A Carl-bot alternative
Free levels, and a bot with your own name and avatar.
Carl-bot is a shared bot: each server that adds it gets the same Carl-bot and sets it up with its own settings. On BotGhost, the no-code Discord bot maker, you make a bot with your own name and avatar, switch on modules, and build commands from blocks. Levels and reaction roles are on the free plan.
Carl-bot facts checked on docs.carl.gg on 23 October 2026.
Carl-bot vs BotGhost, feature by feature
Both have a free plan, and both keep some features for Premium. The Carl-bot column comes from Carl-bot's own docs.
| Feature | BotGhost | Carl-bot |
|---|---|---|
| Whose bot it is | A Discord application of your own, with the name, avatar, and banner you pick, on the free plan. | Carl-bot itself, shared with every server that adds it. Your own avatar and banner on it need Premium. |
| Custom commands | Slash commands built from blocks. 3 on the free plan, as many as you like with Premium. | Tags, written in TagScript. Free. |
| Reaction roles | Free, with buttons, a dropdown, or reactions. Modes include only one, pick once, and only take, menus can be linked, and roles that wear off after a set time are free too. | Free, with modes like unique, verify, binding, and reversed. Roles that wear off after a set time need Premium. |
| Levels and XP | Free Leveling module with XP and level-up messages. Level cards and voice XP need Premium. | Premium only. |
| Twitch alerts | Each Twitch channel is an event. A free bot runs 3 events in all, and Premium has no limit. | 1 channel free, 5 with Premium. |
| YouTube alerts | Each YouTube channel is an event too, so it shares those 3 free events. | 5 channels free, 20 with Premium. |
| Auto purge | A timed event with a Purge Messages block. Timed events are free. | Premium, in up to 15 channels. |
| Goodbye messages | Free in the Welcomer, in whichever channel you pick on its Leaves tab. | Free. A separate farewell channel needs Premium. |
BotGhost's free plan is 3 commands, 3 events, and 5 servers, with one bot online at a time. A free bot switches off after 2 days without anyone using one of its commands, buttons, or menus, and a Premium bot after 365 days.
TagScript tags vs commands built from blocks
Carl-bot's custom commands are tags: text with TagScript in curly brackets that Carl-bot reads when someone uses the tag. In BotGhost, the same command is a set of blocks in the builder.
The tag in Carl-bot
{cmd:role add {user} {if({1}==Red):Red|Blue}}
You now have the {1} role.We wrote this tag with the syntax from Carl-bot's tag docs. Members type the tag's name, then Red or Blue, and the tag gives them that role.
The same command in BotGhost
- /coloursA slash command with a colour option. Members pick Red or Blue from a list in Discord.
- Send or Edit a MessageReplies to the member.
- If / ElseChecks the colour they picked, with one branch for Red and one for Blue.
- Add RolesUnder each branch, gives the member that colour's role. You pick the role from your server's roles.
Choosing between Carl-bot and BotGhost
Carl-bot's free plan covers a lot, and for some servers there's no reason to move.
Stay on Carl-bot if
- You want plenty of YouTube alerts for free. Carl-bot gives you 5 channels; on BotGhost each one uses up one of your 3 free events.
- You have a library of tags and like writing TagScript. Tags don't copy across, so you'd rebuild each one.
- You want a lot of automod filters for free. Carl-bot covers spam, links, mentions, invites, caps, and more. On BotGhost the Discord Automod module needs Premium.
Pick BotGhost if
- You want levels without paying for them.
- You want the bot in your member list to have your server's name and avatar.
- You want staff who have never seen TagScript to open a command and change it.
- You want ready-made Tickets, Counting, or Economy modules on the same bot.
How to switch from Carl-bot to BotGhost
Invite your new bot next to Carl-bot and set things up one at a time. Once nothing depends on Carl-bot any more, kick it.
Nothing copies across by itself. Rebuild tags as commands; a command someone has shared can be added with its share code. Roles your members already have stay on them.
No bot yet? How to make a Discord bot starts at the Developer Portal.
- Reaction rolesReaction Roles moduleDiscord reaction roles bot
- AutorolesRoles on join in the WelcomerAuto role Discord bot
- Greetings and farewellsThe Welcomer's Joins and Leaves tabsDiscord welcome bot
- Moderation and logsThe Moderation moduleDiscord moderation bot
- TagsCommands in the builderDiscord bot command builder
- LevelsThe Leveling moduleLeveling docs
- Twitch alertsA Twitch Stream Online eventTwitch alerts Discord bot
- YouTube alertsA YouTube Video Upload eventYouTube notifications bot
- Auto purgeA timed event with Purge MessagesDiscord bot events
- Not in Carl-bot's docsReady-made modules for tickets, counting, and an economyDiscord ticket botDiscord counting botDiscord economy bot
Carl-bot alternative questions
To compare anything else, ask in the BotGhost Discord.
It is if you want a bot of your own instead of a shared one. You get reaction roles, levels, welcome and goodbye messages, and moderation on the free plan, and custom commands are blocks instead of TagScript. Carl-bot still gives more free YouTube alerts.
See the comparisonMostly. Its docs list reaction roles, tags, automod, logging, 5 YouTube alerts, and 1 Twitch alert on the free plan. Levels, a custom avatar and banner, auto purge, and a separate farewell channel need Premium. Checked on docs.carl.gg on 23 October 2026.
What each one charges forYes. The Leveling module gives XP for messages and posts level-up messages on the free plan. Level cards and XP for time in voice channels need Premium.
Read the Leveling docsNo. A BotGhost command is a slash command with blocks joined under it: a Role Condition to check a role, Send or Edit a Message to reply, and so on. You pick each block's settings from a panel.
TagScript next to blocksNot automatically. Rebuild each tag as a command in the builder. For reaction roles, set up a menu in the Reaction Roles module and post it, or put a reactions menu on your old roles message with /reactionroles attach. Roles your members already have stay on them.
Where each feature goesBotGhost Premium is $12.50 a month or $75 a year for one bot, or $25 a month or $150 a year for every bot you own, in as many servers as you like. Carl-bot Premium is bought on Patreon or through Discord and switched on server by server, and its price is on carl.gg/get-premium.
See BotGhost PremiumNo. Carl-bot switched off prefix commands on 5 October 2026 and now uses slash commands and @Carl-bot mentions. Its docs say tags keep working. Commands you build on BotGhost are slash commands too.
How BotGhost commands workTry BotGhost next to Carl-bot
Make your bot, invite it to your server, and set up levels and reaction roles. Both bots can run side by side while you decide.
- 3 commands
- 3 events
- 5 servers
- Leveling
- Reaction roles
- Welcomer
- Tickets
- Moderation
No card needed. How free hosting works
