Comparison
SfwBot and Discord's built-in explicit image filter
Discord includes an explicit image filter in every server's safety settings. It is free and needs no setup beyond switching it on. SfwBot is a bot you add on top. This page explains what each one lets you control, so you can decide whether you need more than the built-in filter.
Two different approaches
Discord's own filter is a server setting with a fixed sensitivity: you choose whose media is scanned, not what counts as explicit. It is part of Discord, so there is nothing to install and nothing to pay.
SfwBot is a moderation bot. It rates images, GIFs and videos at three nudity levels, and you choose the lowest level that is blocked: revealing, implied nudity or explicit. Around that it adds lists, exemptions, a log and consequences for members who keep breaking the rules. See nudity detection for how the levels work.
Discord changes its safety features from time to time. Check Discord's documentation for what its filter currently covers.
Side by side
The rows describe what a server owner can set up and see, not how well either system recognises an image.
| Discord's built-in filter | SfwBot | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free and part of Discord. | Free plan with monthly credits. Each AI scan uses credits. A premium plan and top-ups are available. |
| Setup | None. It is a setting in your server's safety settings. | Add the bot, then run /setup or use the web dashboard. |
| Where the line is | Fixed sensitivity. No separate levels to choose from. | Three levels. You choose the lowest level that is blocked. The default is explicit only. |
| Your own image lists | No allow list or block list of your own images. | Allow list and block list per server. Similar copies of a listed image match too. |
| Repeat offenders | No trust or strike system attached to the filter. | Trust and strikes with a warning, timeout, kick or ban for each strike. |
| Moderation log | No dedicated log of removals with action buttons. | A log channel with every removal and buttons to flag, delete, mute, kick or ban. |
This table covers controls only. We make no claim about the accuracy of either system.
When Discord's filter is enough
For many servers the built-in filter is all that is needed. It is probably enough for you if:
- Your server is small or private and the members know each other.
- Your only concern is clearly explicit images, and you are happy with the line Discord draws.
- You do not need a record of what was removed or by whom it was posted.
- You do not want to manage another bot, its permissions or a credit balance.
In those cases, switch the filter on in your server's safety settings and leave it there. It costs nothing and needs no maintenance.
When SfwBot adds something
SfwBot is worth adding when you need control the built-in setting does not offer:
- A lower line. You want revealing or implied nudity removed too, for example in a server with younger members.
- Exceptions. You want to exempt certain channels or roles, or allow a specific image that was removed wrongly.
- A block list. You want an image that keeps coming back removed by its fingerprint.
- Consequences. You want repeated violations to lead to a timeout, kick or ban through trust and strikes.
- A record. You want every removal in a log channel your moderators can review and act on.
SfwBot has limits of its own. It detects nudity only, an AI scan uses credits, and when credits run out AI scanning pauses until credits are available again. See pricing.
When to use both
The two do not depend on each other, so you can leave Discord's filter switched on and add SfwBot next to it. That is a reasonable setup for most public servers: the built-in filter stays as a free baseline that works even if SfwBot's credits are used up, and SfwBot adds the level you chose, your lists, the log and the strike actions.
If the two ever disagree in a way that bothers you, for example an image you allowed in SfwBot is still blocked, adjust the Discord setting in your server's safety settings.
Questions and answers
Do I have to switch off Discord's filter to use SfwBot?
No. They are independent. Many servers can keep the built-in filter as a baseline and add SfwBot for levels, lists, logging and strikes.
Is SfwBot more accurate than Discord's filter?
We do not make that claim. The difference described here is in what you can configure and review, not in a measured accuracy.
Is Discord's filter free?
Yes. It is part of Discord. SfwBot has a free plan with monthly credits and paid options, listed on the pricing page.
Does either one detect violence or gore?
SfwBot does not. It detects nudity only. For Discord's filter, check Discord's documentation for what it currently covers.