Should paid members get a separate server?

Usually not. One server with tiers is easier to run and lets free members see what they're missing.

pricing ideas for a paid discord community?

Common structures: one monthly tier, monthly plus discounted annual, or a low tier plus a higher tier with live access. See pricing ideas.

Can Onboarding show different channels to paid members?

Onboarding can assign roles from answers, but it shouldn't grant paid roles; paid roles should come only from your payment tool.

How to run free and paid tiers in one Discord server

Updated November 12, 2026 · Paid-member gating

Use one server with a free lobby everyone sees (welcome, announcements, a general chat and a preview channel) and a private category per paid tier, visible only to that tier's role. Higher tiers get their own category plus the lower tier's role. Put an upgrade link in the lobby so free members always know how to join.

Example tier structure
Category	Who sees it	Channels
Start here	Everyone	#welcome, #rules, #announcements
Lobby	Everyone	#general, #free-resources, #preview
Members	Member role	#questions (forum), #wins, #resources, voice
Inner circle	Inner circle role	#hot-seat, #office-hours, voice
Staff	Staff role	#mod-log, #staff-chat

Roles for tiers

Give the top tier both its own role and the lower tier's role (most paywall tools can grant several). That way each category only needs one role allowed, and permissions stay simple.

Keep the free side alive

Post one useful thing a week in the free lobby.
Run an occasional open event.
Show paid members' wins (with permission) so free members see the value.

Quick answers

Should paid members get a separate server?: Usually not. One server with tiers is easier to run and lets free members see what they're missing.
pricing ideas for a paid discord community?: Common structures: one monthly tier, monthly plus discounted annual, or a low tier plus a higher tier with live access. See pricing ideas.
Can Onboarding show different channels to paid members?: Onboarding can assign roles from answers, but it shouldn't grant paid roles; paid roles should come only from your payment tool.

What to do next

We build the free lobby, tier categories and role wiring, then test each tier. $299 one-time.

Set up my tiers See pricing

Related guides

Sources

Checked: November 12, 2026. Discord changes features and menus often; if something looks different, the official help center is the source of truth. ServerSetupKit is not affiliated with Discord or any platform named here.