Host Your Discord Bot 24/7 for Free

Host Your Discord Bot 24/7 for Free: Never Let Your Bot Go Offline Again!

Have you ever spent hours coding the perfect Discord bot—only for it to go offline the moment you close your laptop? It’s frustrating, right? You’re not alone. Many developers, especially beginners, face this issue when running bots locally. But what if you could keep your bot online 24/7 without spending a dime?

Luckily, free cloud hosting services like Replit and Heroku make this possible. Whether you’re building a moderation bot, a music player, or a fun game bot, these platforms let you deploy your bot so it stays running even when your computer is off. In this guide, we’ll walk you through both options so you can choose the best one for your needs.

Why Host Your Bot Online?

Running a bot locally has two big problems:

1. Your bot dies when you shut down your computer.
2. Your home internet might not be stable enough for 24/7 uptime.

Cloud hosting solves both issues by keeping your bot alive on remote servers. Best of all, you don’t need a credit card or paid plan to get started—both Replit and Heroku offer free tiers perfect for small to medium-sized bots.

Let’s break down how each service works.

Option 1: Hosting on Replit (Easiest for Beginners)

Replit is a fantastic, beginner-friendly platform that lets you write, run, and host code directly in your browser. Their "Always-On" feature (available even on the free plan) ensures your bot stays online.

Steps to Host on Replit:

1. Create a Replit Account

   • Go to replit.com and sign up (it’s free).

2. Start a New Project

   • Click "Create Repl" and select Python (or your bot’s language).

3. Upload Your Bot Code

   • Copy-paste your bot’s files or connect a GitHub repo.

4. Install Dependencies

   • In the Replit shell, run:
     

     pip install discord.py python-dotenv
     

5. Set Up Environment Variables

   • Store your bot token securely in the Secrets tab (e.g., TOKEN=your_bot_token_here).

6. Enable Always-On

   • Upgrade to the "Hacker" plan (free for Always-On) or use a workaround like UptimeRobot to ping your bot.

7. Run & Deploy!

   • Click "Run"—your bot should now stay online!

✅ Pros:

• Super easy to set up
• Built-in code editor
• Free Always-On with minimal effort

❌ Cons:

• Requires occasional pings to prevent shutdown (unless you use Hacker plan)

Option 2: Hosting on Heroku (More Reliable, Slightly Complex)

Heroku is a cloud platform that offers a free tier for small apps, including Discord bots. While it’s slightly more technical than Replit, it’s more stable for long-term hosting.

Steps to Host on Heroku:

1. Create a Heroku Account

   • Sign up at heroku.com.

2. Install Heroku CLI

   • Download from Heroku’s site.

3. Prepare Your Bot for Deployment

   • Add a requirements.txt (Python) or package.json (Node.js) with dependencies.
   • Include a Procfile (e.g., worker: python bot.py).

4. Deploy via GitHub

   • Link your bot’s GitHub repo to Heroku.
   • Enable automatic deploys for updates.

5. Set Config Vars

   • Add your bot token in Settings > Config Vars.

6. Keep the Bot Alive

   • Heroku’s free tier sleeps after 30 mins of inactivity. Use Kaffeine or UptimeRobot to ping it.

✅ Pros:

• More reliable than Replit
• Scales better if your bot grows

❌ Cons:

• Requires basic CLI/Git knowledge
• Free dyno sleeps without pings

Which One Should You Choose?

• Beginners: Go with Replit—it’s the simplest way to get started.
• More advanced users: Heroku offers better long-term stability.

Both options work great, so pick based on your comfort level!

Final Tip: Keep Your Bot Alive!

Free tiers have limits, so if you want true 24/7 uptime:

• Use UptimeRobot to ping your bot every few minutes.
• Consider upgrading to a paid plan if your bot gets popular.

What’s Your Experience?

Have you hosted a Discord bot before? Which platform worked best for you—Replit, Heroku, or something else? Share your tips in the comments!

🚀 Now go ahead—deploy your bot and let it run forever!