OpenClaw guides.
Setup. Operate. Optimize.
Deep guides on running OpenClaw in production. Every install path explained. Interactive calculators for cost and hardware. A symptom diagnostic for the most common errors. Grounded in the actual GitHub Issues, official docs, and field-tested setups — not made-up numbers.
Setup
Get OpenClaw running in your environment
What Is OpenClaw? Plain-English Guide to the AI Agent
OpenClaw is the open-source AI agent that runs on your machine and works in the chat apps you use. What it does, how it works, start in 15 min.
ReadInstall OpenClaw
Five tested ways to install OpenClaw, with the right one for each situation. From the one-line installer to a hardened Docker deploy on a $5 VPS.
ReadSelf-Host OpenClaw on Docker
Run OpenClaw in Docker with persistent volumes, auto-restart, sane resource limits, and a working browser. Copy-pasteable docker-compose.yml inside.
ReadDeploy OpenClaw on a VPS
From bare VPS to running OpenClaw 24/7 with auto-restart, SSH-only access, and a sandboxed browser. Sizing, provider picks, and the exact commands.
ReadOpenClaw on a Raspberry Pi
Run OpenClaw on a Raspberry Pi 4/5 for $5/year of electricity. What works, what doesn't, and the model picks that fit 4 GB of RAM.
ReadOperate
Day-to-day use, security, memory, browser
OpenClaw Security
OpenClaw can run code, send messages, and drive a browser. Lock it down on day one — don't run as root, sandbox tools, scope keys. Eight concrete steps.
ReadOpenClaw Memory
OpenClaw memory is plain Markdown plus a SQLite vector index. Understand how it loads, saves, and searches, and stop fighting it.
ReadOpenClaw Browser Automation
OpenClaw drives a real Chrome browser via the DevTools Protocol. Managed browser, attached session, or Playwright — trade-offs of each.
ReadOptimize
Make it cheaper and faster
Run OpenClaw with Ollama
Connect OpenClaw to a local Ollama model and stop paying for API calls. Hardware sizing, model picks, and the routing pattern that works.
ReadOpenClaw API Costs
OpenClaw runs on third-party LLM APIs and the bill compounds fast. Real per-month numbers from real setups, plus the 7 adjustments that drop spend.
ReadTroubleshoot
Fix what's broken
Reference
Reference and decision-making
OpenClaw Alternatives in 2026
Where OpenClaw wins, where it doesn't, and the alternatives — Claude Code, LangChain, CrewAI, n8n, Provision — with real trade-offs.
ReadOpenClaw Hardware Requirements
Real RAM, CPU, and storage requirements for OpenClaw — by use case. Personal assistant on a laptop, browser-heavy agent on a VPS, multi-agent team on a server.
ReadOr skip the setup.
Provision is the managed OpenClaw cloud. We run the gateway, browser, and channels for you. $99/mo. 48-hour free trial.