Carl-bot is the best roles and logging bot on Discord. Its reaction role system handles setups most rivals cannot, its logging is the most granular of the big three, and its free plan is generous. Its gaps are the ones every rule-based bot shares: the automod acts on rules you write, so reworded scams, impersonation and raids by aged accounts get through.

We build an AI moderation bot for Discord, so we see Carl-bot from downstream, in a lot of servers. Same rules as our Dyno bot review: honest strengths, named gaps. Figures below are from Carl-bot's own site in October 2026.

What Carl-bot does well

Carl-bot's site reports that it runs on more than 15 million servers, and it earns that by handling the operational load of a big community. Four things stand out.

• Reaction roles. Up to 250 pairs per server on the free plan, with unique, verify, reversed, binding and temporary modes.

• Logging. Deleted and edited messages, joins, leaves, role changes, bans and invites, split across channels so a large mod team can audit what happened.

• Moderation records. Modlogs, timed punishments, sticky roles and a full infraction history.

• Custom commands. Built with its TagScript language, plus suggestions with voting, greetings, starboard and permission rules per command.

Its automod blocks bad links, spam, mass mentions, attachment spam and slurs, with per-rule punishments, custom rate limits and channel whitelists. That is enough for a quiet server and a competent second layer for a busy one.

Carl-bot free vs Premium

The plans page publishes a free versus Premium table, and the differences show where a growing server starts to feel the limits.

• Reaction roles per server: 250 free, 1,000 Premium.

• YouTube channel alerts: 5 free, 20 Premium. Twitch alerts: 2 free, 5 Premium.

• Weblog entries: 100 free, 500 Premium.

• Premium only: levels and XP, sticky messages, auto purge, voice-role links, timed reaction roles, a separate farewell channel, Drama Watcher, and a custom bot avatar and banner.

Drama Watcher is the one moderators notice: it sends automod incidents to a dedicated channel where mods act with reactions instead of digging through logs.

Carl-bot pricing

The plans page does not list a price. Premium is sold through Patreon and through Discord subscriptions, and you see the price at checkout. The two work differently. A Discord subscription covers a single server. On Patreon, higher tiers come with extra slots, each slot covers one server, and you can move slots between servers. You can cancel any time and keep Premium until the billing period ends. If Premium lapses, premium-only features stop and limits drop back to the free tier, but your data is kept.

Where Carl-bot hits its limits

Carl-bot's automod is rule based. It catches the spam that looks like spam and it does not ask why fifty week-old accounts joined together or why a link domain is two days old. Dyno's free automod goes deeper on enforcement, which is why we describe the pair as complementary in Carl-bot vs Dyno vs MEE6. Our 2026 security report put the miss rate of keyword filters at 85.7 percent.

A smaller point: some features listed on its home page, such as sticky messages, sit behind Premium according to the plans table. Check which side of the paywall a feature is on before you build a setup around it.

Carl-bot vs the alternatives

Against Dyno, it is utility versus moderation. Against MEE6, it gives more for free and takes longer to set up. Against Sapphire, it is structure versus customization. We compare them in Sapphire vs Carl-bot vs Dyno and in the full ranking of Discord moderation bots.

Verdict

Run Carl-bot for reaction roles, logging and utility, and pair it with something stronger for enforcement. Keep it below your admin roles, grant only what the modules you use need, and add a detection layer for what rules cannot see. That is the job collony.ai does alongside Carl-bot, reading behavior rather than keywords and removing scam accounts in seconds.

Frequently asked questions

Is Carl-bot free?

Yes. The free plan includes reaction roles up to 250 pairs per server, automod, logging, custom commands and greetings. Limits apply, such as 5 YouTube channel alerts and 2 Twitch alerts, and features like levels and sticky messages need Premium. These figures are from Carl-bot's plans page in October 2026.

How much does Carl-bot Premium cost?

Carl-bot's plans page does not list a price. You choose a tier when you buy on Patreon or subscribe through Discord, so check the price at checkout. Patreon subscriptions can cover several servers on higher tiers, while a Discord subscription covers one server.

Is Carl-bot good for moderation?

It is solid and built as a sidekick. Its modlogs, timed punishments, sticky roles and infraction history serve a mod team well, and its automod blocks bad links, spam, mass mentions, attachment spam and slurs. Dyno's free automod goes deeper on enforcement, so busy servers often run both.

Carl-bot or Dyno?

Carl-bot for roles, logging and utility, Dyno for moderation depth. They do not conflict, and many growing servers run both. Pick Carl-bot if your problem is organization and Dyno if your problem is spam and rule enforcement.

Does Carl-bot stop scams and raids?

Not reliably. Its automod runs on rules you write, so reworded scams, impersonation and coordinated raids by aged accounts pass through. Scam and raid detection is a separate layer that runs alongside Carl-bot.