What it costs
How to run several Telegram bots without paying for a server each
In short
Running several Telegram bots is cheaper than it looks: the plan is paid once per account ($4.99 a month) and every extra project is a slot at $3.99 for 30 days. Three bots running around the clock cost $4.99 plus two slots a month. You do not rent or configure a separate server per bot.
There is rarely just one bot. First comes a bot for yourself, then one for a friend, then a client asks for the same thing with different wording. On your own server that turns into a separate story for each: the wrong Python version here, a library conflict there, a forgotten autostart somewhere else — all on one machine you are now afraid to touch.
Let us look at how paying for several bots works on a platform, and what the second, third and fifth bot actually cost.
Separate two questions: how it runs and how many#
On Netrun these are two different things. The plan decides the mode: on Pro projects run around the clock and do not shut down. Slots decide the count: one project is included in the plan, every next one is a slot. So five bots do not mean five plans — the plan stays one and the slots become four.
Work out your own number#
The maths is simple: $4.99 a month for the plan plus $3.99 for each project beyond the first. Two bots — $4.99 and one slot. Three bots — $4.99 and two slots. All of them run around the clock: the mode comes from the plan and applies to every project you have.
Keep bots as separate projects#
Upload each bot as its own project rather than stuffing them all into one. That way each has its own logs, its own token, its own persistent data folder, and updating one bot leaves the others alone. A crashed bot restarts by itself without taking its neighbours down — something a shared server rarely manages.
Keep the tokens in secrets#
Each bot has its own BotFather token, and each is stored as a secret inside its own project — never in the code or the archive. Tokens do not cross between projects, so running two bots on the same token by mistake is not possible by design.
Add and drop slots as you go#
A slot is bought for 30 days and renews itself while there is money on your balance. If a bot is no longer needed, turn off auto-renewal for its slot: the project finishes the paid period and stops, and nothing further is charged. We email you before each slot runs out, so nothing switches off out of the blue.
Test a new bot for free first#
A new bot starts on the free plan and runs for 3 days. That is enough to confirm it builds and replies — and only then buy a slot. You never pay for a project that has not started once.
Several bots do not mean several servers or several subscriptions. One plan per account, a slot for each additional bot, and a single dashboard showing all of them. Upload your first bot to Netrun and add the rest when you need them.
Common questions
How much does it cost to run several Telegram bots?
The plan is paid once per account — $4.99 a month — and each project beyond the first costs $3.99 for 30 days. Three bots running around the clock, for example, come to $4.99 for the plan plus two slots.
Do I need a separate plan for each bot?
No. The plan belongs to the account: it decides how your projects run and applies to all of them at once. Only slots are bought per project.
Can I run several bots inside one project?
Technically yes, but it is a poor idea. Separate projects give each bot its own logs, its own persistent folder and independent updates: editing one bot does not restart the others, and one crash does not take everything down.
What happens when a slot runs out?
While auto-renewal is on and your balance covers it, the slot renews by itself. If the money is not there, the project above your plan limit stops, but the code and data stay in place and paying restores everything. We email you before the deadline.
Can I switch one bot off and keep the rest?
Yes. Auto-renewal is controlled per slot, and stopping one project has no effect on the others.
What if the bots are only needed occasionally?
Then weekly billing suits better — $1.49 for the plan, plus slots for the projects you need right now. Bots waiting for their moment can simply be left stopped: code and settings are kept.
What are slots and how do they work?
A slot adds one more project on top of your plan — it is about how many projects you have, not how they run. You can buy a slot on any plan, and each slot renews separately, independently of the plan. A slot does not turn on around-the-clock work: to keep a bot running beyond 3 days you need the Pro plan, while a slot is what you need once you have more than one project.
How many projects can I keep?
The free plan and Pro each include one project. To add more, buy slots — each slot gives you one more project.
What happens when a slot runs out?
While auto-renewal is on and your balance covers it, the slot renews by itself and you notice nothing. If the money was not there or auto-renewal is off, the project above your plan limit stops — its code and data stay where they are, and paying brings everything back. After that you have 2 days to add funds: if the balance is still empty by then, the project is deleted along with its data. None of this happens silently — we email you in advance, at the moment the app stops, and once more a day before deletion, and your account shows the deadline and what to do.
Can I cancel auto-renewal?
Yes. Auto-renewal of the plan and of each slot can be turned off in your account — once the paid period ends, it simply will not renew.