VPS Deployment Guide
Why VPS?
A VPS gives you an always-on, fast-internet server for your OpenClaw agent — no laptop required. Community members report VPS agents are more reliable than local deployments for production use.
This guide covers choosing a VPS provider, setting up OpenClaw on Ubuntu, and the trade-offs between VPS, local, and cloud deployments.
Jump to Section
Quick Start
If you already have a VPS with Ubuntu, install OpenClaw in 3 commands:
# Install Node.js 20 LTS curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash - sudo apt-get install -y nodejs # Install OpenClaw globally npm install -g openclaw@latest # Initialize and start openclaw init openclaw gateway start
VPS vs Local vs Cloud
| Factor | VPS | Local (Laptop/PC) | Cloud (AWS/GCP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $5-12/mo | $0 (your hardware) | $20-100+/mo |
| Uptime | 99.9% | Depends on your PC | 99.99% |
| Internet Speed | 1Gbps+ | Your ISP | 10Gbps+ |
| Complexity | Medium (SSH) | Low | High |
| Best For | Always-on agents | Development/testing | Enterprise/scale |
Recommended Providers
Contabo VPS 10
$5.50/mo4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 200GB NVMe
Best budget option. Popular in the community for basic agents.
Contabo VPS 30
$12/mo8 vCPU, 30GB RAM, 800GB NVMe
Recommended for multi-agent setups or agents with browser automation.
Hetzner CX22
$4.50/mo2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 40GB SSD
Great for lightweight agents. EU-based with excellent peering.
Hostinger Markup Warning
Some resellers (like Hostinger VPS) charge significantly more for the same specs. Compare prices at the provider's direct site before purchasing through a reseller.
Ubuntu Desktop + GUI Setup
For beginners, we recommend Ubuntu Desktop on a VPS with GUI access (via VNC or RDP). This lets you use a desktop environment to manage OpenClaw visually.
# Update system sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y # Install Node.js 20 LTS curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash - sudo apt-get install -y nodejs # Install Docker (for sandbox mode) curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh sudo usermod -aG docker $USER # Install OpenClaw npm install -g openclaw@latest # Initialize openclaw init # Set gateway mode openclaw config set gateway.mode local # Start gateway as background service openclaw gateway install openclaw gateway start
# The gateway install command registers a systemd service # Verify it's running: systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway # If systemctl --user is unavailable (some VPS images): nohup openclaw gateway run > /dev/null 2>&1 &
Mini PC & Raspberry Pi
Mini PC (Intel N100, etc.)
Mini PCs with Intel N100 or similar processors work well for always-on local deployments. 8GB RAM is sufficient for most agent configurations. See our Mac Mini deployment guide for a similar setup.
Raspberry Pi
LimitedPi 2: Incompatible — not enough RAM or CPU for Node.js + OpenClaw.
Pi 4 (4GB+): Possible for lightweight agents without browser automation. Performance is limited.
Pi 5 (8GB): Usable for basic agent deployments. Disable sandbox mode to save resources.
Raspberry Pi Limitations
ARM-based Pis may have issues with some npm native modules. Disable sandbox mode (openclaw config set agents.defaults.sandbox.mode off) and browser automation to reduce resource usage.
Community Tips
Always-on advantage
Your agent responds to Discord/Telegram/Slack messages 24/7 without keeping your laptop open. Cron jobs run reliably on schedule.
Fast internet
VPS datacenter internet (1Gbps+) means faster API calls and browser automation. Especially noticeable with large file downloads or web scraping.
Upgradeable
Start small ($5/mo) and upgrade RAM/CPU as your agent workload grows. No hardware to buy or manage.
Use Tailscale for remote access
Install Tailscale on your VPS and laptop to access the Control UI securely without exposing ports to the internet.
Related Guides
More deployment and optimization resources:
Did this guide solve your problem?