OpenClaw on DigitalOcean

Reliable VPS hosting starting at $6/month. Perfect for self-hosters.

Why DigitalOcean?

DigitalOcean is a developer-friendly cloud platform known for simplicity and reliability. It's a popular choice for OpenClaw self-hosters because:

  • Simple pricing β€” Know exactly what you'll pay
  • Great documentation β€” Extensive tutorials and guides
  • Global datacenters β€” Choose a location near you
  • Static IPs β€” Reliable networking for WebSocket connections
  • $200 free credit β€” For new accounts

Choose Your Droplet Size

OpenClaw runs well on modest hardware. Here are our recommendations.

Basic

$6/mo
  • CPU: 1 vCPU
  • RAM: 1 GB
  • Storage: 25 GB SSD

Minimum viable, light usage

Recommended

Standard

$12/mo
  • CPU: 1 vCPU
  • RAM: 2 GB
  • Storage: 50 GB SSD

Recommended for most users

Power User

$24/mo
  • CPU: 2 vCPU
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Storage: 80 GB SSD

Heavy usage, multiple skills

Setup Guide

1

Create DigitalOcean Account

Go to digitalocean.com and sign up. New users get $200 in free credits valid for 60 days.

Sign Up β†’
2

Create a Droplet

From your dashboard, click "Create" β†’ "Droplets" and configure:

Region: Choose closest to you (e.g., NYC, SFO, AMS)
Image: Ubuntu 24.04 (LTS)
Size: Basic β†’ Regular β†’ $12/mo (2GB RAM)
Authentication: SSH Key (recommended) or Password

πŸ’‘ Tip: Add your SSH key during setup for more secure access.

3

Connect to Your Droplet

Once your Droplet is created, note the IP address and connect via SSH:

ssh root@YOUR_DROPLET_IP

πŸ’‘ Replace YOUR_DROPLET_IP with your actual Droplet IP address.

4

Install OpenClaw

Run these commands to install Docker and OpenClaw:

Update system & install Docker:

terminal 
"comment"># Update packages
apt update && apt upgrade -y

"comment"># Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

"comment"># Add current user to docker group
usermod -aG docker $USER

Install OpenClaw:

terminal 
"comment"># Create OpenClaw directory
mkdir -p ~/openclaw && cd ~/openclaw

"comment"># Download docker-compose.yml
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/openclaw/openclaw/main/docker-compose.yml

"comment"># Create environment file
cat > .env << 'EOF'
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_key  "comment"># optional
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_telegram_token  "comment"># if using Telegram
EOF

"comment"># Start OpenClaw
docker compose up -d

πŸ’‘ Get your API keys from: Anthropic, OpenAI

5

Connect Messaging Apps

Configure your preferred messaging channels. For Telegram:

  1. Message @BotFather on Telegram
  2. Send /newbot and follow prompts
  3. Copy the bot token to your .env file
  4. Restart OpenClaw: docker compose restart

πŸ’‘ See the channels documentation for WhatsApp, Discord, and more.

βœ“

Verify Installation

Check that OpenClaw is running:

terminal 
"comment"># Check container status
docker compose ps

"comment"># View logs
docker compose logs -f openclaw

Send a message to your Telegram bot. If it responds, you're all set! πŸŽ‰

Monthly Cost Breakdown

DigitalOcean Droplet $12/mo
Claude API (typical usage) $20-40/mo
Domain (optional) ~$1/mo
Estimated Total ~$35/mo

API costs vary based on usage. Light users may spend $10-15/mo, heavy users $50+.

Pro Tips

πŸ”’

Secure Your Droplet

Set up a firewall and disable root SSH login. DigitalOcean's initial server setup guide covers the basics.

πŸ’Ύ

Enable Backups

DigitalOcean backups are 20% of your Droplet cost. Worth it for peace of mind.

πŸ“Š

Monitor Resources

Use htop or DigitalOcean's graphs to watch CPU/RAM usage. Upgrade if needed.

πŸ”„

Auto-Update

Set up automatic Docker image updates with Watchtower to stay current.

Alternatives to DigitalOcean

Hetzner

European provider with great value. ~€4/mo for similar specs. Good for EU data residency.

Vultr

Similar to DigitalOcean. $6/mo starting price. Good global coverage.

Linode (Akamai)

Long-standing reliable provider. $5/mo starting. Simple interface.

Need Help?

Join the OpenClaw community for support and tips.

Join Discord β†’ ← Compare All Options