Heroku was once the go-to for free bot hosting, but with its removal of free tiers, many Discord developers are now looking for alternatives that support persistent hosting, database access, and environment configuration—without paying. These platforms offer free cloud compute environments, support for Node.js, Python, or Java, and in many cases, allow bots to stay online 24/7 with some tweaks.
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1. Replit
Replit offers a free cloud IDE where you can run Discord bots with Node.js or Python, install packages, and even use ReplAuth + UptimeRobot for 24/7 uptime.
Best for: Beginners and students who want a code editor + host in one.
2. Railway
Railway is a modern cloud platform with a free tier offering 500 hours/month, GitHub integration, and automatic deployments. It supports Discord bots easily and has a polished UI.
Best for: Developers who want easy CI/CD and environment variables setup.
3. Glitch
Glitch is a browser-based development platform perfect for running small bots. While free bots sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity, pairing with UptimeRobot or Better Uptime solves this.
Best for: Hobbyists and simple bots with occasional traffic.
4. Render
Render offers a free web service tier that supports background workers and static sites. You can host Discord bots with Docker or Node and benefit from auto-deployment and 750 hours/month of usage.
Best for: Semi-professional devs needing scalable free hosting.
5. Cyclic
Cyclic offers serverless app deployment with support for Node.js, auto-deploy from GitHub, and free storage. It works well for Discord bots that need to stay live with minimal setup.
Best for: Lightweight, event-driven bots.
6. Fly.io
Fly.io allows you to deploy apps globally with a free tier of 3 VMs and 256MB RAM per instance. With Docker or Node.js support, it’s capable of running Discord bots persistently.
Best for: Developers wanting geographically distributed bot hosting.
7. Deta Space
Deta Space is a lightweight serverless platform with free support for Node.js and Python projects, persistent storage, and easy deployments. Perfect for Discord bots that don’t require heavy compute.
Best for: Low-resource bots needing storage and uptime.
8. InfinityFree + External Ping
InfinityFree is a 100% free web hosting service. While not designed specifically for bots, you can set up a basic PHP or Python webhook server and keep the bot alive using external pings.
Best for: Advanced users creating workarounds for persistent bot hosting.
9. Vercel (with Webhooks or Functions)
Vercel is optimized for front-end projects but supports serverless functions that can handle Discord bot webhook events. Combined with a database or external scheduler, it can power simple bots.
Best for: Bots that respond to external triggers via webhooks.
10. GitHub Actions (Bot Runner as CI/CD Job)
You can creatively run your Discord bot using GitHub Actions as a scheduled CI/CD job, especially for bots that perform periodic tasks. It’s not suited for long-term persistent hosting but works for automation.
Best for: Scheduled bots or auto-responses without always-on uptime.
Choosing the Best Free Heroku Alternative for Your Discord Bot
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Want all-in-one development + hosting? → Use Replit or Glitch
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Need scalable free cloud hosting? → Try Railway, Render, or Fly.io
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Prefer serverless simplicity? → Choose Deta, Cyclic, or Vercel
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Looking for clever workarounds? → Explore InfinityFree or GitHub Actions
Each of these platforms helps you host Discord bots for free, with varying trade-offs in uptime, customization, and ease of use.
