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Discord BotsProgramming LanguagesBot DevelopmentDeveloper Tips

Top Programming Languages for Discord Bots

•3 min read•By 42Agents Team
Icons of different programming languages surrounding the Discord logo

Choosing the right programming language for your Discord bot can make or break your development experience. Some languages offer great community support and libraries, while others boast high performance or elegant syntax. But which one is right for you?

In this guide, we’ll explore the top programming languages used to build Discord bots, along with their pros, cons, and most popular libraries.

1. JavaScript / TypeScript

Why Use It?

JavaScript is by far the most popular language for Discord bots, especially for those using Node.js. TypeScript, its statically typed superset, adds type safety and cleaner structure to your projects.

Pros

  • Huge community and support
  • Fast development cycle
  • Excellent library: discord.js
  • Works well with REST APIs and real-time events
  • discord.js
  • Eris – Lightweight alternative for high-performance bots

"We started with Python but switched to TypeScript for scalability. Best decision ever!" — Full-stack Dev at a Web3 project

2. Python

Why Use It?

Python is the go-to language for beginners thanks to its readability and ease of use. It's also ideal for AI integration and automation-heavy bots.

Pros

  • Clean syntax, easy to learn
  • Strong AI and automation ecosystem
  • Excellent for prototyping
  • discord.py – Now community-maintained
  • nextcord and pycord – Updated forks of discord.py

3. Go

Why Use It?

Go (Golang) is a statically typed, compiled language built for performance and concurrency. It's great for bots that need to be fast and efficient.

Pros

  • High performance
  • Easy deployment as a single binary
  • Great for scalable, lightweight bots
  • disgord
  • dgrs

4. Rust

Why Use It?

Rust is a systems-level language that guarantees memory safety and performance. It’s overkill for many bots but shines in high-demand environments.

Pros

  • Memory safe
  • High performance
  • Modern tooling
  • serenity
  • twilight – Modular and low-level

"Rust is like driving a tank. Once you're in motion, nothing breaks. But it takes time to learn to drive." — Systems Developer @ DeFi startup

5. Java

Why Use It?

Java may not be as trendy, but it’s a solid choice with mature tooling, cross-platform support, and active libraries.

Pros

  • Mature and battle-tested
  • Great IDEs (like IntelliJ)
  • Strong multithreading support
  • JDA (Java Discord API)

How to Choose the Right Language

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Are you a beginner? → Try Python or JavaScript.
  • Need fast prototyping? → Python.
  • Looking for long-term scalability? → TypeScript or Go.
  • Want max performance and control? → Rust or Go.
  • Already working in Java? → JDA makes it easy to integrate.

Conclusion

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to programming languages for Discord bots. Your choice depends on your goals, experience level, and the type of bot you want to build.

Whatever you choose, make sure to leverage the libraries and tools available—and focus on writing clean, modular code.

Still unsure? Build your MVP in Python or JavaScript, then optimize later as your needs grow.

Need help choosing the right stack or building a full-featured AI-powered bot? Talk to 42Agents — we’ll help you get the right bot, with the right language, right away.