it‘s important to carefully evaluate quality and safety first:
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Downloads/Ratings: Review the download count and average rating. More downloads and higher ratings signal a plugin is safe.
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Developer Reputation: Stick to plugins from established developers like Zerebos, DevilBro, and others with a long history of creating mods.
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Code Inspection: You can preview plugin code before installing – scan for anything unusual.
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Functionality: Avoid plugins that enable piracy or other ToS violations. Stick to visual/quality of life enhancements.
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Virus Scanning: Use your antivirus to scan plugins before installation. This detects any potential malware.
In my experience, plugins from trustworthy developers with lots of downloads rarely cause issues. But it‘s still smart to follow basic precautions.
Closing Thoughts
BetterDiscord plugins open up a world of new possibilities through added features, customization, and functionality. In this post, I‘ve highlighted the top 7 must-have BetterDiscord plugins for a superior Discord experience:
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ShowHiddenChannels: View hidden/locked channels on servers
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GoogleTranslateOption: Instantly translate chat messages
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BetterRoleColors: Expand role colors throughout Discord‘s interface
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BadgesEverywhere: Show off badges everywhere, not just your profile
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HideDisabledEmojis: Remove unusable/locked emojis from the picker
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ImageUtilities: Advanced image/video viewing, editing, and management
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AutoStartRichPresence: Launch Rich Presence status automatically on startup
Each of these widely-used plugins solves an important need for the average Discord user. They provide utility without damage risk or ToS violations.
For more plugin recommendations, visit the BetterDiscord website. You can explore by category or sort by most popular.
Have you discovered any must-have BetterDiscord plugins I should cover? Let me know your favorites down in the comments!
