Best AI tool to make a Discord bot
Disclosure: some links on this site may be affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our pick.
A dice roller, a "who's online for game night" pinger, a quote bot for your server's inside jokes. Discord bots are a perfect first AI-coding project: small, useful, and your friends will actually use it.
The short pick
Replit Agent — because the hard part of a Discord bot isn't the code, it's keeping it online 24/7. Replit lets you build and host in one place, and Replit's own docs recommend a Reserved VM deployment for bots ✅.
Price: Starter is free; Core is $20/mo ($18/mo annual) and includes $20 of monthly credits ✅. The always-on Reserved VM is billed on top; third-party write-ups put the smallest one around $15–20/mo ⚠️ unverified — check Replit's pricing page before you commit.
Alternatives
| Tool | Good for | Price (checked Oct 16, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code + discord.py | You want the code on your own machine / a cheap VPS | Claude Pro $20/mo ✅ |
| Cursor + discord.py | Editor-first, see every change | Free; Plus $8/mo; Premium $30/mo ✅ |
| GitHub Copilot | You already live in VS Code | Free tier; Pro $10/mo ✅ |
Library note: discord.py v2.7.1 is the current release and needs Python 3.8+ ✅.
How to start
- Go to the Discord Developer Portal → New Application → Bot → copy the token. Never paste the token into a chat with an AI or into your code. Store it as a secret/environment variable (
DISCORD_TOKEN). - Under OAuth2 → URL Generator, tick
botandapplications.commands, pick only the permissions you need, and invite the bot to a test server (not your main one). - In Replit (or your editor), ask the agent:
"Create a Python discord.py bot with one slash command
/rollthat rolls NdM dice. Read the token from the DISCORD_TOKEN environment variable." - Run it, type
/roll 2d6in your test server. Works? Commit. - Add one command at a time. Only then deploy to always-on hosting.
Skip the blank page
👉 Discord Bot Builder — $6 An agent brief with safe token handling baked in, a tested starter bot (slash commands, cooldowns, error replies), and prompts for the 6 most-requested bot features.