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For a basic OpenClaw Gateway serving one chat channel, the project’s hosting FAQ gives an absolute VPS minimum of 1 vCPU, 1 GB of RAM, and about 500 MB of disk. It recommends 1–2 vCPU and at least 2 GB of RAM for headroom. Those figures are a starting point, not a guarantee for every setup: browser automation, node tools, media, and multiple channels can increase resource needs. The FAQ recommends a stable network but publishes no numeric bandwidth target.
What are the minimum OpenClaw VPS requirements?
OpenClaw’s documented minimum is for a basic Gateway with one chat channel. Its FAQ distinguishes that floor from the more comfortable recommendation:
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| Resource | Absolute minimum | Recommended headroom |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 vCPU | 1–2 vCPU |
| Memory | 1 GB RAM | 2 GB or more |
| Disk | About 500 MB | No separate recommended total is stated |
These are OpenClaw project recommendations for the Gateway, not independently measured performance guarantees. The project describes the recommended CPU and RAM as headroom for logs, media, and multiple channels. Consult the OpenClaw hosting FAQ for its stated baseline.
What the minimum does—and does not—cover
The 1-vCPU, 1-GB, approximately 500-MB configuration is a useful floor when you are running a simple Gateway and one chat channel. It should not be read as a universal specification for every feature, every number of users, or every pattern of use. The official FAQ does not provide a per-feature sizing formula or workload benchmark.
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If you have the choice, the recommended 2 GB or more of RAM gives the Gateway more room than the minimum. Choosing 1–2 vCPU and adequate disk space also avoids treating the smallest documented configuration as a target for a more involved deployment. The documentation does not say that a specific number of channels, automations, or users will fit on a particular VPS size.
How much CPU, RAM, and storage should I choose?
Start with the documented baseline, then account for the features you plan to enable. The key distinction is whether the host will run only a basic Gateway or also handle work that the FAQ identifies as resource hungry.
CPU: use the documented range as a starting point
The FAQ sets the minimum at 1 vCPU and recommends 1–2 vCPU. It does not map CPU counts to particular automations or concurrent tasks, so there is no official formula for selecting a core count beyond that guidance. For a basic, single-channel VPS, use the minimum only if you understand it is the floor; for a little more headroom, follow the 1–2-vCPU recommendation.
RAM: allow for features, channels, and activity
Memory is the resource for which the FAQ most clearly warns that a simple baseline may not be enough. It specifically identifies logs, media, and multiple channels as reasons for headroom, and calls node tools and browser automation resource hungry. That makes the recommended 2 GB or more a more sensible starting point when your setup includes those features, although the documentation does not state how much extra RAM each one needs.
Storage: the minimum is not a full growth budget
About 500 MB is the stated disk minimum for the basic VPS setup. OpenClaw’s Docker guide separately tells users to leave enough disk for images and logs but does not publish a total. Treat the 500-MB figure as the documented basic starting point, not a Docker image-and-log budget or a promise that disk use will stay fixed. The official guidance provides no storage-growth estimate.
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No numeric bandwidth requirement appears in the official hosting guidance reviewed here: it gives no minimum Mbps, latency target, or monthly transfer allowance. OpenClaw does recommend a stable network, so plan for dependable connectivity and the outbound access your Gateway needs to reach the services it uses.
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Do not turn a VPS provider’s advertised transfer allowance, or the usage limits of a model provider, into an OpenClaw bandwidth specification. Those may matter to your deployment for other reasons, but the cited OpenClaw FAQ does not establish a throughput or monthly-traffic threshold. For a provider comparison, check that provider’s own plan terms separately rather than assuming they are project requirements.
Which operating system and runtime does OpenClaw recommend?
For the best-tested Linux installation path, OpenClaw recommends Ubuntu LTS or another modern Debian/Ubuntu distribution. Its installation overview specifies Node 24.16+ or 26.1+ and recommends Node 26; these are runtime requirements, separate from the CPU and memory figures.
Check the OpenClaw installation overview when preparing the environment, since runtime requirements can change. A VPS that meets the RAM minimum but does not have a supported Node version is not ready simply because its hardware fits the baseline.
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Can I run OpenClaw in a VM or on my own computer?
Yes. The FAQ says a dedicated host is not required, though it is recommended for reliability and isolation. A VPS, Mac mini, or Raspberry Pi are examples of possible dedicated hosts; a laptop or desktop can work for testing and active use, but sleep or updates can interrupt service.
The practical choice is less about a mandatory hardware type and more about uptime, allocated resources, maintenance, and who can access the system. The project describes a VPS as a way to keep the Gateway on a stable network instead of relying on a laptop that may sleep. It does not certify a particular Raspberry Pi model or give device-specific performance guidance.
When a VPS or dedicated host makes sense
- Choose an always-on host if channels need the Gateway to remain available while your personal computer is off or asleep.
- Check its actual allocation against the CPU, RAM, and disk baseline rather than choosing on the host label alone.
- Consider isolation if the Gateway will be used in a setting where reliability or separation from other workloads matters. OpenClaw calls a dedicated host recommended, not required.
- Use a local computer for testing if pauses when the machine sleeps, reboots, or updates are acceptable.
What to consider before choosing a Raspberry Pi
The FAQ names Raspberry Pi as a possible host, but does not specify a model, certify a workload, or publish a performance comparison with VPS plans. Match the device’s available resources to the workload you intend to run; do not assume that the general VPS minimum proves a particular Pi will handle browser automation, media, or multiple channels.
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What changes when I use Docker?
Docker is optional. OpenClaw’s Docker guide describes it as useful for an isolated, throwaway Gateway environment or a host where you do not want local installs. It requires Docker Engine or Docker Desktop and Compose v2.
There is one important distinction: the guide calls for at least 6 GB of RAM to build a source image locally. That is a build requirement, not a replacement minimum for a running Gateway. Using a prebuilt image avoids the local source-image build requirement, but the guide does not give a separate numeric memory or disk specification for every prebuilt-image deployment.
For Docker disk capacity, the guide says to leave room for images and logs without stating a total. Do not treat the basic Gateway’s approximately 500-MB disk minimum as a published Docker image-and-log budget. Read the OpenClaw Docker guide for the project’s setup and hosting notes.
Public-host Docker security
If you expose a Docker-based deployment on a VPS or other public host, the Docker guide directs readers to review security hardening, especially the Docker DOCKER-USER firewall chain. It also says that mutually untrusted users should have separate Gateways, ideally under separate operating-system users or on separate hosts. A resource plan alone does not address those access boundaries.
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No. The 1-vCPU, 1-GB-RAM VPS figures are Gateway guidance and should not be applied to a machine that also runs local model inference. The official installation overview points to deployment options, but the official material available here does not provide a hardware specification for local inference.
Keep the roles separate when planning: the Gateway baseline describes the Gateway setup, while local inference adds a workload that the cited OpenClaw material does not size. Without an official local-inference specification, there is no defensible way to derive its CPU, RAM, or storage needs from the Gateway minimum.
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How can I choose a host without oversizing or undersizing it?
Use the project’s minimum as a reference point, then evaluate your actual deployment instead of treating one number as a universal answer. The documentation provides no workload calculator, feature-by-feature benchmark, or numeric bandwidth rule, so a precise formula would be misleading.
- Define the role. Decide whether the host will run a basic Gateway with one channel, several channels, browser automation, node tools, media, Docker, or local inference. Local inference is not covered by the Gateway sizing figures.
- Match the basic resources. For a basic VPS, compare the offered allocation with 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and about 500 MB disk as the absolute floor. For headroom, use the FAQ’s recommendation of 1–2 vCPU and at least 2 GB RAM.
- Account for Docker separately. If you will build the source image locally, allow at least 6 GB RAM for that build. If you use Docker, plan disk room for images and logs; the guide does not supply a numeric total.
- Check continuity and access. Decide whether the machine can remain on and connected, who will administer it, and whether the public-host security notes apply to your deployment.
- Verify runtime and operating system. Follow the documented Ubuntu/Debian guidance and supported Node version in the installation overview.
- Check the provider’s own terms. Confirm plan-specific disk, transfer, and connectivity limits with the host. OpenClaw’s cited guidance does not define a numeric bandwidth target or provider plan.
This process identifies whether a proposed host matches OpenClaw’s documented baseline and operational advice. It does not predict performance for an unbenchmarked workload; the project does not publish a formula for that.
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Can I change VPS size after installing OpenClaw?
The cited OpenClaw hosting and Docker pages do not specify a resize procedure or guarantee how a provider handles resizing. Check the VPS provider’s backup and resizing instructions before changing its allocation.
Does OpenClaw require a static IP address?
The cited hosting FAQ does not state that a static IP is required. Whether a fixed address is useful depends on your network and access setup, so it should not be treated as a published OpenClaw hardware requirement.
Can I use a Windows computer to host OpenClaw?
The hosting guidance identifies Ubuntu LTS or modern Debian/Ubuntu as its best-tested Linux path, but the cited material does not establish a Windows-hosting requirement or guarantee. Check the current installation documentation for supported approaches before choosing a Windows-based deployment.
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