What is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is the most popular open-source AI agent in the world with 326,000+ GitHub stars. Originally known as Moltbot and later Clawdbot, it's a personal AI assistant that lives in your messaging platforms — Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, and 20+ others.
Unlike ChatGPT (which you visit in a browser), OpenClaw comes to you. It sends proactive messages, runs scheduled tasks, integrates with external tools like GitHub and Notion, browses the web, and maintains long-term memory across every conversation.
326K+ Stars
The most-starred AI agent on GitHub. Massive community, constant updates, and battle-tested by millions of users.
20+ Platforms
Works on Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, and more. One AI assistant across all your communication tools.
Fully Open Source
MIT licensed. No vendor lock-in. Inspect, modify, and extend everything. Your data, your rules.
The catch? OpenClaw needs a server to run on 24/7. Self-hosting means Docker, SSH, environment configs, crash recovery, and manual updates. That's where managed hosting comes in.
Why ClawdHost for
OpenClaw Hosting?
Not generic cloud hosting. ClawdHost is built specifically for OpenClaw — dedicated VPS, auto-updates, crash recovery, and multi-platform support out of the box.
Dedicated Hetzner VPS
Not a shared container. Your OpenClaw instance runs on its own dedicated Hetzner VPS with isolated resources, full process separation, and consistent performance. No noisy neighbors.
4-Platform Support
Connect Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack from a single instance. One AI assistant with consistent memory and context across every platform your team uses.
Automatic Updates
Always running the latest stable OpenClaw release. Security patches, new features, and bug fixes deployed automatically — no manual git pulls or Docker rebuilds.
Crash Recovery & Monitoring
Health checks every 30 seconds. If OpenClaw crashes or becomes unresponsive, it restarts automatically within seconds. 99.9% uptime SLA — your agent stays online while you sleep.
AES-256 Encrypted Credentials
Your API keys and bot tokens are encrypted with AES-256 at rest. Pre-configured firewall, SSH key authentication, and automatic security patches. Your credentials stay safe.
60-Second Deploy
Sign up, paste your API key, connect your platforms. Your dedicated VPS is provisioned, OpenClaw installed, security hardened, and your agent goes live — all in about a minute.
How It Works
From zero to a running OpenClaw agent in three steps
Sign Up & Add Your API Key
Create your account and paste your LLM API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, or OpenRouter). We provision your dedicated Hetzner VPS automatically.
30 secondsConnect Your Platforms
Follow guided setup to connect Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, or Slack. Paste your bot tokens — we handle the rest.
30 secondsYour Agent Goes Live
OpenClaw is installed, configured, and running on your dedicated VPS. Start chatting across all connected platforms immediately.
InstantSelf-Hosting vs ClawdHost
The real cost of self-hosting isn't the $5 VPS — it's the hours you spend on Docker, SSH, and debugging crash loops
| Feature | Self-Hosted VPS | ClawdHost |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 4-10 hours (Docker, networking, env config) | 60 seconds |
| Docker / SSH knowledge | Required | Not needed |
| Server management | You handle everything | Fully managed |
| OpenClaw upgrades | Manual git pull + rebuild (breaks often) | Automatic, zero-downtime |
| Crash recovery | DIY (PM2, systemd, hope for the best) | Automatic restart in seconds |
| Security hardening | Manual firewall, SSH, TLS config | Pre-configured, AES-256 |
| Multi-platform (4 platforms) | Configure each adapter yourself | One-click dashboard |
| Monthly cost | $5-15 VPS + hours of your time | $29/mo, BYOK |
Common self-hosting pain points
- • OpenClaw updates break your Docker config — hours of debugging
- • Agent crashes at 3am, nobody notices until morning
- • Configuring multi-platform adapters is a maze of env variables
- • Security hardening is a full-time job (ports, firewall, SSH keys, TLS)
Best for: People who want OpenClaw running reliably without becoming a sysadmin
How ClawdHost Compares
There are a few options for hosting OpenClaw. Here's an honest look at the landscape.
xCloud
General-purpose cloud hosting. You still need to configure OpenClaw yourself, manage Docker, and handle updates manually. Good for developers comfortable with DevOps.
Best if you want full infrastructure control
RunMyClaw
Shared hosting for OpenClaw. Lower price point but shared resources mean inconsistent performance. Limited platform support and slower response times during peak usage.
Best if budget is the only priority
KiloClaw
Includes bundled AI credits in their pricing. Higher monthly cost since you pay for credits you may not use. Less flexibility in choosing your LLM provider.
Best if you want bundled credits (but costs more)
ClawdHost
Dedicated Hetzner VPS (not shared), BYOK pricing ($29/mo — no bundled credits you don't need), 60-second deploy, automatic updates, crash recovery, and 4-platform support out of the box.
Best if you want dedicated hosting with full control over your LLM provider
Simple, Transparent Pricing
One plan. Dedicated VPS. Bring your own API key.
BYOK — Bring Your Own API Key
- Dedicated Hetzner VPS (2GB RAM, 2 vCPU)
- OpenClaw pre-installed & configured
- Discord + Telegram + WhatsApp + Slack
- Automatic updates to latest OpenClaw
- 99.9% uptime SLA
- 24/7 monitoring & auto-restart
- AES-256 encrypted credential storage
- Zero-downtime deployments
- Email support
- 24-hour money-back guarantee
Cancel anytime, no questions asked
* LLM API keys required (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.) — not included. No AI credits bundled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about OpenClaw hosting
Is OpenClaw free?+
Yes, OpenClaw itself is 100% free and open source (MIT license) with 326,000+ GitHub stars. You can download it and run it yourself at no cost. However, you need two things to actually use it: (1) a server to run it on 24/7, and (2) an API key from an LLM provider like Anthropic, OpenAI, or OpenRouter. ClawdHost handles the server part for $29/mo. You bring your own API key and pay your LLM provider directly for usage.
What is OpenClaw hosting?+
OpenClaw hosting is a service that runs OpenClaw on a remote server 24/7 so you don't have to. Instead of setting up Docker, configuring a VPS, managing SSH keys, and debugging crash loops yourself, a hosting service handles all of that. ClawdHost specifically gives you a dedicated Hetzner VPS (not a shared container), automatic updates, crash recovery, and a dashboard to manage Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack connections.
OpenClaw vs ChatGPT — what's the difference?+
ChatGPT is a web app you visit in your browser. OpenClaw is a self-hosted AI agent that lives in your messaging platforms (Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack) and acts autonomously. OpenClaw can send you proactive messages, run scheduled tasks, integrate with external tools (GitHub, Notion, calendars), browse the web, and maintain long-term memory across conversations. It also uses your own API key, so you control which AI model it uses and your data stays private.
How much does it cost to run OpenClaw?+
There are two costs: hosting and AI usage. ClawdHost charges $29/mo for fully managed hosting on a dedicated VPS. For AI usage, you pay your LLM provider directly — typical costs range from $5-30/month depending on how much you use it. Anthropic Claude Sonnet is the most popular choice. Self-hosting on your own VPS costs $5-15/month for the server, but requires 4-10 hours of setup time and ongoing maintenance.
Is my data private?+
Yes. Your OpenClaw instance runs on an isolated, dedicated VPS — not a shared container. Your conversations go directly from OpenClaw to your chosen LLM provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.) — ClawdHost never sees your chat data. Your API keys and bot tokens are encrypted with AES-256 at rest. Since you bring your own API key (BYOK), you maintain full data ownership and can switch providers anytime.
What used to be called Clawdbot and Moltbot?+
OpenClaw was originally called Moltbot, then renamed to Clawdbot, and is now known as OpenClaw. It's the same project with the same community. If you're searching for Moltbot hosting or Clawdbot hosting, ClawdHost supports the current OpenClaw version with all the latest features.
Do I need Docker or SSH knowledge?+
No. ClawdHost handles all the infrastructure. You never need to open a terminal, write a Dockerfile, or SSH into a server. Everything is managed through a web dashboard. Sign up, paste your API key, connect your platforms, and you're live.
What platforms does OpenClaw support?+
OpenClaw supports 20+ messaging platforms. ClawdHost provides one-click setup for the four most popular: Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack. All four run from the same instance with shared memory, so your AI assistant maintains consistent context across every platform.
What happens when OpenClaw releases an update?+
ClawdHost automatically updates your instance to the latest stable OpenClaw release. Updates are applied with zero-downtime deployment so your agent stays online throughout the process. No manual git pulls, no Docker rebuilds, no broken dependencies.
Can I cancel anytime?+
Yes. Cancel from your dashboard with one click. No long-term contracts, no cancellation fees. Your instance stays active until the end of your current billing period. We also offer a 24-hour money-back guarantee — if ClawdHost isn't right for you, get a full refund, no questions asked.
Why $29/mo instead of just using a $5 VPS?+
A $5 VPS gives you a blank server. You still need to install Docker, clone the repo, configure environment variables, set up a firewall, configure SSL, set up process monitoring (PM2/systemd), and handle updates manually. Most people spend 4-10 hours on initial setup and ongoing maintenance. ClawdHost eliminates all of that — dedicated VPS, auto-updates, crash recovery, security hardening, and multi-platform dashboard for $29/mo. Best for people who value their time.