No, you can connect to as many channels as you want on a single connection. The only limit on channels per connection is your ability to keep up with the incoming message flood.
Assuming you want the same user to join all 500 channels.
Nightbot/Streamlabs/StreamElements dont have one instance of the bot for each channel they need to be in.
They’ll have an instance of the bot connect to, I don’t know say, 1000 channels per connection.
You do not need a new connection for each channel your bot needs to be in .
You only need a different connection/instance if you are also using a different bot username per channel.
You just need to join channeks in line with the stated join rate limits.
So if you bot uses the username bob
You can start bob and join
- fred
- sally
- bob (bob’s own channel)
- dave
and so on all on one connection/instance.