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Custom bot vs MEE6 and Carl-bot

If your server needs the basics, a public bot like MEE6, Carl-bot or Ticket Tool solves the problem faster and cheaper. A custom bot pays off when you want features those bots do not have, an identity of your own or systems that are connected to each other. And often the best option is to combine both.

  • ⏱ 3 min read
  • 6 sections
  • 2 diagrams

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What public bots offer

Bots like MEE6, Carl-bot or Ticket Tool serve thousands of servers. They install in minutes, they are already tested and they cover the standard very well: automatic moderation, reaction roles, logs, welcomes or tickets. To get started, or for a small community, they are usually more than enough.

Where they fall short

The limits show up when your community is no longer standard:

  • The features are the ones the bot offers, not the ones you imagine.
  • The look and the messages are someone else’s, not your brand’s.
  • Some features sit behind a monthly paid plan.
  • Their systems do not talk to each other: one bot’s levels do not connect to another bot’s shop.
  • You depend on the bot continuing to exist and not changing its terms.

What a custom bot brings

A bot made for your server does exactly what your community needs and nothing it does not:

  • Features of your own: an economy with a shop, minigames, duels or whatever your audience enjoys.
  • An identity of your own: name, avatar and cards in your style.
  • Connected systems: levels can give coins, coins buy from the shop and the shop gives roles.
  • Your data, stored where you decide.
  • Specific integrations with Twitch, YouTube or any API.

What is wrong with a custom bot

It costs more at first, it needs to be hosted somewhere and it depends on whoever built it for changes. That is why it pays to work with someone who gives you support and hands the project over fully documented.

How to decide

Use a public bot if your server is new, if you only need basic moderation and tickets or if you do not yet know what your community wants. Move to a custom one when you notice you keep asking the bot for things it does not do, when you want the server to have an identity of its own or when your members already ask for game systems, levels and an economy.

Table comparing a public bot with a custom bot on price, setup time, own rules, branding and integrations.
Both work: it depends on what you need.

The mixed option

You do not have to pick only one. You can keep a public bot for the standard and build one of your own for what makes you different. I also configure and extend bots you already have installed, like MEE6, Carl-bot or Ticket Tool, if that is what you need.

Decision chart: if a public bot does what you need, use it; if only one feature is missing, combine a public bot with a custom one; otherwise, a custom bot.
The key question is what is missing.

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Frequently asked questions

Is a custom bot better than MEE6?

Not always. For basic moderation and simple levels, MEE6 or Carl-bot work well and cost less. A custom bot is better when you want features, design or integrations that public bots do not have.

Can I use a custom bot alongside public ones?

Yes, that is the most common setup. Each bot handles its own part and the permissions are set so they do not step on each other.

Who hosts a custom bot?

We agree on it before I start. The client can host it or we settle on another solution, and it is written down in the quote.

Can I switch from a public bot to my own later?

Yes. You can migrate gradually, starting with the feature you miss the most.

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