The main ways to run staff applications on Discord are a dedicated application bot such as Appy, an all-in-one bot with applications built in such as Better Tickets, or an external form like Google Forms. Both bots ask questions in DMs, post applications for review and assign roles on acceptance. They differ in which safety features are included and what else the bot does. This page compares all three honestly.
Staff application tools compared
Facts about Appy come from its official documentation, checked on September 30, 2026. "Premium" marks features Appy's docs list as Premium features.
| Feature | Better Tickets | Appy | Google Forms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where applicants answer | DMs, one question at a time | DMs, one question at a time | External web page |
| Question types | Text (with length limits) or select menu | Text or multiple choice | Many, including checkboxes and scales |
| Questions per form | Up to 11 | Not documented | Effectively unlimited |
| Review in Discord with Accept/Deny | Yes | Yes | No |
| Review screen before submitting | Yes, with jump back to any answer | Not documented | Yes |
| Roles on accept / deny | Add and remove on accept, add on deny | Add and remove on accept and on deny | No |
| Required or blocked roles to apply | Blacklisted roles | Required and restricted roles | No |
| Block duplicate applications | Yes, one in progress and one pending at a time | Not documented | No |
| Reapply cooldown after denial | 3 days by default | Premium | No |
| Dedicated reviewer roles | Staff roles per category | Premium (application manager roles) | Anyone with access to the results |
| Discussion space for reviewers | Review thread per submission | Staff threads | No |
| Open a ticket with the applicant | Yes, linked ticket category | Not documented | No |
| Application categories | Up to 3 | Not documented | Unlimited |
| Also includes | Tickets, jail, leveling, roleplay | Tickets, polls | Nothing Discord-specific |
Where Appy is stronger
- Focus. Appy is built around applications and forms, with panels that list several applications and a
/pollcommand staff can use to vote on applicants. - Required roles. Appy can require members to hold specific roles before applying, as well as blocking roles.
- Roles on denial. Appy can also remove roles when someone is denied.
Where Better Tickets is stronger
- Safety features included. Reapply cooldowns, dedicated reviewer roles and duplicate-application blocking work without a subscription.
- Review screen. Applicants see all their answers and can jump back to fix one before submitting.
- Interviews. Reviewers can open a private ticket with the applicant from the submission.
- One bot for more. Tickets, jail and leveling run from the same dashboard.
Where a Google Form still makes sense
For a very small server that only recruits occasionally, a form is quick. But it can't check a member's roles, block repeat submissions, record who decided, or give the staff role, so plan to move to a bot once applications become regular.
Who each option suits
- Appy if you want a dedicated application bot with staff polls and required-role checks.
- Better Tickets if you want cooldowns and reviewer roles included, or want applications alongside tickets, jail and leveling.
- Google Forms only for small, occasional recruitment.
How to move your applications to Better Tickets
Create an application category
In the dashboard, open Applications → Forms and click New category.
Copy your questions
Recreate each question as text or a select menu on the Questions tab.
Set reviewers and roles
Choose a private submission channel, staff roles, and the roles to give on acceptance.
Post the Apply panel
Send it with the message builder, then disable the old application so members only see one.
Read how to safely set up staff applications for question ideas and review practices.
Sources
- Appy documentation (GitHub, last updated September 6, 2026): Applications forms, Premium, Overview.
- Better Tickets: application settings, application overview.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Discord bot for staff applications?
Appy is a popular dedicated application bot with panels, polls and staff threads. Better Tickets suits servers that also want tickets, jail and leveling in the same bot. A Google Form works for very small servers but can't check roles or give roles automatically.
Do application bots ask questions in DMs or in a form?
Appy and Better Tickets both send questions one at a time in the applicant's DMs, which avoids Discord's five-field limit on pop-up forms. Members with DMs closed need to open them to apply.
Can an application bot give roles when someone is accepted?
Yes. Both Appy and Better Tickets can add and remove roles on acceptance and add a role on denial.
How do I stop people reapplying straight after a denial?
Use a reapply cooldown. Better Tickets applies a 3-day cooldown after a denial by default. Appy's docs list its application cooldown as a Premium feature.
Who should be able to accept or deny applications?
Only your decision makers. In Better Tickets, that's the category's staff roles. In Appy, dedicated application manager roles are a Premium feature; otherwise anyone who can see the logging channel can process applications, so keep that channel private.