Discord Avatar Decorations: What They Are and How to Get Them

Sep 29, 2023

Updated • Nov 8, 2026

Internet

Discord avatar decorations are animated or static frames that sit around your profile picture. Any Discord user can buy them in the Discord Shop, Nitro members pay a lower member price, and some items can be claimed with Orbs earned from Quests. To apply one on desktop, open User Settings, go to Profiles, click Change Decoration, pick a decoration, select Apply and then Save Changes.

This guide explains what avatar decorations are, how they differ from profile effects, nameplates and profile frames, how to get them for money or Orbs, how to apply them on desktop and mobile, and how to pick a decoration that actually looks good at the small sizes Discord displays avatars.

Avatar decorations add a frame or effect around your Discord profile picture. Image: Discord

What are Discord avatar decorations?

Discord avatar decorations are cosmetic overlays that frame your avatar, ranging from simple rings to animated themed designs from Discord's Shop collections. They change only how your profile picture looks to other people; they do not change your avatar image, username or permissions.

Key facts from Discord's avatar decorations help article:

Who can buy: the Shop is open to every Discord user, not only Nitro subscribers.
Ownership: purchased decorations stay in your collection and can be used at any time, even without Nitro.
Nitro pricing: Nitro members get member pricing on eligible Shop purchases.
Refunds: avatar decorations are non-refundable, so preview before you buy.
Bundles: a bundle discounts two items from the same collection, but only if you own neither item yet.
Currency: prices are shown in USD unless localized pricing applies at checkout.

Avatar decorations launched in Nitro early access in October 2023 and later opened to all users. Decorations that Nitro members received for free during that early period were time-limited and have since expired.

Avatar decorations vs profile effects, nameplates and profile frames

Discord sells several kinds of profile cosmetics, and the "discord decoration" label is often used for the four below. Each one sits in a different place, which is why people searching for name or banner decorations usually mean nameplates or profile effects.

Cosmetic	What it changes	Where others see it
Avatar decoration	A frame or effect around your profile picture	Around your avatar
Profile effect	An animation that plays on your profile card	When someone opens your profile
Nameplate	A design behind your display name	DMs, group chats, server and channel member lists
Profile frame	A border that wraps around the whole profile	Your profile, across Discord or in chosen servers

All four are bought in the same Shop and applied from the Profiles section of User Settings. If you want to decorate the area behind your banner, a profile effect is the closest match; for a styled name in chat member lists, look at nameplates. Discord's help center lists profile frames as a Nitro early access collection at the time of writing.

How to get Discord avatar decorations

You get avatar decorations from the Discord Shop, either by paying or by claiming eligible items with Orbs. Opening the Shop works like this:

Desktop or browser: click the Discord icon in the upper left, then select the Shop tab next to the server list.
From settings: click the cogwheel in the lower left, open Profiles, then use the Shop banner, or click Change Decoration and select the Shop icon.
Mobile: tap your avatar in the lower right corner, then tap the Shop icon in the upper right.
Browse a collection, preview a decoration on your own avatar and complete the purchase.

Shop collections rotate, so a decoration you like may not stay on sale indefinitely. Because purchases cannot be refunded, use the preview with your current avatar before you pay.

The Discord Shop at the avatar decorations launch in 2023. Screenshot: Discord

Can you get avatar decorations for free with Orbs?

Yes, some avatar decorations can be claimed without spending money by using Discord Orbs. Orbs are a virtual reward that Discord rolled out to all users in July 2025, and according to Discord's Orbs help article the only way to obtain them is by completing Quests, Discord's opt-in sponsored activities.

Find Quests in the Quest Bar or Quest Home on desktop and browser, or under Settings, Quests on mobile.
Spend Orbs in the Shop under the Orbs Exclusives tab, which includes a special avatar decoration, or under Shop All for every item that accepts Orbs.
Orbs cannot be bought, gifted, sold, traded or moved between accounts, and they do not expire.
Orbs cannot be used for gifts or partner-branded Shop items, and items claimed with Orbs are non-refundable.

Nitro subscribers also receive a small bonus: Discord applies a 1.2x multiplier to Orb rewards from eligible Quests, excluding Nitro Basic and Nitro Credits subscriptions. Treat any website that promises free decorations through a code generator or login form as a scam; Quests inside the Discord app are the legitimate free route, and adding a security key to your Discord account protects your collection if a phishing page gets your password.

How to apply a Discord avatar decoration

You apply an avatar decoration from the Profiles section of User Settings, and the steps differ slightly between desktop and mobile.

On desktop or in the browser:

Click the cogwheel in the lower left to open User Settings.
Select the Profiles tab.
Click Change Decoration.
Choose a decoration from your collection and select Apply.
Click Save Changes.

On Android or iPhone:

Tap your avatar in the lower right corner.
Tap Edit Profile, then tap Avatar Decoration (or tap your avatar and choose Change Decoration).
Select a decoration and tap Apply.
Tap Save in the upper right corner.

To remove or swap a decoration, repeat the same steps and pick a different option or none. Nitro members can also collect bonus DISXCORE decorations, but these need an active subscription to use: they stay in your collection after you cancel, yet you cannot equip them until you subscribe again. Nitro trial users do not get them.

How to choose the best Discord avatar decoration

The best Discord avatar decoration is the one that stays readable at small sizes and does not fight with your profile picture. Discord shows avatars tiny in chat and member lists, so detail that looks great in the Shop preview can turn into noise in a busy server.

Contrast: pick colors that separate the frame from your avatar's edges; a dark avatar with a dark frame blends into one blob.
Size test: check the preview, then look at your avatar in a chat message and the member list after applying it.
Theme match: combine a decoration with a profile effect or nameplate from the same collection for a consistent look, and check bundle pricing if you want both.
Light and dark mode: friends may use a different theme, so make sure the decoration works on both backgrounds.
Longevity: seasonal and event designs look dated after the event; a neutral design lasts longer.

Since decorations are permanent and you can switch between owned items any time, a small collection of two or three styles gives more flexibility than one elaborate design.

FAQ

Do I need Discord Nitro to use avatar decorations?

No. Anyone can buy and use avatar decorations; Nitro only adds member pricing and the Nitro-only DISXCORE items, which require an active subscription.

Do avatar decorations disappear if my Nitro ends?

Purchased decorations stay in your collection and keep working without Nitro. Only Nitro-exclusive DISXCORE decorations become unusable until you subscribe again.

Can I get a refund for an avatar decoration?

No, Discord treats avatar decorations as non-refundable, including items claimed with Orbs.