Subscord vs Upgrade.chat (2026)
By Noahlast updated
Subscord
SubscordA Discord payment bot for selling paid server memberships with 0% platform fees, accepting Stripe cards and 100+ cryptocurrencies.
- Pricing
- Free tier · paid from $39/mo
- License
- Freemium
Best for Discord server owners selling paid roles or subscriptions who want crypto payment support without platform sales fees.
Upgrade.chat
Upgrade.chatPayment bot that turns a Discord, Telegram, or WhatsApp community into a paid membership business.
- Pricing
- Pricing not verified
- License
- Freemium
Best for Discord or Telegram server owners who want to sell paid roles or subscriptions with automatic access revocation tied directly to PayPal or Stripe payment status.
Which should you choose?
Choose Subscord if…
wins 3/6 use cases
- You want 0% platform fees, paying only Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per card payment or a 0.5% fee plus gas on crypto
- You want buyers to pay in any of 100+ cryptocurrencies, sent straight to your own wallet
- You want plan prices tied to clear subscriber caps: free for 10 subscribers, $39/month for 50, $65/month for 500, $199/month unlimited
- You want webhooks for n8n, Zapier, Make, and Pipedream on the free plan, and a seller API from $65/month (Max)
- You are moving subscribers from another platform and want Subscord's CSV import with zero downtime
Choose Upgrade.chat if…
wins 3/6 use cases
- Your community runs on Telegram or WhatsApp as well as Discord, since Subscord works only within Discord
- You want payments to land in your own PayPal account through a direct connection, not routed through Stripe
- You sell physical goods or take donations alongside memberships and digital products
- You want access revoked automatically when a customer disputes a charge
- You want a vendor with a long track record: Upgrade.chat says it pioneered Discord payment bots in 2018 and has processed over $150 million
Subscord vs Upgrade.chat: feature comparison
| Feature | Subscord | Upgrade.chat |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Yesfree plan (up to 10 active subscribers) | Yesfree plan (limits not listed) |
| Paid plans | Yes$39/mo (Pro, 50 subscribers), $65/mo (Max, 500), $199/mo (Unlimited) | UnknownVIP and Max tiers, prices not listed |
| Platform fee per sale | No0% platform fee; Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 still applies | Yesfrom 2.9% per transaction, on top of any plan fee |
| Subscriber caps | Partial10 (Free), 50 (Pro), 500 (Max), unlimited at $199/mo | Unknown |
| Platforms and communities | Partialweb dashboard, Discord only | Yesweb, with Discord, Telegram, and WhatsApp communities |
| Card payments | YesStripe, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna | YesStripe |
| Direct PayPal connection | PartialPayPal accepted through Stripe | Yesconnect your own PayPal account (verified PayPal partner) |
| Crypto payments | Yes100+ cryptocurrencies, 0.5% fee plus gas | Unknown |
| Automatic renewals | Partialcard subscriptions renew; crypto buyers renew manually | Yesrecurring billing through PayPal or Stripe |
| Automatic role management | Yesassigns and revokes roles by subscription status | Yesgrants and revokes on payment, lapse, or dispute (Discord and Telegram) |
| Trials and coupons | Yesfree trials and discount codes | Yesfree or paid trials, coupons, custom subscription cycles |
| Affiliate program | Yesguild affiliate program from $65/mo (Max) | Yesaffiliate referral program |
| Storefront and checkout links | Yeshosted store page; custom store link from $39/mo (Pro) | Yesfree storefront for digital and physical goods, embeddable checkout links |
| Webhooks and API | Yeswebhooks for n8n, Zapier, Make, Pipedream; seller API from $65/mo (Max) | Unknown |
| Team dashboard | Yesfrom $39/mo (Pro) | Unknown |
| Subscriber migration | YesCSV import with zero downtime | Unknown |
| Support | Unknown | Partialemail and phone on VIP and Max; Discord-based support on the free tier |
| Track record | Unknown | Yesover $150 million processed, 500,000+ Discord roles managed (company figures) |
Subscord vs Upgrade.chat: pricing
Every tier both tools publish, as we last checked them — not just the entry price.
Subscord vs Upgrade.chat pricing: which costs less?
Subscord is the more predictable cost, with 0% platform fees and listed plans from free to $199/month, while Upgrade.chat adds a per-transaction fee starting at 2.9% on top of VIP and Max plan prices our data does not list.
Subscord's Free plan covers up to 10 active subscribers. Subscord Pro is $39/month for 50, Max is $65/month for 500, and Unlimited is $199/month. Card payments on Subscord carry Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30, and crypto payments carry a 0.5% fee plus gas. Upgrade.chat has a free tier, but its plan table renders with JavaScript, so exact VIP and Max prices were not captured. Our data also does not say whether Upgrade.chat's per-transaction fee includes PayPal or Stripe processing, so compare a real checkout before deciding.
Which supports more payment methods, Subscord or Upgrade.chat?
Subscord supports more payment methods in our data, adding 100+ cryptocurrencies to Stripe cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna, while Upgrade.chat connects directly to PayPal and Stripe accounts.
Upgrade.chat is a verified payment partner of both PayPal and Stripe, so sellers can link a PayPal account directly instead of routing PayPal through Stripe. Subscord's crypto support has a catch: crypto subscriptions do not auto-bill, so each crypto buyer must renew by hand every period, while Subscord's Stripe card subscriptions renew automatically. Our data does not say whether Upgrade.chat accepts crypto.
Does Subscord or Upgrade.chat work beyond Discord?
Upgrade.chat works beyond Discord, selling access to Telegram and WhatsApp communities too, while Subscord works only within Discord.
Upgrade.chat automates role and access changes on Discord and Telegram, offers shareable checkout links that work anywhere on the web, and includes a free storefront for digital and physical goods. Subscord sells paid roles, subscriptions, and one-time digital products through a hosted store page, with access tied to Discord roles. A creator running a Telegram channel next to a Discord server can manage both on Upgrade.chat but would need a second tool alongside Subscord.
Can Upgrade.chat replace Subscord?
Upgrade.chat can replace Subscord for selling Discord roles through PayPal or Stripe, but our data does not show Upgrade.chat accepting crypto or offering Subscord's webhooks, seller API, or CSV subscriber import.
Subscord and Upgrade.chat both automate role assignment and revocation, support free trials and coupon codes, and run an affiliate program. Subscord's affiliate program and seller API start on the $65/month Max plan. Sellers who depend on crypto checkout or on automations through n8n, Zapier, Make, or Pipedream should confirm Upgrade.chat covers them before switching. Sellers who want dispute-triggered revocation and email or phone support on paid tiers may prefer Upgrade.chat.
Strengths and weaknesses
Subscord
Pros
- 0% platform fees on sales, with only pass-through Stripe fees (2.9% + $0.30) or a 0.5% crypto fee plus gas
- Accepts 100+ cryptocurrencies plus cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna via Stripe
- Automatic Discord role assignment and revocation tied to live subscription status
- Webhooks for n8n, Zapier, Make, and Pipedream to trigger actions on sales, renewals, and expirations
- CSV import for migrating existing subscribers from other platforms with zero downtime
Cons
- Free plan is capped at just 10 active subscribers, pushing active sellers to the $39/month Pro plan quickly
- Crypto payments require manual renewal by the buyer instead of automatic billing
- Team dashboard access and a custom store link are locked behind the Pro plan or higher
- Only works within Discord, unlike standalone membership platforms such as Patreon or Mighty Networks
Upgrade.chat
Pros
- Verified payment partner of both PayPal and Stripe, a status the company says it has held since pioneering Discord payment bots in 2018
- Automates role and access changes the instant a subscription payment succeeds, lapses, or is disputed
- Built-in free/paid trials, coupon codes, custom subscription cycles, and an affiliate referral program
- Includes a free digital and physical goods storefront and embeddable checkout links usable outside Discord
Cons
- Exact VIP and Max plan monthly prices are not shown in the pricing page's static content because the plan table renders via JavaScript
- A per-transaction fee (starting at 2.9%, per Upgrade.chat's own comparison table) applies in addition to any plan fee
- Built around chat platforms (Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp) first, which may not suit sellers without an existing community there
- Email and phone support are reserved for VIP and Max customers; free-tier users get Discord-based support only
Which fits your use case?
| Use case | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small Discord server with fewer than 10 paying members | Subscord | Subscord's Free plan covers up to 10 active subscribers with 0% platform fees and a published cap; Upgrade.chat's free-tier limits are not listed in our data, and its per-transaction fee starts at 2.9%. |
| Crypto-native community that wants to accept coins | Subscord | Subscord accepts 100+ cryptocurrencies paid straight to the seller's wallet, though crypto buyers renew manually; our data does not list crypto for Upgrade.chat. |
| Creator selling access across Discord and Telegram | Upgrade.chat | Upgrade.chat manages access on Discord and Telegram and also supports WhatsApp communities; Subscord works only within Discord. |
| Seller who wants payments to land in a PayPal account | Upgrade.chat | Upgrade.chat connects the seller's own PayPal account directly; Subscord routes PayPal payments through Stripe. |
| Team that automates fulfilment with Zapier, Make, n8n, or Pipedream | Subscord | Subscord includes webhooks for all four on its Free plan and a seller API from $65/month; our data does not list webhooks or an API for Upgrade.chat. |
| Seller offering physical merch next to memberships | Upgrade.chat | Upgrade.chat includes a free storefront for digital and physical goods; our data lists only digital products for Subscord. |
Neither a match?
Both lists carry verified pricing and honest weaknesses for every option.
Popular comparisons
Subscord vs Upgrade.chat: migration FAQ
Should I use Subscord or Upgrade.chat?
- Use Subscord if you sell Discord memberships and want 0% platform fees, subscriber-capped plans from free to $199/month, and crypto checkout. Use Upgrade.chat if you also sell on Telegram or WhatsApp, or want a direct PayPal connection from a verified PayPal and Stripe partner.
Is Subscord cheaper than Upgrade.chat?
- Our data cannot settle total cost: Subscord charges 0% platform fees plus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30, while Upgrade.chat charges a per-transaction fee starting at 2.9% on top of any plan fee. Subscord's paid plans cost $39 to $199/month above 10 subscribers, and Upgrade.chat's VIP and Max prices are not listed in our data.
Can Upgrade.chat replace Subscord?
- Yes for selling Discord roles through PayPal or Stripe, since Upgrade.chat automates role access, trials, coupons, and affiliates. Our data does not show Upgrade.chat accepting crypto or offering Subscord's webhooks and CSV subscriber import.
Does Subscord accept crypto?
- Yes, Subscord accepts more than 100 cryptocurrencies paid directly to the seller's wallet, with a 0.5% fee plus gas. Crypto subscriptions on Subscord do not auto-renew, so buyers must renew manually each period.
Does Upgrade.chat work with Telegram?
- Yes, Upgrade.chat sells access to Telegram and WhatsApp communities as well as Discord servers, with automated access management on Discord and Telegram. Subscord works only within Discord.