How to Install OpenClaw on a VPS
The complete guide — or the shortcut.
Skip the Setup?
BookMyClaw gives you a dedicated VPS with OpenClaw already deployed. Choose your AI model and you are done in under 5 minutes.
Get Your OpenClaw VPSOption 1: Manual Installation (60+ minutes)
If you want to do it yourself, here is what is involved:
Get a VPS
Purchase a VPS with at least 4GB RAM and a Linux OS. Providers like Hostinger, DigitalOcean, or Hetzner work well. Budget $10-30/month for the server alone.
Connect via SSH
Open your terminal, use your SSH key or password to connect: ssh root@your-server-ip. If you have never used SSH before, this step alone can take 30 minutes of learning.
Install Node.js
OpenClaw requires Node.js. Run: curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | bash - && apt-get install -y nodejs
Install OpenClaw
Run the official installer: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash. This downloads and sets up the OpenClaw binary.
Configure OpenClaw
Set up your AI provider (OpenRouter API key), configure the gateway to listen on your IP, set up authentication tokens.
Connect Chat Channels
Set up your preferred chat channels (WhatsApp, Discord, Signal, etc.) to communicate with your AI assistant.
Set Up as Service
Create a systemd service so OpenClaw survives reboots. Write the service file, enable it, start it, verify it is running.
Ongoing Maintenance
Monitor disk space, update OpenClaw when new versions come out, handle crashes, manage AI credits, renew API keys.
Option 2: BookMyClaw (Under 5 Minutes) Recommended
We handle all 8 steps above. Here is what you do:
Pick & Pay
Choose Seedling ($19), Surge ($39), or Titan ($79). Pay via Stripe. Your AI starts deploying immediately.
We Deploy
We assign a dedicated VPS (up to 8 vCPU, 16GB RAM, 160GB SSD), deploy OpenClaw, configure everything.
Start Chatting
Get your OpenClaw Gateway URL via email. Connect your favorite chat app. Done.
What is included:
- Dedicated VPS (not shared) — up to 8 vCPU, 16GB RAM, 160GB SSD
- $5–$25 AI credits included monthly (plan-dependent), reset each billing cycle
- Buy more credits anytime — $10, $30, $50 packs or custom ($10–$500). Purchased credits never expire
- Claude Haiku, Sonnet & Opus via OpenRouter — switch anytime
- Connect via WhatsApp, Discord, Signal, and more
- OpenClaw Gateway dashboard + user dashboard at user.bookmyclaw.com
- 24/7 always-on — your AI never sleeps
- 50+ integrations supported (Gmail, GitHub, Browser, etc.)
- Priority email support
Cancel anytime. No long-term commitment.