Python Discord Bots: discord.py vs Pycord vs hikari

Python is a popular choice for Discord bots. But which library should you use?

discord.py

The original and most popular library.

Pros:

• Massive community
• Extensive documentation
• Most tutorials use it

Cons:

• Development was paused (now resumed)
• Some consider it less maintained

import discord
from discord.ext import commands

bot = commands.Bot(command_prefix='!', intents=discord.Intents.default())

@bot.command()
async def ping(ctx):
    await ctx.send('Pong!')

bot.run('TOKEN')

Pycord

A maintained fork with additional features.

Pros:

• Active development
• Discord UI components built-in
• Easy slash command support

Cons:

• Smaller community than discord.py

import discord

bot = discord.Bot()

@bot.slash_command()
async def hello(ctx):
    await ctx.respond('Hello!')

bot.run('TOKEN')

hikari

A modern, async-first library.

Pros:

• Clean architecture
• Great for large bots
• Excellent performance

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve
• Fewer tutorials

Our Recommendation

For beginners: discord.py or Pycord

For large projects: hikari

All three work perfectly on NexusHost's Python runtime.

Deployment

1. Create requirements.txt with your library
2. Add your main.py
3. Push to GitHub
4. NexusHost handles the rest!