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For most people who want OpenClaw’s Gateway available around the clock, choose a VPS. OpenClaw’s documentation recommends a VPS for 24/7 reliability and says a dedicated machine is recommended, not required. A dedicated physical server is not a prerequisite for a typical personal setup.
Run OpenClaw on a local computer or home server instead if you want direct access to local files, a visible browser, or to operate and maintain your own hardware—and can accept interruptions when it sleeps, loses connectivity, or needs maintenance. The right choice depends less on the word “dedicated” than on availability, administration, local capabilities, workload, and security.
What “VPS” and “dedicated server” mean for OpenClaw
A VPS is a rented virtual server that you administer remotely. A dedicated server usually means physical server hardware allocated to one customer. A home server or Raspberry Pi-class device is a third option: hardware you own and operate. These options differ in who supplies and maintains the machine, not in whether OpenClaw requires a particular kind of hardware.
OpenClaw’s official FAQ says a dedicated machine is “Not required, but recommended for reliability and isolation.” It also identifies VPS, home-server, and Raspberry Pi-class setups as possible choices. The documentation does not publish a benchmark comparing commercial VPS plans with dedicated physical servers, so the recommendation is about the operating needs—not a measured performance win for one hosting class.
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For a personal Gateway that should stay available while your laptop is shut, OpenClaw’s practical default is a VPS. For local control, lower friction, or ownership of the host, a machine at home can make more sense. A rented physical server may be appropriate when you specifically need that hosting arrangement, but the cited OpenClaw guidance does not say ordinary users need one.
How the options compare
| Decision | VPS | Dedicated physical server or owned host |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Designed to remain online independently of your personal computer. OpenClaw lists always-on operation and stable networking as advantages over running the Gateway on a laptop. | A hosted dedicated machine can avoid personal-device sleep interruptions. A home server still depends on your power, internet connection, and maintenance. |
| Administration | Administered remotely, commonly over SSH. You need a way to access it for configuration, updates, and troubleshooting. | You handle the host’s physical setup and maintenance; with owned hardware, you also arrange replacement if it fails. OpenClaw does not quantify the workload difference. |
| Local files and browser | Usually headless, with files accessed remotely. Browser automation may rely on screenshots rather than a visible local browser window. | A local machine can provide direct access to its files and a visible browser window. |
| Starting resources | OpenClaw’s FAQ gives a baseline of 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and about 500 MB of disk minimum; it recommends 1–2 vCPU and 2 GB or more of RAM for headroom. | OpenClaw says Pi-class and home-server hosts can run the software, but the FAQ does not provide model-specific benchmarks. Size for the enabled tools and workload. |
| Security | A cloud address does not make an exposed Gateway safe. Keep access restricted, and use authentication where required. | Physical ownership does not replace application-level access controls or separation between different trust groups. |
| Cost | Usually an ongoing hosting expense. Current provider prices were not compared in the OpenClaw guidance cited here. | Owned hardware involves an upfront purchase plus electricity, network service, and maintenance. No cost comparison with VPS hosting is established. |
Choose a VPS when continuous access matters
OpenClaw’s FAQ answers “Should I run the Gateway on my laptop or a VPS?” with: “Want 24/7 reliability? Use a VPS. Want the lowest friction and you are OK with sleep/restarts? Run it locally.” That is the clearest decision rule in the official guidance. A VPS lets the Gateway keep running independently of whether your personal computer is open, awake, or connected to your home network.
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Remote hosting trades local convenience for remote administration. You will work with a server rather than a desktop session, and should be prepared to connect remotely for setup and maintenance. Files in the Gateway’s workspace live on that server, so they are not automatically the same files as those on your laptop.
VPS resource guidance
The OpenClaw FAQ, accessed in 2026, lists 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and approximately 500 MB of disk as minimum, and recommends 1–2 vCPU and 2 GB or more of RAM. These are official guidance figures, not results from an independent benchmark, a guarantee for every workload, or a universal production sizing rule. The FAQ does not state a publication date for the page.
Start with the recommended headroom rather than treating the minimum as a promise that every configuration will run comfortably. The FAQ cautions that browser automation and node tools can be resource hungry. Logs, media tools, and multiple channels are also reasons to allow more resources. In particular, a setup with browser automation, media handling, or several channels should not assume that the basic Gateway minimum is sufficient.
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For a Linux VPS, the FAQ identifies Ubuntu LTS or a modern Debian/Ubuntu distribution as the best-tested path. The Linux server guide names Azure, DigitalOcean, Fly.io, GCP, Hetzner, Northflank, Oracle Cloud, Railway, Render, and Upstash Box as example deployment services, and notes that AWS EC2 and Lightsail also work. These are examples from the guide, not a ranking, performance test, certification, or endorsement. Choose a service with documentation and access methods you can manage.
What a VM changes—and what it does not
OpenClaw can run in a virtual machine, and the FAQ applies the same basic starting point—1 vCPU, 1 GB of RAM, and about 500 MB of disk minimum, with 2 GB or more of RAM recommended when multiple channels, browser automation, or media tools are enabled. Virtualization does not remove the need to size for the workload. The guest still needs enough CPU, memory, disk space for logs and workspace data, and a supported Linux distribution.
A VM can be hosted on a VPS provider, on a dedicated physical server, or on hardware in your home. “Dedicated” therefore describes where the physical resources are allocated, not a special OpenClaw mode. A VPS may itself run on shared physical infrastructure while giving your Gateway an isolated virtual environment; a dedicated host gives you the entire machine but does not automatically improve configuration, security, or application behavior.
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Choose a local or owned machine when local access is the priority
A local computer or home server can be the better fit if your main use involves files on that machine or a browser you want to see and interact with directly. It also avoids a server-rental bill, although it is not cost-free: you provide the device, power, network, and ongoing upkeep. OpenClaw’s FAQ says local use is the lower-friction path if you are comfortable with sleep and restart interruptions.
The trade-off is availability. If the host sleeps, loses power or internet access, or is being updated, the Gateway can be unavailable. OpenClaw’s documentation does not quantify how often those interruptions occur; they depend on your machine and home setup. A dedicated hosted machine can reduce those personal-device interruptions, while an owned home server remains dependent on the owner’s infrastructure.
You do not need to buy a Mac mini just to run OpenClaw. The FAQ says a Raspberry Pi-class box can run the software. It does not certify a particular model or publish model-by-model capacity results, so select hardware with the tools and workload you plan to use in mind. A Mac is relevant when you need macOS-only tools, not as a universal Gateway requirement.
Combine a remote Gateway with local capabilities
Choosing a VPS does not mean every part of your setup must be remote. OpenClaw’s deployment guidance describes pairing a Linux or VPS Gateway with a local Mac node for supported local capabilities. This can preserve an always-on Gateway while using a local machine for tasks that depend on its operating system or local environment. It is a more involved arrangement than putting everything on one computer, and the local node’s availability still depends on that machine being accessible.
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Use this split only when the local capability is actually needed. Keep the Gateway’s state and workspace on the host where it runs, and document which tasks execute on the node. That makes it easier to diagnose whether an outage is caused by the VPS, the network path, or the local machine.
Cost and ownership trade-offs
A VPS turns the host into a recurring operating expense. The bill covers the virtual machine allocation and whatever storage, transfer, backup, or managed services you select. The OpenClaw materials do not compare current provider prices, so there is no official price at which a VPS becomes cheaper than a dedicated server or a home device.
An owned host shifts spending to the beginning and to ongoing operation. You purchase the computer, supply electricity and network service, and keep replacement parts or a replacement plan in mind. A hosted dedicated server also has a recurring charge, but the provider supplies the physical facility and replaces hardware under its own service terms. Compare the responsibilities in the plan rather than assuming “dedicated” means a one-time purchase.
For a fair personal comparison, include the value of your maintenance time, the consequences of downtime, backup storage, and whether you already have suitable hardware. A low-cost home box may be sensible for experimentation, while a VPS is often easier to justify when unattended availability matters. Those are decision factors, not published OpenClaw cost statistics.
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Secure the Gateway whichever host you choose
Do not treat “cloud” or “dedicated” as a security setting. OpenClaw’s Security documentation says regular host installs bind the Gateway to loopback by default. It recommends keeping the Gateway on loopback and connecting through an SSH tunnel or Tailscale. If you bind to a LAN or tailnet address, use a shared authentication secret unless a trusted proxy is handling authentication.
There is an important deployment distinction: OpenClaw says container images default to an exposed bind, unlike the regular host-install default. Pair a container deployment with authentication and follow the project’s container exposure guidance. Run the built-in security check, openclaw security audit, to identify security drift. An audit is a check, not a substitute for restricting network access or configuring the required authentication.
Keep administration and Gateway access distinct
A public VPS needs a carefully managed administrative path as well as appropriately restricted Gateway access. OpenClaw’s Linux server guidance calls for hardening SSH separately from Gateway access. Do not confuse being able to administer the server with a reason to expose the Gateway publicly; the documented safer pattern is loopback binding reached through a tunnel or Tailscale Serve.
On a home server, secure the router and host just as deliberately. Port-forwarding a Gateway to the public internet is not made safe by the fact that the machine sits in your house. Keep remote administration separate from the application path, use the documented authentication controls, and review the audit after configuration changes.
Back up state and workspace
The Gateway stores its state and workspace on the host where it runs. The Linux server guide advises making regular backups. Treat those files as part of the service you need to preserve: a backup plan should cover the Gateway’s state and workspace, not only the operating system or VPS account. The documentation does not prescribe a backup schedule, so choose one appropriate to how often your data changes and how much loss you can accept.
Test that a backup can actually be restored. A copied archive that cannot be located, decrypted, or reconnected to the replacement host does not provide useful recovery. Keep at least one copy separate from the running server, particularly when the Gateway handles media, logs, or important channel history.
One Gateway is not a boundary between adversarial users
OpenClaw’s Security page states: “One trust boundary per gateway.” A shared Gateway can be appropriate for a team only when users are within the same trust boundary and the agent is business-only, according to the Linux server guide. It advises against signing that shared runtime into personal accounts or personal browser and password-manager profiles.
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A practical deployment checklist
- Define availability. Decide whether messages must be handled while your personal computer is off. If yes, select a VPS or another host designed to remain online.
- List local dependencies. Note any local files, visible-browser work, macOS-only tools, node tools, or media processing. Decide whether they can run remotely or require a local node.
- Choose the operating system. Ubuntu LTS or a modern Debian/Ubuntu distribution is the best-tested Linux path in the FAQ. Use a platform you can patch and access.
- Size above the floor when needed. Begin at 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and about 500 MB disk only for a minimal setup. Prefer 1–2 vCPU and 2 GB or more of RAM, then add headroom for browser automation, node tools, media, logs, and multiple channels.
- Install and restrict access. Keep a regular host install on loopback where practical. Reach it through SSH tunneling or Tailscale; if you bind to a LAN or tailnet, configure the required shared secret or a trusted authenticating proxy.
- Handle containers deliberately. If using a container image, remember its exposed-bind default and configure authentication before making it reachable.
- Protect administration. Harden SSH or the equivalent management path separately from Gateway access. Do not publish the Gateway merely because the server has a public address.
- Back up and test recovery. Back up state and workspace regularly, keep a separate copy, and verify that restoration works.
- Review the security posture. Run
openclaw security auditafter setup and after major changes. - Separate trust boundaries. For mutually adversarial users, use separate Gateways and credentials, ideally separate OS users or hosts.
Common assumptions to avoid
- “OpenClaw requires a dedicated physical server.” It does not. The official FAQ says dedicated is recommended, not required, and lists VPS and home-hosted options.
- “A dedicated server is automatically safer.” Physical allocation does not configure Gateway binding, authentication, or user separation. Apply OpenClaw’s security guidance on any host.
- “The minimum VPS size is enough for every setup.” The FAQ’s baseline is general guidance. Browser automation, node tools, media, logs, and multiple channels can raise resource needs.
- “Running at home means the Gateway is always available.” An owned host still depends on your home power, internet, and maintenance, and a personal machine may sleep or restart.
- “A VPS means local tools are impossible.” The documented option of a VPS Gateway paired with a local Mac node shows that remote hosting and supported local capabilities can coexist.
- “A public IP is the easiest access method.” OpenClaw’s safer documented pattern is loopback binding with an SSH tunnel or Tailscale. Public reachability should not replace authentication and access control.
- “A backup of the server image is all I need.” The Gateway’s state and workspace are the important application data. Include them in a restorable backup plan.
Bottom line
Choose a VPS for the default OpenClaw experience when you need a Gateway that stays available while your personal devices sleep or move between networks. Use at least the FAQ’s baseline, preferably its 1–2 vCPU and 2 GB-plus recommendation, and add capacity for browser, node, media, logs, and channel workloads. Choose a local or owned host when direct files, a visible browser, local hardware control, or avoiding recurring hosting charges matters more than unattended uptime. A dedicated physical server is an option for isolation and predictable ownership, not a requirement. Whichever host you select, keep the Gateway restricted, authenticate exposed deployments, back up state and workspace, and use separate Gateways when users do not share a trust boundary.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does OpenClaw require a dedicated physical server?
No. OpenClaw’s FAQ says a dedicated machine is “Not required, but recommended for reliability and isolation.” VPS, home-server, and Raspberry Pi-class setups are also supported choices.
Should I run the Gateway on my laptop or a VPS?
The official guidance is: “Want 24/7 reliability? Use a VPS. Want the lowest friction and you are OK with sleep/restarts? Run it locally.”
What are the minimum VPS requirements?
The FAQ lists 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and approximately 500 MB of disk as minimum. It recommends 1–2 vCPU and 2 GB or more of RAM for headroom.
Do browser automation and media tools need a larger server?
They can. OpenClaw notes that browser automation and node tools may be resource hungry, and that media, logs, and multiple channels can require additional resources beyond the basic minimum.
Can I run OpenClaw in a VM?
Yes. A VM can run on a VPS, dedicated host, or home hardware. Use the same baseline requirements and increase resources for enabled tools and workload.
Do I need a Mac mini?
No. OpenClaw says a Raspberry Pi-class box can run the software. A Mac is relevant when you need macOS-only tools; a Linux or VPS Gateway can pair with a local Mac node for supported capabilities.
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How do I access a VPS Gateway securely?
Keep the Gateway on loopback and use an SSH tunnel or Tailscale. If you bind to a LAN or tailnet address, use a shared authentication secret unless a trusted proxy supplies authentication.
Are container deployments secure by default?
Container images default to an exposed bind, unlike regular host installs that bind to loopback by default. Configure authentication and follow OpenClaw’s container exposure guidance.
Can several people share one Gateway?
Only when they are within the same trust boundary and the agent is business-only. For mutually adversarial users, use separate Gateways and credentials, ideally separate OS users or hosts.
What should I back up?
Back up the Gateway’s state and workspace on the host where it runs. OpenClaw advises regular backups; the documentation does not prescribe a specific schedule, so set one based on how often your data changes.
The Bottom Line
For most always-on OpenClaw deployments, choose a VPS. A dedicated physical server is optional, while local hardware is best when direct files, a visible browser, or ownership outweighs uninterrupted availability. Size beyond the minimum for demanding tools, secure the Gateway with loopback access and authentication, and back up its state and workspace.
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