• Installer Script: One-command install via curl. Handles Node detection, installation, and onboarding wizard automatically.
  • npm / pnpm: Manual global install via npm or pnpm for users who already have Node 22+ and prefer managing the install themselves.
  • From Source: Clone the GitHub repo and build locally. For contributors or anyone wanting to run a local checkout.
  • Docker: Containerized deployment with Docker Compose. Includes optional agent sandboxing, browser containers, and health checks.
  • Podman: Rootless container deployment with Podman. Dedicated system user, optional systemd Quadlet service for auto-start.
  • Nix / Home Manager: Declarative install via nix-openclaw Home Manager module. Pinned dependencies, instant rollback, launchd service.
  • Ansible: Automated fleet provisioning with security-first architecture: UFW firewall, Tailscale VPN, Docker sandbox, systemd hardening.
  • Bun (Experimental): CLI-only usage via the Bun runtime. Fastest local dev loop but not recommended for Gateway runtime (WhatsApp/Telegram bugs).
  • macOS (Local): Run OpenClaw directly on your Mac with the native menu bar companion app. Global hotkey, screen context, system automation.
  • Raspberry Pi: Always-on personal agent on a Raspberry Pi for ~$35-80 one-time cost. Supports Pi 4 and Pi 5 with 2GB+ RAM.
  • Windows (WSL2): Run OpenClaw on Windows via WSL2 (Ubuntu recommended). Full Linux experience with consistent tooling and compatibility.
  • Linux (Direct): Run the Gateway directly on any Linux distro. Fully supported with systemd service integration.
  • Fly.io: Deploy globally on Fly.io with persistent volumes, automatic HTTPS, and optional private deployment with no public IP.
  • Hetzner VPS (Docker): Production VPS guide with Docker on Hetzner. Durable state, baked-in binaries, SSH tunnel access. ~$4-10/month.
  • GCP Compute Engine: Production VPS guide on Google Cloud Platform. Docker deployment with durable state. ~$5-12/month.
  • DigitalOcean Droplet: Persistent Gateway on DigitalOcean for $6/month. Easy UI, good docs, predictable setup.
  • Oracle Cloud (Always Free): Run OpenClaw on Oracle Cloud's Always Free ARM tier. Up to 4 OCPU and 24GB RAM at $0/month.
  • Railway: One-click deploy on Railway with web setup wizard. No terminal needed on the server. Persistent storage via volumes.
  • Render: Deploy on Render using Infrastructure as Code (render.yaml Blueprint). One-click deploy with persistent disk.
  • Northflank: One-click template deploy on Northflank. Web setup wizard, persistent volume, no terminal commands needed.
  • exe.dev: Run OpenClaw on an exe.dev VM with HTTPS proxy. Shelley agent can auto-install, or use manual SSH setup.