Lurkr and Kiai both keep leveling free. The difference is structure: Lurkr caps free-tier counts, Kiai tiers its features. Levels transfer either way, in one import.
Lurkr deserves real credit. Where MEE6 locks features, Lurkr gives everything away and charges $1/month for higher configuration ceilings. That's the right direction for a leveling bot, and we built Kiai the same way. So this is a comparison between two fair bots: if Lurkr already fits your server, keeping it is a legitimate choice. What follows is where the two actually differ, for the servers deciding from scratch.
Two ways to run a free tier
Both bots keep core leveling free. The models split on what premium means.
Lurkr's model: free features, capped counts. All features are free, but each has a numeric ceiling: 3 role rewards per level (10 with premium), 50 reward roles total, 5 multipliers, 30 channels per multiplier, a leaderboard capped at 100 users, role-mention cooldowns at 6 hours, 30 blacklist channels. Premium (Lurkr Max $1/month, Ultimate $5/month) raises most of those numbers, sometimes substantially.
Kiai's model: free counts, feature-tiered premium. Multipliers, role rewards, and leaderboard reach aren't metered in the free tier the same way; instead premium (server premium from $1.99/month, scaling with size) adds feature-level upgrades: customizable rank cards, automatic leaderboards posted on a schedule, XP streak controls, prestige.
Which is better depends on your server. If you need many small configurations, like a reward role per level across 30 levels or multipliers per channel in a big channel list, Lurkr's caps arrive early and premium is cheap. If you mostly need the basics deep rather than wide, Kiai's free tier handles it, and premium buys visual/automation features instead of permission to configure.
What switches over when you migrate
Kiai's Lurkr import runs from an export file: open the Lurkr dashboard's Danger Zone, download your leveling data, and attach it to /import. Member levels and XP carry over completely.
Two things don't transfer automatically, so plan for them:
- Role rewards. Lurkr's reward configuration isn't part of the import payload, so re-add your reward roles in Kiai's dashboard. If you had rewards defined per level, keep that export handy; it's a ten-minute task.
- Settings like multipliers and level-up announcements. Same answer: quick dashboard work, and the placeholders/templates in Kiai cover what Lurkr's announcements do.
Levels, which is the part members would care about, move in full. Nobody regrinds.
Where Kiai diverges for an active server
- Voice XP is free on every server, with presence checks so idle members don't farm. Voice is most servers' hidden half of activity, and it counts toward the same levels, rewards, and rank cards.
- The dashboard is the primary config surface, not a supplement: rewards, multipliers, announcements, denylists, and leveling math all live at kiai.app/dashboard. Lurkr is command-first with a dashboard for some pieces like role stacking.
- Premium is feature-tiered rather than limit-tiered, and it stays attached to the server at $1.99 to $9.99 per month scaled by size.
- The import flow for other bots is broader: twelve bots import into Kiai, several one-command with no files, so if your friends' servers run MEE6 or Amari, they can follow you in a week.
And where Lurkr has the edge: its free tier is extremely permissive in raw numbers for small and mid-size servers, its premium is nearly free ($1/month opens real headroom), and features like the daily Top Leveling role are included rather than tiered. If your server fits inside those caps, Lurkr is a good deal and we're okay saying so.
The switch, step by step
- Add Kiai
- Open the Lurkr dashboard and download your leveling data (Danger Zone)
- Run
/import, choose Lurkr, attach the file - Re-add role rewards and multipliers in the Kiai dashboard
- Remove Lurkr once levels and roles are confirmed
Twenty minutes if your reward list is long. Both bots can run side by side during the whole thing.
Questions we get about the Lurkr switch
Do members keep their levels? Yes. The exported leveling data carries every member's XP into Kiai.
Why don't role rewards import automatically? Lurkr's export contains leveling data, not configuration. Rewards are quick to rebuild in the dashboard, with your old Lurkr config as the reference.
Both bots can use the same leaderboard commands? Kiai has rank and leaderboard with server-wide and timed views, so members' daily habits don't change.
We're under Lurkr's free caps. Why would we switch? Mostly voice XP and the dashboard. If both of those don't move you, staying is reasonable.
What if we outgrow the caps later? Your levels are portable again either way. Import runs in both directions between these ecosystems over time, so the choice isn't forever.
Anything weird about the file import? Nothing beyond making sure you export from the same server you're importing into. If the file's rejected, the import flow tells you what it expected.
The bottom line
Lurkr and Kiai both refuse to paywall leveling basics, which makes this an easier decision than most bot comparisons. Choose by structure: many small configurations and a near-free premium points toward Lurkr; voice XP, a full dashboard, broader imports, and feature-level premium points toward Kiai. Levels transfer either way, in one import.