Can I migrate from self-hosted to ManagedClaw?

Yes, anytime. We take over your memory files, configurations, and tool integrations. It typically takes less than 30 minutes.

Home / OpenClaw / Self-Hosted

🖥️ Self-Hosting Guide – February 2026

Self-host OpenClaw – the complete guide

Want to run OpenClaw on your own server? Here’s what you need, what it really costs, and where the pitfalls are.

Hardware Requirements

What you need for self-hosted OpenClaw

OpenClaw is lightweight, but an autonomous AI agent needs more than a WordPress blog. Here are the realistic minimum requirements:

Resource	Minimum	Recommended
RAM	4 GB	8 GB
CPU	2 vCPUs	4 vCPUs
Storage	20 GB SSD	40 GB NVMe
Runtime	Docker or Node.js 22+	Docker (recommended)
OS	Ubuntu 22.04+ (64-bit)	Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
LLM API Key	Claude, GPT-4, Llama, etc.	Claude (Anthropic)

Cost estimate: Hetzner cx23 from ~€5/month + API costs €20–60/month = €25–65/month excluding your time.

Setup Overview

5 steps to self-hosted OpenClaw

An overview of what to expect. You’ll find the detailed guide at Set up OpenClaw.

Rent a server

Set up a VPS at Hetzner, DigitalOcean, or AWS. Secure SSH, configure firewall.

Install Docker & OpenClaw

Set up Docker Engine, pull the OpenClaw image, configure docker-compose.yml.

SSL & Reverse Proxy

Let’s Encrypt certificate, Nginx or Caddy as reverse proxy, configure domain.

Harden security

Container isolation, egress filtering, secrets management, set up Fail2Ban.

Configure agent

LLM provider, channels (Telegram, Slack, Email), memory, and tools.

Estimated effort: 2–4 hours (with DevOps experience)

Security Risks

What can go wrong

An AI agent with shell access is not a WordPress blog. Without professional hardening, your self-hosted OpenClaw becomes a security risk:

🔒

Container Isolation

Without container isolation, your agent runs with full access to the host filesystem and network. A prompt injection attack can compromise the entire system.

🌐

Egress Filtering

Without network allowlists, a compromised agent can contact any endpoint – exfiltrate data, download malware, or be abused as a proxy.

🛡️

Prompt Injection Defense

Your agent processes external input (emails, web content). Without input sanitization and output validation, every untrusted input becomes an attack vector.

🔑

Credentials Management

API keys, OAuth tokens, database passwords – everything must be stored securely. No .env files in repos, no secrets in logs, no plaintext on disk.

Hidden Costs

What self-hosting really costs

The server costs €5/month. But the real price is your time and expertise:

⏱

4–8h / month

Security patches, OpenClaw updates, check monitoring, test backups, log rotation, troubleshooting.

🧠

DevOps Expertise

Linux administration, Docker, network security, SSL/TLS, firewall rules – you need to know this or learn it.

📜

GDPR Documentation

Processing records, data protection impact assessment, DPA agreements, TOMs, deletion policy – your responsibility.

Comparison

Self-Hosted vs. Managed OpenClaw

Criterion	Self-Hosted	ManagedClaw
Setup Time	⚠️ 2–4 hours	✅ 2 minutes
Monthly Effort	❌ 4–8h maintenance	✅ 0h – fully managed
Cost / Month	⚠️ ~€25–65 + your time	✅ From €19/mo all-inclusive
Security	❌ Your responsibility	✅ Container isolation, egress filter
GDPR	❌ DPA, TOMs on your own	✅ GDPR-compliant from day one
Updates	❌ Manual	✅ Automatic, zero downtime
Monitoring	❌ Build it yourself	✅ Built-in with alerting
Support	❌ Community / GitHub	✅ Personal, in your language
Control	✅ Full control	⚠️ No root access
Hosting	Your choice	🇩🇪 Hetzner Germany

Frequently Asked

FAQ: OpenClaw Self-Hosting

Minimum: 2 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM, 20 GB SSD, Ubuntu 22.04+. For production use, we recommend 4 vCPUs and 8 GB RAM. An affordable VPS at Hetzner (cx23) is enough to get started – from around €5/month.

Realistically: 4–8 hours per month for security patches, OpenClaw updates, monitoring, backups, and troubleshooting. Add the initial setup time of 2–4 hours. With ManagedClaw, we handle all of that for you.

In principle, yes – if you set up the infrastructure correctly: DPA with your hosting provider, technical and organizational measures (TOMs), deletion policy, processing records. All of that is your responsibility. With ManagedClaw, we include everything from the start.

Yes, anytime. We take over your memory files, configurations, and tool integrations. In a personal setup call, we help you with the migration. It typically takes less than 30 minutes.

Don’t want to deal with server management?

ManagedClaw delivers OpenClaw production-ready – hardened, GDPR-compliant, with personal support. From €19/month.

🚀 Start Managed OpenClaw →View hosting comparison →