Telegram bot hosting from $1 a month

Keep your Telegram bot online around the clock, on a server you control.

A Telegram bot has to run somewhere that stays on. Your own computer sleeps, and free hosting platforms put idle apps to sleep. A small natbox server runs your bot 24/7 with root SSH, so you can use any language and library: python-telegram-bot, aiogram, Telegraf, grammY or your own code.

Order Nano · Try it free for a month

Which plan for a Telegram bot

Plan	RAM	Good for	Price
Nano	512 MB	One or a few bots in Python or Node.js	$1.00 a month
Box	1 GB	Several bots, or a bot with a database	$1.25 a month
Box Plus	2 GB	Busy bots, or bots that handle media	$2.25 a month

Long polling or webhooks

Long polling works with no setup. Your bot connects out to Telegram and asks for updates, so it needs no open port. This is the easiest choice for most bots.
Webhooks need HTTPS on port 443. Link your domain in the Domains tab of the client area, and ports 80 and 443 for that domain go to your server. Get a free certificate with Let's Encrypt or Caddy.

How to set up your bot

Create the bot with @BotFather and copy its token.
Order a server and log in over SSH.
Install your bot and its packages.
Run it as a systemd service, so it starts on boot and restarts after a crash.

The step-by-step guide, with a working Python example: Host a Telegram bot 24/7.

Good to know

Telegram's API is reached over HTTPS, so nothing is blocked. Only outgoing mail ports 25, 465 and 587 are closed.
Docker is not supported. Run the bot directly with Python or Node.js, which also uses less memory.
Bots that send spam or mass messages break our acceptable use policy, and Telegram's rules too.

Telegram bot hosting questions

Is 512 MB of RAM enough for a Telegram bot?

Yes, for most bots. A typical Python bot uses 50 to 150 MB, so Nano runs one comfortably, often several.

Can I run a Telegram bot for free?

For a month, yes: new customers get a free trial server with 256 MB RAM, enough for a small bot. See the free VPS trial.

Will my bot keep running if I close SSH?

Yes, if you run it as a systemd service, as the guide shows. It keeps running and starts again after a reboot.

Can I run a Discord bot on the same server?

Yes. One server can run as many bots as fit in its memory. See Discord bot hosting.

Also useful: Run a Python API, PostgreSQL on a small server.