Arcalotl vs Discord Server Subscriptions
Discord's built-in subscriptions take 10% and only work for eligible servers. Arcalotl takes 2% and works wherever Stripe does.
Native is the simplest setup if you qualify. The comparison below is about what it costs, who can use it, and what happens when a payment fails.
What's different
Discord Server Subscriptions lets a server owner sell up to three tiers of paid roles from inside Discord's own settings. Discord keeps 10% of revenue. Subscriptions started on iOS carry Apple's additional 30%, which Discord passes on as a higher price on iOS checkout. Payouts run through Stripe with identity and banking verification.
Eligibility is the first hurdle. The owner must be 18 or older with a verified email and phone, two-factor authentication enabled, and an account in good standing. The server must be a Community server. Availability has been limited by country; Discord's eligibility page carries the current list, and many owners outside the United States cannot enable it.
Arcalotl is a bot that sells the same paid roles through its own checkout page. It takes 2% of each successful payment, settles the money in your own Stripe account, works in any country Stripe supports, and adds failed-payment recovery, cancellation save offers, and annual upgrades. The trade is that you install and configure a bot instead of flipping a switch in server settings.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Arcalotl | Discord Server Subscriptions |
|---|---|---|
Setup inside Discord's own settings Arcalotl needs a bot invite and a Stripe connection | No | Yes |
Platform fee 2% vs 10%, plus Apple's 30% on iOS-started native subscriptions | Yes | No |
Available outside the United States Arcalotl works in any Stripe-supported country; native availability is limited by country | Yes | Partial |
Payments settle in your own Stripe account Native pays out through Discord's Stripe integration on Discord's schedule | Yes | No |
Recurring subscription tiers | Yes | Yes |
Number of tiers Native allows up to three tiers; Arcalotl has no limit | Yes | Partial |
One-time purchases Native one-time items go through Server Shop, a separate feature | Yes | Partial |
Failed-payment recovery with member outreach | Yes | No |
Cancellation save offers | Yes | No |
Annual billing and upgrade offers | Yes | No |
Discount codes and trials | Yes | No |
Works on Fluxer as well | Yes | No |
Public API and webhooks | Yes | No |
No bot to install | No | Yes |
Member checkout and bot in the member's language Community default, follows each member's Discord or browser | Yes | Partial |
Why the member's language matters
Three in four online buyers prefer to buy in their own language, and four in ten will not buy from a page in another language at all (CSA Research, 2020). Most checkouts ignore this: Stripe found 74% of European checkouts untranslated in 2022. Arcalotl sets a default language per community and then follows each member. The bot answers in the language their Discord client is set to, the checkout and the receipt use the language their browser is set to, and a Swedish member sees Swish and Klarna where a Dutch member sees iDEAL.
Discord's native subscriptions follow the member's Discord client language, but are only available to US-based owners.
Pricing comparison
- Arcalotl
$0/mo. 2% of each successful payment. Standard Stripe processing (2.9% + $0.30) applies on top.
- Discord Server Subscriptions
No monthly fee. Discord keeps 10% of subscription revenue. Subscriptions started on iOS carry Apple's additional 30%, shown as a higher iOS price. Processing costs are settled inside Discord's payout rather than billed separately. (Per Discord's creator support documentation, September 2026.)
Where Arcalotl goes further
Keep 98% instead of 90%
On $1,000 of monthly subscriptions, Discord keeps $100 before processing. Arcalotl keeps $20. If a third of your members subscribe from an iPhone, the native route also loses Apple's 30% on those subscriptions or prices them higher, which hurts conversion on the device most members use.
Works where native does not
Native subscriptions require a Community server, an owner over 18 with 2FA, and a supported country. Stripe operates in dozens of countries, and Arcalotl works in all of them. If you have been told your server is not eligible, this is the path that does not wait.
Failed cards get chased, not dropped
When a native renewal fails, the member loses the role and you find out later, if at all. Arcalotl messages the member with a secure link to update the card, keeps the role during a grace period you set, and retries. Stripe Billing reports dunning recovers about 55% of failed payments on average.
Your subscribers are yours
Native subscriptions exist inside Discord. Arcalotl subscriptions are Stripe subscriptions in your account, with your customer records, exportable, and portable to any other Stripe-based tool. If you stop using Arcalotl, billing continues.
Frequently asked questions
If your server is not eligible, or 10% plus Apple's cut is too much, Arcalotl sells the same roles for 2% and keeps more of the members you already have.
Zero monthly fees. Revenue recovery from day one.
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