The nature and timing of Mid-Devonian–Visean plutonic activity in the Variscan Bohemian Massif (BM) and the Central Western Carpathians (CWC) differed profoundly. In the BM, most of this period was marked by vigorous arc-related magmatism that ceased only at ~340 Ma by the collision and the ensuing slab break-off. The oceanic subduction passed to deep continental underthrusting, and relamination of felsic metaigneous material of Saxothuringian origin, soon thereafter transformed into (U)HP–HT granulites. The Visean activity in the BM was characterized by an emplacement of voluminous (ultra-)potassic plutons and countless dykes of matching chemistry, but practically no syn- to early post-collisional S-type granitoids. In the BM, the bulk of S-type magmas was produced in Serpukhovian or younger. In the CWC, the evolution started later but was considerably faster; the classic magmatic arc seems not to be preserved here. Subduction, evidenced by Frasnian back-arc mafic magmatism and anatexis, was terminated by collision and early (Late Devonian) slab break-off. The attendant heat pulse produced dioritic rocks, and then a Tournaisian late-collisional flare-up of the I- and immature (biotite-bearing) S-type granitoids. The mature (muscovite-bearing) Visean S-type granites were already post-collisional. In the CWC, the (ultra-)potassic magmatic rocks are conspicuously missing, as are the (U)HP–HT granulites. This reflects a too early slab break-off and/or inappropriate composition of the downgoing continental slab. The contrasting Mid-Devonian to Visean magmatic histories clearly reflect distinct paleogeographic positions of the BM vs. CWC crustal segments, probably along the two unconnected sutures in the widely separated branches of the Variscan orogenic collage.