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OpenClaw is the practical destination for new users and for people leaving KiloClaw. The trade-off is operational responsibility: you must run the Gateway, configure providers and channels, protect credentials, apply updates, and design the security boundary yourself.
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The decision in one view
| Question | OpenClaw | KiloClaw |
|---|---|---|
| Can a new user start today? | Yes. The project is active and current documentation lists release 2026.10.3. | No. Kilo’s pricing FAQ says KiloClaw is end of life and no longer available to new users. |
| Deployment model | You install and operate the Gateway on hardware you control, such as a Mac, Linux system, or VPS. | Historically, Kilo supplied a fully managed OpenClaw environment. |
| Who handles updates and recovery? | You do: installation, configuration, updates, monitoring, backups, and crash recovery are operator tasks. | Kilo’s platform team managed updates and recovery while the service was offered. |
| Infrastructure and data control | You choose the host, data location, models, network policy, and access controls. | Kilo operated the environment and controlled its platform lifecycle. |
| Model choices | Hosted providers, local models, and self-hosted endpoints are supported. | Kilo Gateway historically advertised access to more than 500 models or BYOK. |
| Security default | Sandboxing and exec approvals are off by default; hardening is your responsibility. | Kilo historically described isolated microVMs, per-customer networks, encrypted storage, and an independent assessment. |
| Best 2026 use | New deployments, custom integrations, local-model use, and migrations from KiloClaw. | Only as a migration source for existing users; do not plan a new deployment. |
The table separates current facts from historical KiloClaw capabilities. Features, versions, and service status can change, so check the relevant official documentation before making a production decision.
What OpenClaw actually runs
The Gateway is the control plane
OpenClaw is an AI assistant that runs on infrastructure you control. Its always-on Gateway is the control plane for sessions, routing, and channel connections. Rather than treating a chat window as the whole product, OpenClaw keeps a persistent service that can receive events, select an agent or model, maintain context, and invoke approved tools.
The official positioning is “a local-first control plane that runs a capable assistant on your own hardware” and “Your devices, your data.” Those are product statements, not independent performance or security measurements. They accurately describe the operating model: the Gateway and its workspace can live on a machine you administer instead of inside a vendor-only SaaS account.
Channels, agents, and tools
OpenClaw can connect the Gateway to Discord, Google Chat, iMessage, Mattermost, Signal, Slack, Telegram, WebChat, WhatsApp, and other channels documented by the project. A single deployment can route work among agents, retain stateful sessions and memory, and expose tools for browser activity, files, scheduling, and automation.
This flexibility is useful when one assistant must follow you across several messaging systems or when an automation needs durable context. It also enlarges the security boundary. A connector that can read messages, access files, browse, or execute an action should be treated as a privileged integration, not as a harmless chat plug-in.
Hosted and local model options
You can connect OpenClaw to hosted model providers, a local model runtime, or another self-hosted endpoint. Local inference may reduce per-request provider charges and keep prompts on your hardware, but it moves cost into hardware capacity, power, model management, and troubleshooting. Hosted inference is simpler to start but creates recurring usage charges and an external data path.
Current availability
The documentation landing page currently identifies release 2026.10.3. Treat that version as time-sensitive: verify the release and the compatibility notes when you install. An active release does not mean that every channel, model adapter, or tool has identical maturity; check the documentation for the integrations you intend to expose.
What KiloClaw was—and why it is not a 2026 choice
The former managed experience
Kilo announced KiloClaw general availability on February 24, 2026, as a managed way to run OpenClaw without server setup, configuration files, or manual crash recovery. The service offered one-click deployment, scheduled automations, Telegram, Discord, and Slack support, BYOK, and access through Kilo Gateway to more than 500 AI models. Kilo also published a PinchBench covering 23 real-world tasks.
Those figures are vendor-published launch claims, not an independent head-to-head benchmark. They describe what KiloClaw offered at the time, not what a new customer can buy now.
The decisive status change
Kilo’s official pricing FAQ now states: “KiloClaw is end of life.” It also says the product is no longer available to new users and that support is ending. Consequently, a historical plan, machine size, model catalogue, or onboarding flow must not be read as a current offer.
Kilo’s general FAQ said platform updates were managed by Kilo, SSH access was disabled, and users leaving the service should plan to migrate their workspace, memory, and context. Existing customers should treat the end-of-life notice as a data and continuity project, not as a reason to wait for a new feature.
Operations: control versus convenience
What you operate with OpenClaw
A self-hosted Gateway gives you control over the host, storage, network rules, model endpoints, and retention. In return, you own the full operating loop:
- Provision a suitable Mac, Linux machine, or VPS and keep it reachable when automations must run.
- Install the Gateway and configure model providers, credentials, channels, agents, and tools.
- Set access controls for every channel and connector, then review who can trigger actions.
- Apply OpenClaw and operating-system updates, test changes, and keep rollback or recovery copies.
- Monitor uptime, disk space, logs, model errors, and failed scheduled jobs.
- Back up the workspace, session history, memory, and configuration without exposing secrets.
This work is the price of infrastructure control. It is manageable for a technically comfortable individual or team, but it is not a zero-maintenance desktop application.
What managed hosting removed
KiloClaw’s appeal was operational rather than architectural. Kilo removed server provisioning, configuration-file editing, update work, and routine crash recovery. A managed service can still be attractive in principle when a team lacks an operator, but the provider becomes part of the trust boundary and controls the product lifecycle. With KiloClaw ending, that convenience no longer offsets the availability risk for a new project.
Security: neither model is automatically safe
OpenClaw’s documented defaults
OpenClaw’s security guidance explicitly says that sandboxing and exec approvals are off by default. It also describes one Gateway as one trust domain. That means a deployment should not casually combine mutually untrusted users or tenants behind one Gateway and assume the software will provide isolation for you.
For mutually untrusted tenants, the guidance calls for separate Gateways, ideally with separate operating-system users or separate hosts. Even without multiple tenants, use a least-privilege design:
- Run the Gateway under a dedicated account rather than an administrator account.
- Expose only the channels and tools the assistant needs.
- Require pairing or allowlists where supported, and remove stale identities.
- Restrict outbound and inbound network access to the services you actually use.
- Keep model-provider keys, channel tokens, and automation credentials out of messages and logs.
- Use a dedicated host when browser, file, or command automation could affect important systems.
- Back up data securely and test that a backup can be restored.
- Stage updates and review release notes before changing a production Gateway.
These controls do not make an adversarial multi-tenant deployment safe by default; they reduce the consequences of a compromised connector, prompt injection, stolen token, or operator mistake.
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In a March 12, 2026 security post, Kilo said an assessment by Andrew Storms in February included threat modeling, code review, adversarial testing, and live-infrastructure testing. Kilo described Firecracker microVM isolation, per-customer WireGuard networks, encrypted persistent storage, and no cross-tenant access path found during that assessment.
Those are Kilo’s historical, vendor-reported claims. They do not make KiloClaw available again, and they should not be generalized to every managed OpenClaw service.
Is a managed OpenClaw safer?
Managed hosting can be safer operationally when it provides timely patching, tested backups, strong identity controls, tenant isolation, and competent incident response that a small operator cannot maintain. Self-hosting can be safer for data sovereignty and customization when you can enforce least privilege and keep the host patched.
The right comparison is therefore a control checklist, not a slogan. Ask a managed provider how it isolates tenants, protects persistent storage, handles provider credentials, limits staff access, exports your data, reports incidents, and supports recovery. Ask yourself whether you can perform the equivalent tasks consistently. KiloClaw’s discontinued status means those questions are relevant when evaluating another service, not when choosing KiloClaw.
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OpenClaw’s cost structure
OpenClaw’s FAQ says the software has no paid tier or hosted service. That does not mean a deployment costs nothing. Your total spend is the sum of:
- Model inference: usage charges from a hosted provider, or hardware and electricity for local inference.
- Hosting: a computer, VPS, or other always-on environment.
- Storage and bandwidth: workspace files, session history, memory, backups, and channel traffic.
- Operator time: setup, upgrades, troubleshooting, security review, and recovery testing.
There is no defensible single monthly OpenClaw number without a defined workload. A lightly used local model on existing hardware and a high-volume hosted model on a paid VPS have radically different costs. Estimate requests, context size, automation frequency, storage growth, and uptime requirements before selecting a host or provider.
KiloClaw’s historical machine allowance
Kilo’s former FAQ listed a per-user machine with 2 shared vCPUs, 3 GB of RAM, and 10 GB of SSD storage. Kilo charged through Kilo Gateway credits or BYOK and separated instance hosting from model inference. Those specifications and billing mechanics are historical context only; they are not an active KiloClaw plan or current price.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The easiest responsible way to run OpenClaw
There is no single “one-click” OpenClaw path after KiloClaw’s shutdown, but a small, deliberate deployment avoids most avoidable failures. Use the current official documentation for the release-specific installation details.
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- Choose the host. Use a Mac or Linux system you control, or a VPS with enough capacity for the Gateway, its workspace, your chosen model path, and backups. A dedicated host is preferable when tools can browse, modify files, or trigger real-world actions.
- Confirm the release. Check that the documentation and package you are installing correspond to the current 2026.10.3 documentation line or a newer supported release.
- Create a dedicated operating-system identity. Do not run the Gateway with broad administrative privileges. Limit filesystem access to the workspace and required configuration.
- Install the Gateway and make it persistent. Configure it to start after reboot and record how you will inspect logs, stop it, and recover it. Test a restart before connecting production channels.
- Connect one model provider first. Begin with either a hosted provider or a local/self-hosted endpoint. Store the credential in the host’s protected configuration mechanism and verify a basic session.
- Add one channel and one agent. Start with the channel you need most. Confirm inbound messages, replies, identity mapping, and failure behavior before adding more connectors.
- Set the trust boundary. Configure pairing or allowlists, decide which users can invoke the assistant, and keep unneeded browser, file, scheduling, and automation tools disabled.
- Test state and recovery. Create a session, restart the Gateway, verify that intended memory and context persist, and restore a test backup. Check disk growth and log redaction.
- Expand gradually. Add additional channels, agents, schedules, and tools one at a time. Record each credential, permission, and rollback step so another operator can maintain the system.
This sequence is deliberately slower than a managed onboarding wizard. It gives you a known baseline and makes it easier to identify whether a problem comes from the Gateway, a model provider, a channel, or an automation tool.
How existing KiloClaw users should migrate
Because support is ending, migrate before access or assistance becomes unavailable. Keep the old environment intact until the new Gateway has passed functional and data checks.
- Inventory the deployment. List every channel, agent, model, scheduled job, workspace directory, memory store, integration, credential, allowlist, and automation that currently runs.
- Separate secrets from data. Record which tokens and keys must be reissued. Do not copy secrets into a shared document or export archive without encryption.
- Export workspace and memory. Kilo’s FAQ specifically tells departing users to plan migration of workspace, memory, and context. Preserve the files and records that the new OpenClaw Gateway must read, and note any formats that require conversion.
- Capture context and operating rules. Save agent instructions, routing choices, schedules, channel mappings, and model settings. A workspace backup alone may not reproduce the behavior of the old deployment.
- Recreate the host securely. Choose a Mac, Linux machine, or VPS; create a dedicated account; install the supported OpenClaw release; and apply network and filesystem restrictions before importing data.
- Reconnect providers and channels. Reissue credentials where possible, then connect one model and one channel. Verify identity, permissions, message delivery, and rate limits before adding the rest.
- Validate scheduled work. Compare every cron or scheduled automation with the inventory. Run a safe test job and confirm timezone, ownership, output location, and failure notification.
- Compare behavior and history. Check that important memory, context, files, and model selections are present. Test representative conversations and automations without sending irreversible commands.
- Cut over and retain a read-only archive. After validation, switch users and channels to the new Gateway. Keep an encrypted archive of the exported KiloClaw data and a record of the migration date and new credentials.
Kilo disabled SSH access according to its general FAQ, so do not assume you can retrieve the underlying server directly. Use the service’s supported export and account procedures while they remain available, and document anything that cannot be exported rather than silently treating the migration as complete.
Who should run OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is a fit when you need
- A currently available option in 2026.
- Control over where workspace data and session history live.
- Local-model or custom-provider support.
- Fine-grained network, filesystem, and channel policy.
- Deep configuration across agents, tools, schedules, and messaging channels.
- A migration destination for an existing KiloClaw workspace.
Self-hosting may be the wrong choice when
- No one can own updates, backups, monitoring, and incident response.
- The assistant needs privileged access but there is no dedicated host or least-privilege plan.
- You require a provider contract for uptime, support, compliance, or managed recovery.
- Your team cannot accept responsibility for model-provider keys and channel credentials.
In those cases, evaluate a currently supported managed OpenClaw provider against the security and export questions above. Do not start with KiloClaw: its official status is end of life.
What this comparison can and cannot prove
There is no independent head-to-head benchmark establishing that OpenClaw is faster, more accurate, or cheaper than KiloClaw. Kilo’s 500-plus-model claim and 23-task PinchBench result were published by Kilo for its 2026 announcement. They are useful historical context, not a neutral measurement of current alternatives.
The strongest current conclusion is about availability and operating model. OpenClaw has an active self-hosted release and a broad control surface; KiloClaw has reached end of life. Your final choice should then follow from who will operate the Gateway, what data and tools it can reach, which model path you need, and how you will recover when something fails.
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