Cheapest VPS for Discord Bot

The hardware requirements for hosting a Discord bot are extremely low and therefore the range of suitable VPSs is among the cheapest. The bot may be coded in NodeJS, Python, Perl or any other scripting language, and a database like MySQL may be used to store permanent data across sessions. Let's analyze the hardware requirements.

• CPU: Assuming that most operations performed by the bot are API calls toward Discord itself or toward third-party endpoints, a single Intel Xeon core would be capable of running multiple instances of the script, concurrently. This will hold true unless you plan to use the bot for more CPU-intensive tasks, like transcoding audio or video or processing data with neural networks.
• RAM: Most interpreted scripts rarely consume more than 200 MB of RAM, and a small MySQL database can fit in just 500 MB as well. Unless you plan for millions of database records, a VPS with 2 GB of RAM should suffice and have memory to spare for the rest of the operating system.
• Disk: 10 GB on spinning rust is the minimum viable storage size for a small bot with a small database. If you think you'll need more, costs will rise accordingly.
• Network: Network latency and speed are presumably not that important unless you can clearly identify why they would be. If this is the correct assumption for your use case, a mere 100 Mbps hosted in any location on Earth will allow you to significantly cut costs. However, you still probably need one IPv4 address to connect to most API endpoints, as IPv6 is not yet universally supported.
• Virtualization: KVM and LXC are both viable options for a VPS that simply runs a bot and possibly a database. Most often, people prefer KVM over LXC due to its better flexibility and stronger security isolation, but for a simple Discord bot this distinction may not be significant.

Recommendations from the database

Here are some matches currently found in the database that satisfy all the requirements listed above. You can search for more VPSs using the form on the sidebar. All results are dynamically generated from the database, and the monthly prices are obtained by dividing the annual prices by 12. Note that not all providers may offer monthly billing terms.

Alpine Linux VPS hosting options

Not many providers offer Alpine Linux as a pre-installed operating system image on their VPSs. If you insist on searching for one, your options will be severely limited in terms of location availability, hardware specifications, and price. A better option is to look for a provider that allows you to install a custom ISO image onto your VPS. This option lets you upload a DVD or CD image to the provider’s control panel and install it on your server, regardless of whether the provider officially supports that specific image. This option is quite ubiquitous among providers compared to the rarity of finding Alpine Linux among the pre-installed choices. You can obtain the ISO image from alpinelinux.org/downloads/. Note that some providers offer a self-service mechanism for installing your own ISO, while others require you to open a support ticket.

Recommendations from the database

Here are some European services currently found in the database that permit the installation of Alpine Linux via a custom ISO. You can search for more VPSs using the form on the sidebar. All results are dynamically generated from the database, and the prices are obtained by dividing the annual prices by 12. Note that not all providers may offer monthly billing terms.

ARK Server Cluster: VPS hardware requirements

ARK: Survival Evolved is a multiplayer PC game distributed by Steam whose server software, called an ARK cluster, is compatible with Linux and can be hosted either on a VPS or on a personal computer. As of 2024 the hardware requirements are as follows:

• CPU: An ARK cluster requires about 1 CPU core for every map that it hosts, which is equivalent to 2 hyper-threading cores. In VPS parlance this translates to about 2 dedicated Ryzen or Epyc vCores per map. Be cautious with shared cores on a VPS, as they are often contended with other tenants on the same host, making them too weak. You’ll need dedicated cores. Additionally, I recommend avoiding Intel servers because cloud providers that offer Intel servers tend to use outdated Xeon chips due to their lower cost. The single-thread performance of these Xeons is often too weak, whereas Ryzen and Epyc CPUs have much stronger cores and are typically more recent acquisitions in virtualized environments.
• RAM: ARK needs about 4 to 8 GB of memory per map depending on the number of connected players: the more users are connected, the more memory it consumes. If unsure, reserve at least 6 GB per map.
• Disk: About 100 GB of storage for the ARK server plus 20 GB for each map. Opt for SSD or NVMe storage and avoid mechanical hard drives as they are too slow.
• Network: 100 Mbps has been reported to be enough, and luckily most VPSs offer faster networks with a speed of at least 1 Gbps.

Recommendations from the database

These are some services currently found in the database across Europe and North America. You can refine your search for other VPSs using the form on the sidebar. All results are dynamically generated from the database.

UK-based VPS with low network throughput costs

If you're looking for a low-cost VPS provider with high bandwidth and low network throughput costs and the ability to host in the UK, this article gives more context and includes some options picked from our database that are sorted by price. To get the best VPS for a low price (without compromising on security), it's worth noting the following details:

• Data center location: If you're based in the UK, choosing a provider with a UK-based data center will yield lower latency and better network performance. Tailscale and other self-hosted VPNs would be negatively affected by an excessive latency between you and the relay server.
• "Unlimited" bandwidth: Be wary of smaller provider who offer "unlimited" bandwidth with their VPSs, it is sensible to assume an upper-limit in any given month if little or no detail is provided.

Recommendations from the database

These are some of the UK's high-bandwidth services currently found in the database; you can search for more VPSs using the form on the sidebar. All results are dynamically generated from the database.