How to Deploy a Discord Bot for Free
A step-by-step guide to deploying a Discord bot on Deplexo. Always-on, no sleep, free tier.
Prerequisites
- A Discord bot (discord.js, discord.py, or any library)
- Bot token from the Discord Developer Portal
- Code in a GitHub repo
Step 1: Prepare your repo
Make sure your bot code is on GitHub. Your repo should have a package.json (Node.js) or requirements.txt (Python) at the root. Include a start script or entry point.
Step 2: Add deplexo.yaml
For a Node.js bot:
framework: node start: node bot.js port: 3000
For a Python bot:
framework: python start: python bot.py port: 8000
Port is required even if your bot doesn't serve HTTP.
Step 3: Create a Deplexo account
Go to deplexo.com/login. Sign up with email or GitHub. No credit card needed.
Step 4: Connect and deploy
Connect your GitHub repo. Deplexo auto-detects the framework. Click deploy. Watch build logs stream live.
Step 5: Add your bot token
Go to the Env Vars tab. Add BOT_TOKEN (or DISCORD_TOKEN, whatever your bot reads). Redeploy to pick up the new variable.
Why not serverless?
Discord bots need a persistent WebSocket connection to the Discord gateway. Serverless functions (Lambda, Vercel, Cloudflare Workers) can't maintain long-lived connections. Deplexo runs persistent containers — your bot stays connected.
See the Discord bot use case for more details.
What if I need more resources?
Free tier: 128 MB RAM. Enough for most bots. If your bot handles heavy workloads (image processing, many guilds), upgrade to Starter ($5/mo) for 512 MB.
See pricing plans for details.