Buy or Commission a Discord Bot? Costs, Options and What's Worth It (2026)
Your server needs a bot: against scam links, for polls or for a feature of your own. Now you have to choose: invite a public bot, buy ready-made source code, commission a bot, or code it yourself. This guide compares the four routes honestly, including costs, and tells you what to check before you buy.
The four routes at a glance
| Public bot | Buy source code | Commission | Code it yourself | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Often free, extras by subscription | One-time | Individual quote, usually much more | Your time |
| Time to start | Minutes | An evening | Days to weeks | Weeks |
| Your own name and avatar | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable | Settings only | Yes, in the code | Yes, by agreement | Fully |
| Hosting | The provider | You | Depends on the deal | You |
| Dependency | On the provider | Low | On the developer | None |
Route 1: Invite a public bot
The fastest route: invite, configure, done. For many small servers that's enough. The downsides: the bot isn't named after your server, many features cost a monthly fee, and if the provider stops, the bot is gone. A third party also processes the messages on your server.
Route 2: Buy ready-made bot source code
You buy the code once, create your own bot application in Discord, and run the bot on your own machine or a small VPS. It carries your name and avatar, and there's no subscription for the bot itself (only for hosting, if you rent a VPS).
This works well when a solid solution already exists for your purpose, such as moderation, anti-scam or polls. You don't need to code, but you do need a little nerve for the command line: fill in a .env file, run a command.
Route 3: Commission a bot
A developer or agency builds the bot exactly to your spec. That's worth it for truly custom features, like an integration with your game or a workflow no ready-made bot covers. Costs are individual and usually well above ready-made solutions. Clarify up front: who owns the code? Who hosts it? Who fixes bugs after a Discord update?
To be clear: Botnexio doesn't build custom bots. We sell ready-made bots and starter templates. If you need a custom build, a freelance developer is the better fit. Often, though, a ready-made bot plus a small customization of your own is the cheaper route.
Route 4: Code it yourself
If you enjoy learning, your own bot is a great project. A good template saves you the boring part (loading commands, catching errors, logging) so you can go straight to your idea. More in our guide Discord-Bot programmieren mit discord.js v14 (in German; EN version planned).
What to check before buying bot source code
- A current library. discord.js v14 (the current major version on npm) or similarly current. Old code breaks when APIs change.
- Slash commands instead of old prefix commands like
!help. - README and
.env.example. You want to get from ZIP to running bot without guessing. - Dockerfile. Makes hosting much easier.
- Honest limits. Good listings say clearly what's not included.
- Licence. May you modify the code? Reselling the code itself is usually not allowed.
- No transferred bot account. Buy code, not someone else's running bot: under Discord's Developer Terms (Section 12(f)), transferring an Application, including a sale, needs Discord's prior written consent. You create your own bot.
- No token in the package. A bot token inside the ZIP is a red flag. Discord's terms (Section 2(d)) say credentials are confidential and may not be embedded in open-source projects.
What does a Discord bot cost?
- Public bot: free up to a premium subscription.
- Source code: one-time. On Botnexio, €19 to €25 incl. VAT for the bots below.
- Hosting: your own computer is enough for testing; for 24/7 operation you need a small VPS or home server.
- Commissioned: individual quote.
Ready-made bots on Botnexio
Both run on your own server and arrive as a ZIP right after payment. Per the product pages:
- Anti-Scam Bot, €25: detects phishing links and fake Nitro (look-alike domains, gift bait, masked links), deletes them automatically, writes to a mod log, with an allowlist. No automatic timeouts or bans; detection is heuristic and can miss new scams.
- Discord Bot Starter, €19: the base for your own bot with discord.js v14, automatic slash-command loader, /ping, /help, /poll, error handling, JSON logging and a Dockerfile. Deliberately no database and no dashboard.
All prices are final prices incl. VAT. The products are for consumers. Browse all: Discord bots on Botnexio.
After you buy
- Download and unzip the ZIP.
- In the Discord Developer Portal, click Create App, then on the Bot page use Reset Token and copy the token.
- Copy
.env.exampleto.envand fill in the token and IDs. - On the Installation page, add the
applications.commandsandbotscopes for Guild Install and invite the bot to your server. - Start it with Docker or Node.js and try it.
FAQ
Is it allowed to buy a Discord bot?
Buying source code is a normal software purchase. Taking over someone else's running bot application is different: Discord's Developer Terms require Discord's prior written consent for that transfer. So create your own bot.
Do I need coding skills?
Not for ready-made bots. You fill in a .env file and run a command. For custom features, basic JavaScript helps.
Can Botnexio build a custom bot for me?
No. Botnexio sells ready-made bots and templates, not custom development.
Does the bot run 24/7?
Only if the computer it runs on is on 24/7. A small VPS works well for that. Hosting isn't included in the price.
Is there a subscription?
No. You pay once and get the code as a ZIP.
Get your bot
Your own bot. No subscription.
→ Get the Anti-Scam Bot for €25 · Discord Bot Starter for €19
Sources
- Discord: Developer Terms of Service (Sections 2(d), 12(f))
- Discord Developer Docs: Building your first Discord Bot
All checked October 16, 2026.
---
Botnexio is a marketplace operated by Aramac GmbH and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Discord Inc. Discord is a trademark of Discord Inc.