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OpenClaw VPS

Self-hosted AI Assistant on Your Own VPS

Deploy a private, always-on AI agent on Contabo VPS. Integrates with WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and Slack with 50+ tool integrations. Open-source, proactive automation with full system access, persistent memory, and support for any AI model. Free 1-click setup, starting at $5.25/mo.

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source, proactive AI assistant that runs locally on your device (Mac, Windows, Linux, or cloud servers) and acts as a personal agent with direct system access, persistent memory, and integrations for automating tasks via everyday chat apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, and iMessage.

Key Benefits

Complete Privacy Control

All data stays on your hardware. No vendor lock-in or third-party access to your conversations and files.

Model Flexibility

Connect to any AI model (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or local LLMs) using your own API keys.

Full System Access

Securely reads/writes files, runs shell commands, controls browsers for end-to-end automation.

Proactive Operation

Runs independently with cron jobs, reminders, and scheduled tasks - like having your own JARVIS.

Cost Effectiveness

Free software with typical usage costs of $5-110/month vs $20+/month for ChatGPT Plus.

Universal Chat Interface

Works inside your existing messaging apps. No new platforms or interfaces to learn.

How OpenClaw Differs from ChatGPT & Claude

Feature OpenClaw (Self-Hosted) ChatGPT / Claude (Cloud)
Data Privacy Full control; data stays local Data sent to provider servers
Model Support Any model (Claude, GPT, local LLMs) Limited to provider's models
Automation Proactive (schedules, monitoring, 24/7) Mostly reactive, limited actions
System Access Full file/script/browser control No local access
Memory Persistent local storage across sessions Session-based only
Customization Open-source, fully modifiable Limited to provider APIs

Getting Started Guide

System Requirements

Component Minimum Recommended Notes
CPU 2 cores 4+ cores API calls dominate performance
RAM 2 GB 8+ GB Sufficient for most use cases
Storage 75 GB 150+ GB NVMe preferred for better performance
OS Ubuntu 20.04+ Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Mac, Windows, Linux all supported
Network 200 Mbit/s 1 Gbit/s Unlimited traffic recommended

Contabo VPS Setup (One-Click Installation)

Fastest path to getting started: Contabo offers a 1-click OpenClaw installer. No manual setup required - just provision a VPS and OpenClaw is pre-installed.
1

Order VPS

2

Deploy OpenClaw

  • In server dashboard, select reinstallation option
  • Choose OpenClaw from the application list
  • Set a secure root password for SSH access
  • Confirm installation (takes 5-10 minutes)
3

Access Your Server

  • Wait for email with IP address and login details
  • SSH into server:
ssh root@YOUR_VPS_IP

Installation & Configuration

One-Click Installation (Recommended): If using Contabo's 1-click installer, OpenClaw is pre-installed. Run the onboarding wizard:

openclaw onboard

Manual Installation Alternative:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.bot/install.sh | bash
openclaw onboard

Initial Configuration

1

Security Acknowledgment

Acknowledge that OpenClaw has full system access and select Yes.

2

API Configuration

Configure your Anthropic API key (required for core LLM functionality). You can add OpenAI, Google, or other keys later.

3

Chat Integration

Connect Telegram bot or other messaging platforms. Setup takes 2-5 minutes per platform.

4

Package Manager

Select npm as package manager.

5

Optional Setup

Skip optional skills, API keys, and dependencies initially - you can add them later.

Dashboard Access

Access the control interface via:

  • Terminal: Direct command line interaction
  • Telegram: Message your configured bot
  • SSH Tunnel: For web UI access from remote locations

Verify installation:

openclaw --version
Expected output: ~2026.2.6-3 or later. If you see a version number, OpenClaw is installed and ready to use.

Integrations (50+)

OpenClaw connects to over 50 applications and services, enabling AI automation across your entire digital workflow.

Messaging Platforms

  • WhatsApp - Personal accounts via QR scan, Business API for enterprise
  • Telegram - Native bot support with full messaging capabilities
  • Discord - Server and DM integration for communities
  • Slack - Workplace automation and team communication
  • Signal - Privacy-focused messaging
  • iMessage - Apple ecosystem integration

Developer Tools

  • GitHub - Repository management, issue tracking, CI/CD monitoring
  • VS Code - Code editing and project management
  • Terminal - Shell command execution and script automation
  • Git - Version control operations and workflow automation
  • Docker - Container management and deployment

Productivity Apps

  • Calendar - Event scheduling and reminder management
  • Notion - Database management and content organization
  • Todoist - Task management and project tracking
  • Trello - Board-based project management
  • Asana - Team collaboration and workflow tracking
  • Obsidian - Note-taking and knowledge management
  • Apple Notes/Reminders - Native iOS/macOS integration
  • Things 3 - GTD-style task management

Smart Home & IoT

  • Home Assistant - Comprehensive home automation platform
  • Philips Hue - Smart lighting control
  • Elgato - Stream deck and smart home devices
  • Health Wearables - Fitness tracking and health metrics

WhatsApp Setup Guide

Tip: Use a dedicated WhatsApp number/account for optimal performance. Setup typically takes 2-5 minutes.
1

Install WhatsApp Skill

clawhub install whatsapp-mcp
2

Configure Integration

  • Run openclaw configure
  • Select WhatsApp from the channel list
  • Choose setup method (QR code for personal, API for business)
3

Authentication

  • Personal: Scan QR code with WhatsApp mobile app
  • Business: Configure webhook/API credentials
  • Approve pairing codes if prompted:
openclaw pairing approve whatsapp <code>
4

Test Connection

Send a test message: "Hello OpenClaw" - then try commands like /status or /help.

5

Restart Agent

openclaw restart

Use Cases & Examples

Personal AI Assistant

Daily Productivity Management

  • Morning Briefings: Automated summaries of schedule, deadlines, and news delivered via WhatsApp
  • Email Organization: Clears inbox, categorizes emails, alerts on urgent messages
  • Calendar Management: Flight check-ins, meeting rescheduling, deadline tracking
  • File Synchronization: Scans local drives vs cloud backups, handles missing file transfers
Example Prompt
"Give me my morning briefing including:
- Today's calendar with any conflicts
- Urgent emails from the last 12 hours
- Top 3 news items relevant to my work in AI/tech
- Weather and any travel alerts for my commute"

Smart Home Automation

  • Environmental Control: Philips Hue lighting based on time/activity
  • Health Monitoring: Wearable data tracking and wellness reminders
  • Security Alerts: Home Assistant integration for monitoring and notifications
Example Prompt
"Set up evening routine:
- Dim living room lights to 30% at 8 PM
- Check if all doors/windows are secured
- Pull today's step count and sleep score from my fitness tracker
- Remind me to charge devices if battery < 20%"

Developer Automation

CI/CD Pipeline Management

  • Build Monitoring: Alert on failed builds or deployment issues
  • Code Review: GitHub integration for PR notifications and status updates
  • Repository Management: Automated issue triaging and branch cleanup
Example Prompt
"Monitor my GitHub repositories and notify me via Slack when:
- Any CI/CD pipeline fails
- New issues are opened with 'critical' or 'bug' labels
- Pull requests have been waiting for review > 24 hours
- Dependencies have security vulnerabilities"

Development Workflow

  • Environment Setup: Automated Docker container management
  • Code Documentation: Generate API docs and README updates
  • Testing Automation: Run test suites and report coverage metrics
Example Prompt
"Create a development workflow that:
- Spins up test environment when I push to 'dev' branch
- Runs full test suite and generates coverage report
- Updates project documentation if code structure changes
- Sends summary to team Slack channel with results"

Team Workflows

Project Coordination

  • Meeting Management: Automated agenda creation and follow-up tasks
  • Resource Allocation: Track team capacity and project deadlines
  • Communication Routing: Intelligent message distribution based on content
Example Prompt
"Set up team coordination system:
- Parse meeting notes and extract action items
- Assign tasks to appropriate team members in Asana
- Send weekly capacity reports to project managers
- Alert if any project is at risk of missing deadline"

Client Communication

  • Status Updates: Automated project progress reports
  • Issue Escalation: Route urgent client requests to available team members
  • Invoice Processing: Track billable hours and generate reports

Data Processing

Content Aggregation

  • Research Compilation: Gather information from multiple sources
  • Social Media Monitoring: Track mentions and engagement metrics
  • Market Analysis: Automated competitor research and reporting
Example Prompt
"Create daily research digest:
- Search for new articles about 'AI automation' from top 10 tech sites
- Summarize key findings in 3 bullet points each
- Check Twitter/LinkedIn for trending discussions in my industry
- Generate weekly trend analysis comparing this week vs last week"

Business Intelligence

  • Analytics Automation: Regular reporting on key metrics
  • Data Visualization: Automated chart/graph generation
  • Anomaly Detection: Alert on unusual patterns or outliers
Example Prompt
"Monitor business metrics and alert me when:
- Website traffic drops > 20% week-over-week
- Conversion rate falls below 2.5%
- Customer support tickets increase > 50% in 24 hours
- Generate automated weekly executive summary with charts"

Best Prompts & Tips

Copy-paste these prompts into OpenClaw to unlock powerful automation workflows.

Productivity & Task Management

Daily Planning & Prioritization

Prompt
Act as my productivity coach. Analyze my calendar for [today/this week] and help me:
1. Identify potential scheduling conflicts
2. Suggest optimal time blocks for deep work
3. Recommend which tasks to defer if I'm overcommitted
4. Create a realistic daily schedule with buffer time

Context: I'm a [your role] with priorities in [list top 3 priorities].
I work best during [time periods] and prefer [working style preferences].

Email and Communication Management

Prompt
Help me process my inbox efficiently:
- Categorize emails into: Urgent/Action Required, FYI, and Archive
- Draft quick responses for routine inquiries
- Identify emails that need longer, thoughtful replies
- Flag any potential opportunities or important updates

For urgent items, suggest specific next steps and deadlines.

Development & Technical Tasks

Code Review and Documentation

Prompt
Review my codebase and help me:
1. Identify potential security vulnerabilities or performance issues
2. Suggest improvements for code readability and maintainability
3. Generate comprehensive documentation for new functions/APIs
4. Create unit tests for critical components

Focus on [specific technology stack] best practices and include examples.

DevOps Monitoring

Prompt
Set up automated monitoring for my development environment:
- Track system resource usage (CPU, memory, disk space)
- Monitor application logs for errors or unusual patterns
- Check service uptime and response times
- Alert me via [preferred channel] if any metrics exceed thresholds

Configure alerts for: [specific thresholds and conditions]

Research & Analysis

Information Synthesis

Prompt
Research [specific topic] and provide:
1. Executive summary (2-3 key takeaways)
2. Current industry trends and developments
3. Potential opportunities or threats for [my business/project]
4. Recommended next steps or areas for deeper investigation

Sources should include: [specify preferred sources]

Competitive Analysis

Prompt
Analyze my competitors in [specific market/niche]:
- Compare feature sets and pricing strategies
- Identify gaps in the market that I could address
- Track recent announcements, funding, or partnerships
- Summarize their content marketing and positioning strategies

Focus on: [list top 3-5 competitors]

Personal & Lifestyle

Habit Tracking and Goal Setting

Prompt
Help me optimize my daily routines:
1. Analyze my current habits and identify improvement opportunities
2. Suggest small changes that could compound over 90 days
3. Create accountability checkpoints and progress metrics
4. Design reminder systems for new habits

My current goals: [list 2-3 specific goals]
My constraints: [time, energy, resources]

Health and Wellness Monitoring

Prompt
Track my wellness metrics and provide insights:
- Monitor sleep patterns, exercise frequency, and stress indicators
- Suggest optimizations based on data trends
- Alert me to potential health concerns or declining patterns
- Generate weekly wellness reports with actionable recommendations

Integrate data from: [fitness trackers, calendar, mood logs, etc.]

Tips for Better AI Responses

Be Specific

Include your role, constraints, and desired outcomes in every prompt.

Provide Context

Share relevant background information and your current situation.

Set Expectations

Specify format, length, and level of detail needed in the output.

Include Examples

Show the type of output you're looking for to guide the model.

Build on Responses

Use follow-up prompts to refine and expand answers iteratively.

Save Effective Prompts

Create a library of prompts that work well for your recurring use cases.

Custom Command Examples

Quick Status Checks

/dailybrief - Generate morning briefing with calendar, emails, news
/systemstatus - Check server health, disk space, running processes
/teamupdate - Pull latest project status from Asana/Trello/GitHub
/weathercommute - Weather forecast and traffic for my route

Automation Triggers

/backup [directory] - Backup specified directory to cloud storage
/deploy [branch] - Deploy code from specified branch to staging
/meeting [topic] - Schedule meeting and send calendar invites
/invoice [client] - Generate invoice based on tracked hours

Cost Breakdown

VPS Hosting Pricing Tiers

OpenClaw is free. You only pay for the Contabo VPS hosting and AI model API usage.

Plan vCPU RAM Storage Port Speed Price/mo
Personal Use (Cloud VPS 10) 4 cores 8 GB 75 GB NVMe 200 Mbit/s $5.25 (€3.60)
Power User (Cloud VPS 20) 6 cores 12 GB 100 GB NVMe 300 Mbit/s $6.10 (€5.60)
Team Deployment (Cloud VPS 40) 12 cores 48 GB 250 GB NVMe Unlimited $25.99 (€20)
Enterprise Scale (Cloud VPS 50) 16 cores 64 GB 300 GB NVMe 1 Gbit/s $43.29 (€39.20)
Recommendation: Personal Use / Cloud VPS 10 ($5.25/mo) is sufficient for most personal use. Power User / Cloud VPS 20 ($6.10/mo) is ideal for heavy automation workloads.

API Cost Estimates

Light Usage (Personal)

$5-15/mo

Basic daily tasks, email management, simple automation

Medium Usage (Professional)

$25-50/mo

Regular automation, code assistance, document processing

Heavy Usage (Team/Business)

$75-110/mo

Continuous monitoring, complex workflows, multiple integrations

Complete Cost Comparison

Service Monthly Cost Annual Cost Data Privacy Model Choice
OpenClaw + VPS 10 $5.25 + API $63 + API Complete control Any model
OpenClaw + VPS 20 $6.10 + API $73 + API Complete control Any model
ChatGPT Plus $20.00 $240 Data sent to OpenAI GPT models only
ChatGPT Pro $200.00 $2,400 Data sent to OpenAI GPT models only
Claude Pro $20.00 $240 Data sent to Anthropic Claude models only

Annual Savings Calculation

OpenClaw (VPS 10) vs ChatGPT Plus

OpenClaw $63/year $5.25/mo VPS only
ChatGPT Plus $240/year $20/mo flat rate
Savings: $177/year (74%) + unlimited users + full privacy + system access

OpenClaw (VPS 20) vs ChatGPT Pro

OpenClaw $673/year $73 VPS + $600 API estimate
ChatGPT Pro $2,400/year $200/mo flat rate
Savings: $1,727/year (72% cost reduction)

Team Scaling Economics

Team Size OpenClaw (VPS 20) ChatGPT Plus (per user) Annual Savings
1 user $673 $240 -$433 (higher cost)
5 users $673 $1,200 +$527
10 users $673 $2,400 +$1,727
25 users $673 $6,000 +$5,327
Break-even point: 4 users for OpenClaw to become more cost-effective than individual ChatGPT Plus subscriptions. A single VPS supports unlimited team members.

Additional Cost Considerations

  • Backup Services: $2-5/month for automated backups
  • Domain & SSL: $10-15/year for custom domain
  • Monitoring Tools: $5-20/month for advanced monitoring
  • Support: Self-managed (free) vs managed service providers ($50-200/month)

OpenClaw VPS Plans

OpenClaw 1-click installer is free. You only pay for the Contabo VPS.

Personal Use

Cloud VPS 10

$5.25 /mo
(€3.60/mo)
  • 4 vCPU Cores
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 75 GB NVMe
  • 200 Mbit/s Port
  • 1 Snapshot
  • Free OpenClaw Setup

Best for individuals & testing

Get Started

Team Deployment

Cloud VPS 40

$25.99 /mo
(€20/mo)
  • 12 vCPU Cores
  • 48 GB RAM
  • 250 GB NVMe
  • Unlimited Traffic
  • Team Features
  • Auto Backup Available

Best for small teams

Get Started

Enterprise Scale

Cloud VPS 50

$43.29 /mo
(€39.20/mo)
  • 16 vCPU Cores
  • 64 GB RAM
  • 300 GB NVMe
  • 1 Gbit/s Port
  • 3 Snapshots
  • Heavy Workloads

Best for enterprise & large teams

Get Started

OpenClaw vs ChatGPT

Feature OpenClaw ChatGPT
Data Privacy Your own server - full control OpenAI's cloud servers
Messaging Integration WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage Limited (web/app only)
Tool Integrations 50+ (GitHub, Notion, Home Assistant, Docker, etc.) Plugins (limited selection)
Always-on Agent Yes - 24/7 on VPS with cron jobs Session-based only
System Access Full file/script/browser control Sandboxed environment
AI Model Any model (Claude, GPT, Gemini, local LLMs) GPT models only
Memory Persistent local storage across all sessions Session-based, limited memory
Customization Open-source, fully modifiable Limited to provider APIs
Cost (annual, single user) ~$238/year (VPS + API) $240/year (Plus)
Cost (annual, 10 users) ~$781/year (shared VPS) $2,400/year ($240 each)
Special Offer

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Troubleshooting

Installation and Setup Issues

OpenClaw installation fails or times out

Solution: Ensure minimum 2GB RAM and stable internet connection.

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.bot/install.sh | bash

Alternative: Try manual Git clone method if curl fails.

Onboarding wizard doesn't start

Solution: Check if Node.js is properly installed:

node --version && npm --version

Reinstall Node.js if needed:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -

Chat Integration Problems

Telegram bot pairing fails

Solution: Retry wizard and check API tokens. Ensure bot token is valid in Telegram BotFather.

openclaw pairing approve telegram <code>

WhatsApp QR code won't scan

Solution: Use a fresh WhatsApp account or clear app data. For enterprise setups, switch to the Business API instead of QR code scanning.

General Troubleshooting Tip: Check startup logs for skill loading confirmation. Most issues are resolved by running openclaw restart or rerunning the onboarding wizard with openclaw onboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source, self-hosted AI assistant that runs on your own hardware (or a VPS like Contabo). It acts as a proactive agent with direct system access, persistent memory, and integrations for automating tasks via WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, and 50+ other tools.

Do I need a GPU to run OpenClaw?

No. OpenClaw runs on standard VPS hardware and uses external AI model API calls (Claude, GPT, Gemini, or local LLMs). It works comfortably on entry-level VPS with just 2GB RAM and 2 CPU cores.

How much does OpenClaw cost?

OpenClaw itself is free and open-source. You only pay for the Contabo VPS hosting (starting at $5.25/month for 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 75GB NVMe) plus AI model API costs ($5-110/month depending on usage). Total cost is typically $10-120/month.

Can I use OpenClaw with WhatsApp?

Yes. OpenClaw supports WhatsApp via personal QR scan or Business API. You can also connect Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, and iMessage. Setup takes 2-5 minutes per platform.

Is OpenClaw better than ChatGPT?

OpenClaw offers full data privacy, system access, proactive 24/7 automation, and support for any AI model - capabilities ChatGPT lacks. For teams of 5+, it is also significantly cheaper. However, ChatGPT is simpler to set up for basic chat use.

How do I get started?

The fastest path: sign up at Contabo, select a Cloud VPS plan, choose the OpenClaw 1-click installer, SSH into your server, and run "openclaw onboard" to configure API keys and messaging integrations.

What AI models does OpenClaw support?

OpenClaw supports any AI model via API keys: Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT-4, Google Gemini, and local LLMs. You can switch models freely and use multiple models for different tasks.

Can multiple team members use one OpenClaw instance?

Yes. A single OpenClaw instance on a VPS supports unlimited users across all connected messaging platforms. This makes it extremely cost-effective for teams - a 5-person team saves $419/year vs individual ChatGPT Plus subscriptions.

Is my data private with OpenClaw?

Completely. All data stays on your VPS. OpenClaw does not send data to any third party. The only external communication is with the AI model API you configure (e.g., Anthropic for Claude), which is subject to that provider's privacy policy.

What happens if my VPS goes down?

Contabo offers 99.99% uptime SLA. You can add automated backups for €2-5/month. OpenClaw uses persistent local storage, so your memory and configurations survive restarts. If a VPS fails, you can redeploy from backup in minutes.

Ready to Deploy Your Own AI Assistant?

Get OpenClaw running on Contabo VPS in minutes with the free 1-click installer. Full privacy, 50+ integrations, and unlimited users from $5.25/mo.