Instead of hosting Lavalink yourself, use a that already handles it:
Offers powerful ARM servers (Ampere) that can run several Lavalink nodes for free permanently.
If you want a dedicated instance for your bot, you can host Lavalink yourself for free using these platforms:
const Manager = require("erela.js"); const nodes = [ host: "://render.com", port: 443, password: "youshallnotpass", secure: true ]; const manager = new Manager( nodes, send(id, payload) const guild = client.guilds.cache.get(id); if (guild) guild.shard.send(payload); ); Use code with caution. Risks and Limitations of Free Hosting
That said, here's an to getting free/low-cost Lavalink hosting: lavalink hosting free link
While free links are excellent for development and small servers, they come with trade-offs that you must consider before launching a public bot:
⚡ Always configure your bot with a list of 2 or 3 free links. Most Lavalink wrappers will automatically failover to the next available node if one goes down.
Once you acquire a free link, you will typically receive four pieces of information: , Port , Password , and whether Secure (SSL/WSS) is enabled.
Instead of hunting for "free links" (which are often dead or overloaded), I suggest: Instead of hosting Lavalink yourself, use a that
Here is a sample config.js for a typical Node.js bot using a free link:
While many services offer paid tiers, several providers offer "community" or free nodes to help developers get started. 1. Community-Run Public Nodes
When you find a free public link, it will always provide the following structure for your bot's configuration file:
Due to legal and API shifts, many free public nodes do not support YouTube links out of the box, requiring you to rely heavily on Spotify, SoundCloud, or custom audio attachments. Most Lavalink wrappers will automatically failover to the
Notes: some hosts require building a Docker container; others let you run a Java process directly. Read the platform docs for process file names or start commands.
All your bot's audio data passes through the host's server. Never use public nodes for sensitive or private audio streams. Best Practices for Stability
If you want a private node to avoid rate limits or community congestion, these providers offer free tiers or trial credits where you can host a Lavalink jar file.
We must discuss the elephant in the room. When you paste a random "lavalink hosting free link" from a forum into your bot, you are trusting a stranger.
Hosting Lavalink requires a compatible Java environment and a server or cloud platform. This guide covered the basics of hosting Lavalink on free platforms like Heroku and Vercel.