Discord Nitro vs Server Boosts: Which Gets You Better Emojis?

You want more custom emojis on Discord but you're confused about whether to buy Nitro or boost a server. They do completely different things and people mix them up constantly. Which one you need depends on what you actually want to do with emojis.

What Discord Nitro gets you for emojis

The big benefit: you can use custom emojis from ANY server you're in, ANYWHERE on Discord. This is the killer feature. You find a cool emoji in Server A, you can type :emojiname: and use it in Server B, Server C, or DMs. You're basically stealing emojis from every server you're in and building a personal collection.

You can use animated emojis everywhere. Even if a server isn't boosted and only has static emojis, you with Nitro can use animated emojis there. Your messages have animated emojis, everyone else is stuck with static ones.

What Nitro does NOT do: It doesn't add emoji slots to any server. It doesn't help your server get more emojis. It's purely a personal benefit. Your server still has the same 50 emoji limit whether you have Nitro or not.

Nitro Classic vs full Nitro for emojis

Nitro Classic ($2.99/month): Lets you use animated emojis and cross-server emojis. That's it for emoji benefits. No server boosts included.

Full Nitro ($9.99/month): Same emoji benefits as Classic PLUS you get 2 server boosts you can donate to any server. Also includes higher upload limits, better streaming quality, and other perks.

If you only care about using emojis across servers and don't run a server yourself, Nitro Classic is enough. Save the $7/month.

What Server Boosts get you for emojis

Server boosts add emoji SLOTS to a specific server. Everyone in that server benefits, not just the person who boosted. Here's the breakdown:

Free tier (no boosts): 50 emoji slots total. Can't upload animated emojis unless members have Nitro.
Level 1 (2 boosts needed): 100 emoji slots total, up to 50 can be animated. Everyone can use animated emojis in this server now.
Level 2 (7 boosts): 150 emoji slots, up to 100 animated.
Level 3 (14 boosts): 250 emoji slots, up to 250 animated. This is the cap.

One server boost costs $4.99/month. Boosts are server-specific—you pick which server gets them. You can move your boosts to a different server once per month if you change your mind.

The real difference explained

Nitro = YOU can use more emojis (personal benefit).

Boosts = YOUR SERVER can have more emojis (community benefit).

Example scenario 1: You have Nitro Classic. Your main server has 50 emojis. But you're also in 20 other servers with 50 emojis each. That's 1,000+ emojis you can now use anywhere on Discord. Your personal emoji arsenal is massive even though your server only has 50.

Example scenario 2: Your server gets boosted to Level 2 (150 emoji slots). Every single person in that server, even people without Nitro, can now upload and use those 150 emojis. But only in that server. They can't take those emojis to other servers unless they have Nitro.

When to buy Nitro

You're active in multiple Discord servers and want to use emojis from all of them everywhere
You want to use animated emojis without needing to be in boosted servers
You're an "emoji tourist"—collecting emojis from different communities and using them wherever you want
You want other Nitro perks anyway (bigger uploads, HD streaming) and emojis are a bonus

When to boost a server instead

You run a server and hit the 50 emoji limit
Your community needs more emoji variety but most members don't have Nitro
You want everyone in your server to benefit, not just yourself
You're committed to one main community and want to support it
You want your server to have animated emojis that everyone can use

When to do both

Get full Nitro ($9.99/month) if:

You admin a server (use the 2 included boosts to help your community)
You also hang out in other servers (Nitro for cross-server emoji use)
You want the full package: personal benefits + supporting your server

This is actually the most common solution for server owners. You get personal emoji benefits plus 2 boosts to donate to your server. Not enough to hit Level 1 alone, but if a few admins/mods all have Nitro, you'll get there.

Cost breakdown

Nitro Classic: $2.99/month (personal emoji benefits only)
Nitro: $9.99/month (emoji benefits + 2 boosts + other perks)
Single server boost: $4.99/month
To get server to Level 1: ~$10/month if you buy 2 boosts yourself
To get server to Level 3: ~$70/month for 14 boosts—way too expensive for one person, usually crowdfunded across multiple members

Reality check: Most servers never hit Level 3 unless they're huge communities with lots of boosters. Level 1 or 2 is realistic for smaller servers.

Common misconceptions

"Nitro adds emojis to my server" — NO. It lets YOU use emojis across servers. Doesn't add slots to any server.
"Boosting gives me Nitro perks" — NO. Boosts help the server, not you personally. You don't get cross-server emoji use from boosting.
"I need Nitro to use animated emojis" — NO. If your server is boosted to Level 1+, everyone can use animated emojis in that server, even without Nitro.
"One boost is enough" — NO. You need 2 boosts minimum to hit Level 1 and get any emoji benefits. One boost does nothing for emojis.

What most people actually need

Solo user in many servers: Nitro Classic. You get access to hundreds of emojis across all your servers.

Server owner who hit 50 emoji limit: Ask your community to boost, or buy 2-4 boosts yourself to get to Level 1 or partway to Level 2.

Casual user in 1-2 servers: Probably neither. Just use what's available. Unless you really want that one animated emoji, it's not worth it.

Server admin who also wants personal perks: Full Nitro. You get cross-server emoji use, animated emojis everywhere, AND 2 boosts to donate to your server.

Quick decision guide

Ask yourself:

Do you own/admin a server that needs more emoji slots? → Consider boosting or getting community to boost.

Do you want to use emojis from other servers everywhere? → Get Nitro Classic.

Do you want both personal perks and to support your server? → Get full Nitro.

Are you fine with the emojis you have? → Stay free. Discord works fine without either.

Bottom line: Nitro is for personal emoji access across servers. Boosts are for giving your server more emoji slots. They solve different problems. Most people need one or the other, not both (unless you're a server owner). Now that you have more emoji slots or access, create some custom emojis to fill them →