You've decided to run OpenClaw. Now the question is: do you set it up yourself on a VPS, or use a managed hosting service?
Both are valid choices. Here's a detailed comparison to help you decide.
Quick Comparison
| Factor | Self-Hosted (VPS) | Managed (ClawTank) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 1-3 hours | Under 1 minute |
| Technical skill needed | High (Linux, Docker, SSH) | None |
| Monthly hosting cost | $3.49-12/mo | Subscription |
| API cost | Same | Same (BYOK) |
| Maintenance | You handle everything | Managed for you |
| Customization | Full control | Dashboard-based |
| Telegram setup | Manual pairing | Paste token, done |
| TLS/HTTPS | You configure | Automatic |
| Updates | Manual | Managed |
| Backups | You manage | Built-in |
| Support | Community forums | Direct support |
Self-Hosting: The Details
What You Need
- A VPS with 2+ vCPU, 4GB+ RAM (Hetzner $3.49/mo, DigitalOcean $12/mo)
- SSH access and basic Linux knowledge
- Docker installed and configured
- A domain name (optional but recommended for HTTPS)
Setup Process
- Provision a VPS and SSH in
- Install Docker and Node.js
- Install OpenClaw
- Configure
openclaw.json— model, API keys, channels - Set up Telegram pairing
- Configure a reverse proxy (Caddy/Nginx) for HTTPS
- Set up a process manager (PM2/systemd) for auto-restart
Realistic time: 1-3 hours for someone experienced. Much longer for beginners.
Ongoing Maintenance
- OS and package updates
- OpenClaw version updates
- Docker cleanup (images, volumes)
- Log rotation
- Monitoring uptime
- SSL certificate renewal (automated with Caddy, manual otherwise)
- Debugging when things break
Pros
- Cheapest option — $3.49/mo for hosting
- Full control — customize anything
- Learning opportunity — understand the full stack
- No vendor dependency — run it forever on your own
Cons
- Time investment — setup and maintenance add up
- Debugging is on you — gateway errors at 2 AM are your problem
- Security responsibility — firewall, updates, access control
- No support — community forums or figure it out yourself
Managed Hosting: The Details
What You Need
- A Google account (for sign-in)
- A Telegram bot token (30 seconds from BotFather)
- An AI API key (or use the platform key)
Setup Process
- Visit clawtank.dev
- Choose your AI model
- Paste your Telegram bot token
- Sign in with Google
Realistic time: under 1 minute.
What's Handled for You
- Server provisioning and management
- Docker container isolation
- Auto-TLS with Let's Encrypt
- Subdomain routing
- OpenClaw configuration
- Telegram integration
- Supermemory plugin
- Log monitoring dashboard
- Container rebuilds
Pros
- Instant setup — literally under 1 minute
- Zero maintenance — nothing to update or fix
- Pre-configured — Telegram, TLS, memory, all ready
- Dashboard — monitor logs, settings, memory graph
- Support — when something doesn't work, it's not your problem
Cons
- Higher cost — subscription vs bare VPS
- Less customization — can't modify container internals freely
- Vendor dependency — relies on ClawTank staying online
Cost Breakdown
Self-Hosted (Monthly)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hetzner VPS (4GB) | $3.49 |
| Domain name | ~$1 (amortized) |
| AI API usage | $5-30 |
| Your time (1hr/mo maintenance × $50/hr) | $50 |
| Total | $59-84 |
Managed — ClawTank (Monthly)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| ClawTank subscription | Subscription fee |
| AI API usage (BYOK) | $5-30 |
| Your time | $0 |
| Total | Subscription + $5-30 |
The hidden cost of self-hosting is your time. If your hourly rate is $50+, even 1 hour of monthly maintenance makes managed hosting cheaper.
Who Should Self-Host?
- Developers who enjoy infrastructure and want full control
- Privacy maximalists who want zero third-party involvement
- Budget-conscious users who value $3.49/mo over convenience
- Learners who want to understand Docker, Linux, and networking
Who Should Use Managed Hosting?
- Non-technical users who don't know Docker or SSH
- Busy professionals who value time over small cost savings
- Teams who need multiple instances without a DevOps person
- Anyone who tried self-hosting and got frustrated
The Hybrid Approach
Some users start with managed hosting to get running immediately, then migrate to self-hosting later once they understand OpenClaw better. ClawTank's configuration is standard OpenClaw — there's no lock-in.
Get Started
Want full control? Follow our self-hosting guide or check the official docs.
Want it running now? Deploy on ClawTank in under 1 minute.