Steam Chat vs Mumble
When comparing Steam Chat vs Mumble, the Slant community recommends Mumble for most people. In the question“What is the best voice chat for gaming?” Mumble is ranked 1st while Steam Chat is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Mumble is:
Mumble is available as a free download and source code is available on [GitHub](https://github.com/mumble-voip/mumble).
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Easily one click invite
Now you can create and send links that will invite people directly into your group chat. Email, message, or text the link for them to join from the Steam Client or a web browser.
Pro Supports mobile clients
Steam has a fully-featured mobile client support for Android and iOS, which makes it very easy to check in on the app and communicate while on the go.
Pro Gets installed with Steam
When you are using someone else's computer for playing games Steam is normally installed
Pro Modernized chat
Every chat on Steam is now multi-media friendly. Getting your point across is easier than ever, now that everyone can see your GIFs inline rather than a list of links. Paste a picture from the clipboard and upload it directly to the chat.
Pro Add friends easily to chat
Want to bring someone into a conversation? Just drag and drop your friends from the Friends List to send them an invite.
Pro Can be used in browser
All of these features have been built to work not only in the Steam client, but also on the web. So you can continue conversations when you have access to a web browser but you're not logged in to the Steam client.
Pro Servers
Put up a server instantly, add channels and invite!
Pro Group friends by game & party
Your in-game friends are now grouped by the game they're playing, making it easier to join them, or to see which games are popular among friends. And see who's playing together. You can watch friends enter into a match and then emerge when their game is over. Be ready to dive in with them or to play when they're done.
Pro Code available to anyone to inspect or use, no spy- or adware
Mumble is available as a free download and source code is available on GitHub.
Pro Free and open-source server software
The server software Murmur is licensed under a free and open-source BSD-style license.
Pro Can be used on a gamers preferred platform
Available on Windows, Linux, OS X, Android and iOS which allows for the user to choose what operating system works for them and still be able to use Mumble.
Pro Excellent voice quality
Since version 1.2.4, Mumble uses an audio codec named Opus that's specifically developed to provide low-latency voice communication over Internet. This means that there is no delay time, while audio still comes out clear.
Pro Low latency and resource usage
Dedicated servers and low overhead allows Mumble to have the least delay between users speaking and others hearing their speech, which can be very important for fast paced games.
Pro Push-to-Talk
A push-to-talk key allows you to only transmit audio when you want it. Others won't hear you chewing or your mom entering the room unless you want to.
Pro Free to download and use as a client
Mumble is completely free, even hosting your own server.
Pro Use of certificates offers more security and easy people management
Mumble uses certificates for user identification. A certificate can be generated by the user himself or issued by a third-party organization with organization certificates having 2 classes. A self-generated certificate is not tied to anything, a Class 1 certificate is tied to an e-mail address and a Class 2 certificate requires proof of identity. Depending on the server a different level of certification might be required.
Pro Server works on Raspberry Pi
Mumble server side is easy to setup and works smooth even on Raspberry Pi, which is pretty short on resources.
Pro Easily overlay over game
An in-game overlay can be enabled to show users in the channel or users talking. Overlay can be disabled completely or on a per-game basis by going to Settings->Overlay. This allows for users to see their chat but not obstruct the game they are playing.
Pro Sub-channels
By default, only users in the same channel can hear each other. Channels can be nested to better organize yourself according to what you want to be talking about.
Pro Secure & encrypted
This encryption is mandatory and cannot be disabled. The so-called control channel, which transports your chat messages and other non-time critical information, is encrypted with TLS using 256 bit AES-SHA. The voice channel carrying speech and positional audio is encrypted with OCB-AES 128 bit.
Pro Good audio normalization
Mumble includes great automatic volume adjustment functionality that can be used to prevent big volume changes while still allowing good communication.
Pro Positional audio
Mumble supports positional audio for over 50 games, including versions of Call of Duty, Battlefield and Counter-Strike. This allows you to hear the audio from the direction of the player speaking, making gameplay more immersive and giving competitive players an edge. You can find a full list of supported games here.
Pro Portable version on PortableApps
Pro Server can be put on alternative firmware wireless routers
Cons
Con Unstable
Better interface than the former Steam chat, but UI does not mean anything if voice chat does not work. If you won't use if for voice chat, especially for gaming, then it is good (like streaming etc.) but its voice chat is a bug nest.
Con A bit more difficult to set up than similar solutions
The process of generating and/or acquiring certificates can be time-consuming and a bit more complex than setting up a username/password authentication that's found in other clients.
Similarly, setting up a server that includes configuring user permission system requires advanced technical knowledge.
Con Disconnect issues
Can have occasions of disconnect or users keep getting booted.
Con Relatively poor voice quality
While Mumble's voice quality is fine, and you can understand what's being said, there is a noticeable difference between it and many other platforms.