Updated 4 November 2026
Short answer: for one Discord bot, take Discord bot hosting. It costs €0.69 per month paid per quarter, installs your packages by itself, restarts the bot after a crash and needs no Linux knowledge. Take a VPS when you run several bots, your own database server, a web dashboard or anything else next to the bot, or when you need root access. A VPS costs €7.99 per month paid per quarter and you manage it yourself.
Side by side
| Bot hosting | VPS S | |
|---|---|---|
| Price paid per quarter | €0.69/month (512 MB), €1.49/month (1 GB) or €2.09/month (2 GB) | €7.99/month |
| Monthly billing | €0.79, €1.79 or €2.29 | €8.29 |
| Memory and CPU | 512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB RAM | 4 GB RAM, 2 vCPU |
| Storage | 2 GB, 4 GB or 8 GB | 40 GB NVMe |
| Bots per plan | One | As many as fit |
| Languages | Node.js or Python | Anything you can install |
| Packages | package.json or requirements.txt installed on start | You run npm or pip yourself |
| Crash restarts | Automatic | You set it up (systemd) |
| Git deploy | Pulls your repository on restart | You set it up |
| Security updates | Our job | Your job |
| Backups | Nightly backup by us (extra panel backup slots as an add-on) | Not included: your job |
| Root access | No | Yes |
| Where it runs | Helsinki (Finland) | Nuremberg (Germany) |
Prices include 21% VAT, checked against our price list on 29 October 2026.
Bot hosting fits when
- You have one bot in discord.js, discord.py, nextcord, py-cord or another Node.js or Python library.
- Its data fits in SQLite or JSON files (see a bot with a database and buttons).
- You'd rather write bot code than maintain a server. Upload your files or link Git, put your token in
.envand press Start. - Your bot is in many servers or edits images: take the 1 GB plan. A music bot with many voice connections, an AI bot that calls an LLM API and keeps big caches, or a bot in very many servers: take the 2 GB plan (€2.09 per month paid per quarter, €2.29 monthly, €22.99 per year). Lavalink/Java music bots aren't supported on the Node.js/Python plans; your bot can use a Lavalink server that runs elsewhere.
A VPS fits when
- You run several bots. From about eight 1 GB bots, one VPS with 4 GB costs less than separate plans, as long as they fit in memory together.
- You want to run Lavalink yourself, a Java audio server next to your music bot. See Discord music bot hosting.
- You want MySQL, PostgreSQL or Redis next to the bot, or a web dashboard on your own domain.
- Your bot uses a language or tool that isn't Node.js or Python, or needs system packages (for example ffmpeg built in a special way).
- You want to learn Linux. Start with first steps on a new VPS and run a Discord bot on a VPS with systemd.
package.json or requirements.txt and .env are all you need.What a VPS asks of you
With a VPS you get root access, which also means the work is yours: SSH keys and a firewall, security updates, a service that restarts the bot, and your own backups to another location (see back up your VPS with restic). We keep the hardware and network running; what happens inside the VPS is up to you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a VPS to host a Discord bot? No. For one bot, bot hosting is enough and cheaper: €0.69 per month paid per quarter with 512 MB RAM, packages installed automatically and restarts after a crash.
When is a VPS better for a Discord bot? When you run several bots, a separate database server such as MySQL or PostgreSQL, a web dashboard, or software that needs root access.
How many bots can I run on one bot hosting plan? One. Each plan runs one bot. For several bots, take several plans or a VPS.
Is 512 MB enough for a Discord bot? For a typical moderation, utility or fun bot, yes. Take 1 GB if the bot is in many servers, keeps large caches or edits images, and 2 GB for music bots with many voice connections, AI bots with big caches or bots in very many servers.
Can I move from bot hosting to a VPS later? Yes. Copy your code, package.json or requirements.txt and .env to the VPS and run it as a systemd service.