Free bot or VPS: when to move to a server

The ACLClouds free plan is enough for a bot that runs alone, with modest consumption. Its limits are precise: 1 bot, 315 MB of RAM, 0.25 vCPU, 715 MB of storage, and a duration of four days, renewable for free from the bot page. Here is how to know that the time for a VPS has come.

• The free plan is enough for a single, light bot, with precise limits: 315 MB of RAM and 1 bot.
• Move to a VPS when memory is saturated, when you need several services or a public port.
• Never run the same bot on two hosts at the same time.

The signs that the free plan is no longer enough

A bot that often stops, saturated memory or the need for several services are the most common signs. Before concluding, distinguish a code problem (a memory leak, a loop) from a lack of resources.

• The bot stops abruptly with no error in the code: memory may be saturated. The logs and the RAM used confirm it.
• You want a second bot, or a music bot that encodes audio continuously.
• You need a public port for a webhook or an API: first check, in the Startup tab, what your plan allows.

What a VPS changes

A VPS gives you a complete Linux server, which you administer. You manage the ports, the services, the updates and the backups. In exchange, you get more memory and the ability to run several services on the same machine.

• Mini, 8 GB of RAM, 2 vCPU, 40 GB at 4.99 EUR per month: more than 25 times the RAM of the free plan.
• Essentiel, 16 GB of RAM, 4 vCPU, 80 GB at 9.99 EUR per month: for several bots, a panel or extra services.
• On bot hosting, a second bot requires a paid plan: Starter, Pro, Advanced or Business, depending on the vCPU you want.

Migrate without running the bot twice

A Discord bot must never run in two places at once, or it answers twice or disconnects for no visible reason. The migration is done in sequence: you start the bot on the VPS, check its connection, then stop the old instance.

• Copy the code and requirements.txt. The .env file and the token go neither in a repository nor in a message.
• On the VPS: python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate && pip install -r requirements.txt
• Run the bot as a systemd service so it restarts on its own, then follow the logs with journalctl -u mon-bot -f.