Both Pycord and discord.py let you build Discord bots in Python. They share the same origin but took different paths after the 2021 hiatus.
Background
discord.py was the original Python library. In August 2021, creator Danny archived the project. The community forked it; Pycord became the most popular fork. In March 2022, Danny returned and resumed discord.py. Now both are actively maintained.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | discord.py | Pycord |
|---|---|---|
| Slash commands | Yes (app_commands module) | Yes (built-in slash_command) |
| UI components | Yes (discord.ui) | Yes (discord.ui) |
| Voice support | Yes | Yes (extended wavelink) |
| Auto-sharding | Yes | Yes |
| Bridge commands (prefix + slash) | No | Yes (built-in) |
| Documentation quality | Excellent | Good |
| Community size | Larger | Growing |
Slash Command Comparison
discord.py:
@bot.tree.command(name="ping")
async def ping(interaction: discord.Interaction):
await interaction.response.send_message(f"Pong! {round(bot.latency * 1000)}ms")
Pycord:
@bot.slash_command(name="ping")
async def ping(ctx: discord.ApplicationContext):
await ctx.respond(f"Pong! {round(bot.latency * 1000)}ms")
Pycord's syntax is shorter. discord.py separates the command tree from the client, giving more control with more setup code.
Bridge Commands (Pycord Only)
@bot.bridge_command(name="info")
async def info(ctx):
await ctx.respond("Works as both /info and !info")
Bridge commands register as both slash and prefix commands with one decorator. discord.py does not have this built in.
Which to Pick
Choose discord.py if:
- You are building a large, complex bot
- You want the largest community and most examples
- You prefer explicit API design
- You already have a discord.py codebase
Choose Pycord if:
- You want faster prototyping
- You need bridge commands
- You are starting fresh and want a friendlier API
What About Nextcord?
Nextcord stays close to discord.py's original API design with maintained slash command support. Smaller community, but a solid drop-in replacement option.
Hosting
Both libraries run on Python 3.10+. Space-Node's Discord bot plans run discord.py, Pycord and Nextcord bots on Python 3.10 or newer in Ashburn, Virginia, close to Discord's API. Growth is €0.50 a month for 512 MB RAM, billed €3.00 every 6 months plus a €0.50 setup fee on that term, with no sleep mode and auto-restart on crash. If you want root access for your own Python environment and systemd services, a VPS is the other route: Premium VPS plans start at €8.40 a month for 4 GB RAM.
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