If you’ve built a successful Discord server with an active and engaged community, you’re sitting on a goldmine. But maybe you don’t even know it yet! Let me be real with you: growing a Discord community takes time, effort, and dedication. Once you’ve put in the work, why not make some money from it? I’m not talking about scamming your members—just honest, win-win ways for you and your community to benefit from all the energy you’ve invested.
Here’s a breakdown of 20 amazing ways to monetize your Discord server. Some may require a bit of setup, while others are as simple as adding a bot or offering a service. Let’s dive in!
1. Offer Paid Membership Tiers (Patreon or Discord Subscriptions)
The easiest way to start making money is by offering paid membership tiers. People will pay for premium perks, such as access to exclusive channels, roles, or content. You can do this through Patreon or Discord’s built-in Server Subscriptions if you have access to that feature. Offering custom roles, unique emoji, or even priority access to events will make people feel special, and they’ll gladly shell out a few bucks each month.
Be blunt: If you don’t have valuable perks to offer, don’t expect anyone to pay for a membership.
2. Create VIP Channels or Roles
People love feeling like they’re part of something exclusive. Setting up VIP-only channels for your high-tier subscribers or creating special roles with unique privileges can incentivize people to support you financially. Just make sure whatever you’re offering feels worth the price. Could be sneak peeks at upcoming events, exclusive Q&A sessions, or private game lobbies.
3. Accept Donations
Not everything has to be pay-to-win. Some of your members will gladly donate to support you just because they appreciate the community you’ve created. Set up a donation link using PayPal, Ko-fi, or Buy Me a Coffee. You’d be surprised at how much people are willing to contribute when they value what you’re doing. Just remember to acknowledge your donors to keep that goodwill coming!
4. Partner with Affiliate Programs
Affiliate marketing can be a simple way to make money, especially if your Discord community revolves around specific interests like gaming, tech, or lifestyle. Sign up for affiliate programs related to your niche, like Amazon Associates, and share your unique affiliate links in dedicated channels or on your server’s announcement board. Every time a member makes a purchase through your link, you’ll earn a commission.
5. Sell Digital Products
Got something valuable to sell? Maybe it’s a detailed guide, an eBook, custom art, or exclusive video tutorials. If you have any sort of talent or expertise, you can package it up and sell it directly to your community. Use platforms like Gumroad or Sellfy to deliver your products seamlessly. Promote it in your server’s marketplace channel, and let your members know they’re getting something special from you.
6. Run Sponsored Events
If your server is active and has a solid member base, businesses might be willing to pay you to host sponsored events, like game tournaments or AMAs (Ask Me Anything). These companies can promote their products to your engaged community, and you get a cut for making it happen. The bigger and more active your server, the higher you can charge for these partnerships.
7. Sell Merchandise
If your Discord server has a loyal following, people might be willing to buy merch to rep their favorite community. You can create T-shirts, mugs, stickers, or anything else using platforms like Teespring or Redbubble. Make sure the designs are unique and meaningful to your server’s identity, though. Nobody’s gonna buy a basic logo slapped on a shirt. Get creative!
8. Partner with Brands for Product Promotions
This is similar to sponsored events, but instead, you promote specific products to your community. If your server has a dedicated focus, like gaming or tech, you can reach out to companies that sell relevant products. For example, gaming accessory brands might want to promote their latest mouse or keyboard in your gaming server. You could make a video, share a review, or even do a giveaway, and charge the brand for the promotion.
9. Create a Marketplace for Services
If your community has valuable skills or talents (think freelance artists, developers, writers, etc.), you can set up a marketplace channel where they can sell their services. Take a small cut for hosting the marketplace on your server, and everyone wins. It’s a simple way to provide a service to your community while making a little passive income.
10. Charge for Private Consultations or Coaching
If you’re an expert in your niche, offer one-on-one consultations or coaching sessions for a fee. Whether you’re an experienced gamer offering coaching, a tech pro providing advice, or a marketing whiz helping people grow their own servers, there’s always someone willing to pay for your expertise. Advertise your services in a dedicated channel, and let your community know how to book a session with you.
11. Host Paid Events (Tournaments, Workshops, etc.)
Hosting paid events can be a fantastic way to monetize your server. You could run exclusive workshops, masterclasses, or even tournaments with an entry fee. If your community is large and engaged, people will pay for these events, especially if they offer real value or prizes. Make sure the content is top-notch, or you won’t see repeat customers.
12. Use Paid Bots
Some bots offer additional paid features, and you can charge for access to those premium services. For example, music bots might allow for higher-quality audio or extra song skips if users pay for a premium tier. Alternatively, you can create your own bot with exclusive features that users have to pay to unlock.
Pro tip: Don’t go overboard. People will leave if they feel like they’re being nickeled and dimed to death.
13. Offer Server Management Services to Others
If you’ve mastered the art of running a Discord server, there are thousands of other people who haven’t. You could offer your expertise as a service to help others set up and manage their own Discord servers. There’s a demand for community managers, moderators, and server developers, and you can get paid for offering those skills to others.
14. Set Up a Ticket System for Paid Support
If you have a niche community where members might need ongoing support or troubleshooting, you could set up a ticket system. Charge a small fee for users to submit tickets and get direct help from you or your mods. This could be especially useful in tech-related servers where people are often looking for fast, reliable help.
15. Run Contests with Paid Entry
If your community is competitive, you can run paid-entry contests with prizes. Think game tournaments, art contests, or even writing competitions. Participants pay a small fee to enter, and the winner takes home a prize, while you pocket a portion of the entry fees. Just make sure the prize is worth the cost to get people excited about entering!
16. Use Ads or Sponsored Messages
While ads might not always be the most popular monetization method, they can still bring in some cash. If you have a large, active server, you can sell ad space in certain channels or post sponsored messages. Make sure it doesn’t overwhelm your server, though. Too many ads can turn people off and drive them away, so be strategic about how often and where you place them.
17. Offer Group Buys
If your community is centered around a specific hobby or interest, you can set up group buys where members pool their money to get discounts on bulk purchases. This could be anything from digital products to physical goods. You charge a small fee to organize and manage the group buy, and everyone gets a deal. Win-win!
18. Build and Sell Custom Discord Bots
If you know your way around coding and have some experience building bots, this could be a great way to make money. Custom Discord bots are in high demand, and people will pay good money for bots that add unique functionality to their servers. You can sell your services directly to other server owners or create a bot and sell premium access to its features on your own server.
19. License Your Community for Market Research
Companies are always looking for feedback from engaged communities, and yours could be exactly what they need. Reach out to brands and offer your community for market research purposes. Whether it’s surveys, feedback, or beta testing, brands are willing to pay for real insights from real people. Just make sure the research fits with your community’s interests.
20. Offer Paid Moderation Services
Running a big server takes work, and some server owners are willing to pay for moderation services. If you’ve got a strong team of moderators, you can offer to manage other servers in exchange for payment. Think of it as outsourced community management. You can set up contracts or charge a monthly fee, depending on the scope of the work.
Wrapping It Up
There you have it—20 ways to monetize your Discord server! The key to successfully making money from your community is balance. Provide real value, avoid spammy tactics, and always make sure your community benefits from what you’re doing. Don’t try to monetize too early, and don’t expect instant results. Building trust takes time, and so does building a steady stream of income from your server.
At the end of the day, your server should still feel like a community, not a cash grab. Keep the focus on adding value, and your members will gladly support you, whether it’s through
