hikari
A sane Discord API for Python 3 built on asyncio and good intentions
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. Hikari is a stable, actively maintained Discord framework with low install friction, no security vulnerabilities, and permissive licensing. It's suitable for both simple bots and complex applications. Choose it if you want explicit type safety and control over event handling; pair it with a third-party command framework (lightbulb, tanjun, crescent, arc) if you need rapid command scaffolding.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later; Discord bot token and appropriate gateway intents must be configured.
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution.
- The package is actively maintained with recent commits and a stable release cycle, supporting current Python versions (3.10–3.14).
License · maintenance · safety
MIT (permissive) — Licensed under MIT (permissive), allowing free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions.
last release 2025-10-31 (287 days) · last repo commit 2026-08-14 · 913 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 141,503 downloads/mo, #11,240 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install hikari
import hikari
bot = hikari.GatewayBot(token="YOUR_TOKEN")
@bot.listen()
async def ping(event: hikari.MessageCreateEvent) -> None:
if bot.get_me().id in event.message.user_mentions_ids:
await event.message.respond("Pong!")
bot.run()- Performance characteristics and latency under high-volume event loads.
- Compatibility with third-party command frameworks (lightbulb, tanjun, crescent, arc) beyond documentation references.
- Resource consumption patterns for long-running bots at scale.
What it is and what it does
Hikari is a Discord bot framework built on asyncio that abstracts Discord's v10 REST and Gateway APIs into a type-annotated Python interface. It offers two primary bot implementations: GatewayBot for real-time event streaming via Discord's gateway, and RESTBot for interaction-only servers that receive slash commands and button interactions through webhooks. Both support customizable timeouts, proxy configuration, and event filtering via intents.
The framework is designed for developers who want explicit, statically-typed Discord interactions without a heavy command framework built in. It ships with four runtime dependencies (aiohttp, attrs, colorlog, multidict) and supports Python 3.10 through 3.14. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, and is used in production bots. Third-party command frameworks can be layered on top for rapid bot development.
Use it for
- Build a gateway-connected Discord bot that listens to message events and responds to mentions or commands.
- Create a REST-only bot that handles slash commands and button interactions via Discord's interaction webhooks.
- Integrate Discord API calls into a web dashboard or backend service using RESTApp for token-scoped REST access.
- Develop a type-safe bot with explicit intent configuration to control which events the bot receives.
- Use as a foundation for a custom command framework by layering business logic on top of event listeners.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
Hikari is a stable, actively maintained Discord framework with low install friction, no security vulnerabilities, and permissive licensing. It's suitable for both simple bots and complex applications. Choose it if you want explicit type safety and control over event handling; pair it with a third-party command framework (lightbulb, tanjun, crescent, arc) if you need rapid command scaffolding.
Install
hikari on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel distribution. The package is actively maintained with recent commits and a stable release cycle, supporting current Python versions (3.10–3.14).
Requires Python 3.10 or later; Discord bot token and appropriate gateway intents must be configured.
License in practice
Licensed under MIT (permissive), allowing free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions.
Quickstart
pip install hikari
import hikari
bot = hikari.GatewayBot(token="YOUR_TOKEN")
@bot.listen()
async def ping(event: hikari.MessageCreateEvent) -> None:
if bot.get_me().id in event.message.user_mentions_ids:
await event.message.respond("Pong!")
bot.run()Verify before relying
- Performance characteristics and latency under high-volume event loads.
- Compatibility with third-party command frameworks (lightbulb, tanjun, crescent, arc) beyond documentation references.
- Resource consumption patterns for long-running bots at scale.
Package facts
| License | MIT permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release <3.15,>=3.10.0 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 4 packagesaiohttpattrscolorlogmultidict |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 287 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 141,503 / month, #11,240 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: ConsoleFramework :: AsyncIOIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseNatural Language :: EnglishOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonTopic :: Communications :: ChatTopic :: Internet :: WWW/HTTPTopic :: Software Development :: Libraries |
Evidence: hikari-2.5.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also discord.py · discord · discord.py-self · py-cord · pywa · python-telegram-bot · allianceauth-discordbot · botbuilder-integration-aiohttp · qq-botpy · nextcord