OpenClaw Hosting: Where to Run Your AI Assistant

Last Updated: February 2026

OpenClaw needs to run somewhere. Here are your options — from your laptop to the cloud.

Hosting Options Overview

Option 1: Your Computer

Best for: Getting started, testing, casual use

Pros

• Free
• Easy setup
• Full control

Cons

• Only works when computer is on
• Uses your resources
• Not ideal for 24/7 availability

Setup

npm install -g openclaw
openclaw onboard

Leave terminal running or use a process manager:

# Keep running after terminal closes
nohup openclaw &

Option 2: Raspberry Pi

Best for: Always-on home server, low power consumption

Pros

• ~$80 one-time cost
• 5W power (cheap to run)
• Always available
• No monthly fees

Cons

• Limited performance
• Can't run local LLMs well
• Requires some Linux knowledge

Setup

# On Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB+ RAM recommended)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
npm install -g openclaw
openclaw onboard

Recommended

• Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 (4GB+)
• SD card or SSD for storage
• Ethernet connection (more reliable)

Option 3: VPS / Cloud Server

Best for: Reliable 24/7 operation, remote access

Provider Comparison

Recommended Specs

• Minimum: 1GB RAM, 1 CPU, 25GB storage
• Comfortable: 2GB RAM, 2 CPU, 50GB storage
• Power user: 4GB+ RAM for local model support

Basic Setup (Ubuntu)

# Update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install Node.js
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Install OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw

# Run setup
openclaw onboard

# Keep running with systemd
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service > /dev/null <<EOF
[Unit]
Description=OpenClaw AI Assistant
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=$USER
ExecStart=$(which openclaw)
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable openclaw
sudo systemctl start openclaw

Option 4: OpenClaw Cloud

Best for: Zero setup, zero maintenance

What You Get

• Pre-configured OpenClaw instance
• Dashboard for management
• Automatic updates
• Priority support
• No server management

Pricing

• Starter: $39/month
• Pro: $79/month

Setup

1. Sign up at cloud.getopenclaw.ai
2. Connect your AI provider keys
3. Configure channels via dashboard
4. Start using

Trade-off: Less customization than self-hosting.

Option 5: Android Phone

Best for: Cheap dedicated device, mobile server

Pros

• Old phone = free hardware
• Battery backup built-in
• Portable

Cons

• Limited resources
• Needs Termux setup
• May need babysitting

Setup

See our Android guide.

Hosting Comparison

Security Considerations

VPS Security Basics

# Firewall
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw allow 443
sudo ufw enable

# Fail2ban (prevent brute force)
sudo apt install fail2ban

# SSH keys (disable password auth)
# Edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config
PasswordAuthentication no

OpenClaw Security

• Use strong API for web interface
• Enable auth on browser control
• Keep software updated
• Monitor logs for anomalies

Backup Strategy

# Backup OpenClaw data
tar -czvf openclaw-backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).tar.gz ~/.openclaw

# Automate with cron
0 0 * * * tar -czvf ~/backups/openclaw-$(date +\%Y\%m\%d).tar.gz ~/.openclaw

Migration

Moving OpenClaw to a new host:

# On old host
tar -czvf openclaw-migration.tar.gz ~/.openclaw

# Transfer
scp openclaw-migration.tar.gz newhost:~/

# On new host
npm install -g openclaw
tar -xzvf openclaw-migration.tar.gz -C ~/
openclaw  # Start with existing config

FAQ

What specs do I need?

• Minimum: 1GB RAM, 1 CPU
• Recommended: 2GB RAM, 2 CPU
• For local models: 16GB+ RAM, GPU

Can I run on Windows?

Yes, Windows 10/11 with Node.js works. WSL2 recommended for best experience.

Does my server need a static IP?

Not necessarily. Dynamic DNS services work for home setups.

Which cloud provider is best?

DigitalOcean for ease, Hetzner for value, AWS for ecosystem. All work fine.

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Choose hosting based on your needs: start local, move to VPS when you want 24/7, or skip straight to OpenClaw Cloud if you don't want to manage servers.