# The Problem ## Self-Hosting OpenClaw Costs More Than You Think OpenClaw is incredible software. But running it yourself means becoming a part-time sysadmin. You did not sign up for that. Here is what “just spin up a VPS” actually looks like: ### The Docker Maze Install Docker, configure docker-compose, manage networking, debug port conflicts. One wrong flag and nothing works. ### SSL Certificate Circus Set up Let's Encrypt, configure auto-renewal, troubleshoot expired certs at the worst possible moment. Every 90 days, the anxiety returns. ### The VPS Money Pit $20-60/month for a server. Then another $10 for the domain. Then you realize you need more RAM. Then you need monitoring. Then backups. It adds up — fast. ### Midnight Debugging Sessions Your agent went down at 2 AM. No one noticed until morning. Now you are SSH-ing into a server on your phone, grep-ing logs, restarting containers, and questioning your life choices. ### Update Roulette A new OpenClaw version is out. Do you update? What if it breaks? Better read the changelog, backup everything, cross your fingers, and git pull. Sometimes it works. Sometimes Saturday is gone. ### Security is Your Problem Unpatched kernel? Open ports? Weak SSH config? Every self-hosted service is one misconfiguration away from becoming someone else's crypto miner. **The hidden cost of self-hosting:** Even if your VPS is $20/month, you are spending 5-15 hours per month on maintenance. Value your time at $50/hour and self-hosting costs **$270-770/month**. HostedClaws costs $40. --- # What You Get ## Everything OpenClaw Needs, Nothing You Don't ### Dedicated Cloud Container Your agent runs in an isolated Docker container with dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage. No noisy neighbors, no shared resources. Starter gets 1 vCPU and 2GB RAM; Pro gets 2 vCPU and 4GB RAM. Containers run on enterprise Hetzner servers in Europe with encrypted storage and automatic daily backups. ### 300+ AI Models via OpenRouter Access Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, Llama, Mistral, and hundreds more through a single integration. Switch models with one click — no API key juggling, no billing accounts to manage. Starter includes $10 in AI credits. Pro includes $25. Top up anytime in $5, $10, or $25 increments. ### Multi-Platform Messaging Connect your agent to Telegram, Discord, Slack, or use the built-in Gateway web UI. Your users talk to your agent wherever they already are. Set up any platform in under 2 minutes through our guided wizard. No webhook configuration required. ### Built-In AI Tools Web search, URL reader, persistent memory, reminders, and more — all pre-configured and ready to use. Your agent is not just a chatbot; it is a capable assistant that can research, remember, and act. Tools are enabled by default. No plugin marketplace, no extra fees. Everything works out of the box. ### Gateway Web UI Every agent gets a secure web interface at your-slug.hostedclaws.com. Share the link with anyone — they can chat with your agent from any browser, no app download required. Secured with token auth and device pairing. You control who has access. ### Automatic Updates & Monitoring We handle OpenClaw updates, security patches, and container health monitoring. When a new version drops, your agent gets it without you lifting a finger. Zero downtime deployments. Health checks run every 30 seconds. If anything goes wrong, we restart automatically before you even notice. --- # The Math ## Self-Hosted vs HostedClaws: The Real Numbers | Category | Self-Hosted | HostedClaws | |-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------| | Monthly cost | $20-60 (VPS) + your time | $40 all-in | | Setup time | 2-6 hours (if things go right) | 5 minutes | | Docker / CLI required | Yes — docker-compose, SSH, terminal | No — web dashboard only | | SSL certificates | Manual (Let's Encrypt + renewal) | Automatic, managed for you | | AI model access | BYOK — manage your own API keys | 300+ models, credits included | | Updates & patches | Manual — git pull, rebuild, pray | Automatic, zero downtime | | Monitoring & uptime | Set up your own (Uptime Kuma, etc.) | Built-in health checks 24/7 | | Time spent on DevOps / month | 5-15 hours | 0 hours | | Backups | DIY or forget | Automatic daily backups | ### Self-Hosting: True Monthly Cost - VPS (2GB+ RAM) $20-60 - Domain + DNS $1-2 - Your time (5-15 hrs @ $50/hr) $250-750 - API keys (OpenAI/Anthropic) $10-50+ - Real total $281-862/mo ### HostedClaws: All-In Cost - Hosting + compute Included - SSL + subdomain Included - Your time 0 hours - AI credits $10-25 included - Total $40-100/mo --- # How It Works ## Three Steps. Five Minutes. Done. 1. **Pick Your Plan**: Starter ($40/mo) for personal projects and small bots, or Pro ($100/mo) for production workloads. Both include AI credits, SSL, backups, and the full OpenClaw feature set. No hidden fees. 2. **Connect Your Bot**: Paste your Telegram bot token, Discord bot token, or Slack webhook. Our wizard validates the connection in real time — you will see a green checkmark when it works. Takes about 60 seconds. 3. **Deploy and Go**: Click deploy. Your dedicated container spins up, OpenClaw configures itself, and your agent starts responding to messages. The whole process takes under 5 minutes. No terminal. No config files. No Docker. [Read the detailed setup guide](/content/openclaw-hosting/setup/index.html) --- # Use Cases ## What People Build With Hosted OpenClaw ### Customer Support Bots Answer questions 24/7, search your knowledge base, escalate to humans when needed. Reduce support volume by 40-60%. ### Personal AI Assistants A private assistant that remembers your preferences, manages reminders, researches topics, and follows up on tasks. ### Community Moderators Manage Discord or Telegram communities with AI that answers FAQs, welcomes new members, and summarizes conversations. ### Sales & Lead Qualification Qualify leads automatically, respond instantly to inquiries, and schedule meetings — even at 3 AM. ### Internal Team Assistants A Slack bot that answers HR questions, searches documentation, onboards new hires, and manages team workflows. ### Research Assistants An agent that searches the web, reads URLs, summarizes articles, and builds knowledge over time with persistent memory. --- # FAQ ## Frequently Asked Questions About OpenClaw Hosting ### What exactly is OpenClaw? OpenClaw is an open-source AI agent framework that lets you create intelligent assistants connected to Telegram, Discord, Slack, and the web. It supports 300+ AI models through OpenRouter, includes built-in tools like web search, memory, reminders, and URL reading. Think of it as a self-hostable ChatGPT you actually own and control. ### Why would I use HostedClaws instead of self-hosting OpenClaw? Self-hosting means managing a VPS ($20-60/mo), installing Docker, configuring SSL certificates, setting up reverse proxies, monitoring uptime, applying security patches, and debugging when things break at 2 AM. HostedClaws handles all of that for $40/mo — plus you get managed AI credits, automatic updates, and a web dashboard. Most users save 10-15 hours per month on DevOps alone. ### How long does it actually take to get my agent running? About 5 minutes. Our setup wizard has three steps: pick your plan, connect your bot token (Telegram, Discord, etc.), and click deploy. No terminal, no config files, no Docker commands. Your agent is live and responding to messages within minutes. ### What AI models can I use? All of them — over 300 models through OpenRouter. That includes Claude (Anthropic), GPT-4o (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), Llama, Mistral, and many more. You can switch models anytime without redeploying. Your AI credits work across all models, so you can experiment freely. ### Do I need to bring my own API keys? No. Every HostedClaws plan includes managed AI credits ($10 on Starter, $25 on Pro). We provision an OpenRouter key for you automatically. No API key management, no billing surprises, no rate limit headaches. If you need more credits, you can top up in $5, $10, or $25 increments. ### Can I migrate my existing self-hosted OpenClaw to HostedClaws? Yes. OpenClaw stores its configuration and memory in standard files. You can export your config from your self-hosted instance and import it during HostedClaws setup. Your agent keeps its personality, memory, and conversation history. Most migrations take under 10 minutes. ### What happens if I want to leave HostedClaws? OpenClaw is open-source — there is zero lock-in. Your data, configuration, and conversation history are yours. You can export everything and self-host anytime. We want you to stay because the service is great, not because you are trapped. ### Is my data private and secure? Each customer gets an isolated Docker container with dedicated storage. Your data never touches another customer's environment. Containers run on encrypted European servers (Hetzner, Germany) with firewall rules restricting access. We do not train on your data or sell it — ever.