Give your OpenClaw agent its own KVM server in Germany with full root access, so it can run commands, drive a browser and answer you on Telegram around the clock.
OpenClaw itself is light. The agent talks to a hosted language model through an API, so the VPS does not run the model and needs no GPU. What uses memory is everything around it: Node.js, installed skills, logs and, above all, a headless browser. For an agent that works with APIs, Telegram and shell commands, 4 GB of RAM is a comfortable minimum.
If you plan to use browser automation, go for 8 GB. A headless Chromium with a few open tabs can take more than a gigabyte by itself, and page heavy sites push that higher. The VPS-3 plan with 2 vCPU and 4 GB fits a single agent with API tools, while VPS-4 with 4 vCPU and 8 GB leaves room for browsing, several skills and a small database.
4 GB RAM: one agent with Telegram, APIs and shell access.
8 GB RAM: browser automation and heavier skills.
12 GB and up: several agents or extra services next to OpenClaw.
Installing OpenClaw step by step
There is no ready made image. You get a clean Linux server and install OpenClaw yourself, which means you control every package and every version. Our step by step guide walks through it on Ubuntu: connect over SSH, install Node.js, install OpenClaw, add your model provider key and connect a Telegram bot. Most people finish in about ten minutes.
After installation, run OpenClaw as a service so it starts again after a reboot. The guide shows how to keep the dashboard on localhost and reach it with an SSH tunnel from your computer. That way the control panel of an agent that can run commands is never open to the whole internet.
Keeping an autonomous agent safe
An agent that can run shell commands and browse the web deserves the same care as any server you expose. Create a separate user for OpenClaw instead of running it as root, keep the system updated and allow only the ports you need in the firewall. SSH keys instead of passwords close the most common way servers get broken into.
Give the agent only the API keys it really needs, and prefer keys with spending limits from your model provider. Because the VPS is a separate machine, a mistake by the agent stays on that server. If something goes wrong, you can reinstall the operating system from the control panel and start clean in a few minutes.
What people build with OpenClaw on a VPS
Common setups include a personal assistant that answers on Telegram, reads and summarises feeds, and reminds you about tasks. Others use OpenClaw to watch websites for changes, fill in web forms, collect data from several APIs into one report, or run maintenance commands on their own servers on a schedule.
Because the server sits in a data center in Falkenstein, Germany with an uplink of up to 1 Gbps, API calls and page loads are quick for most of Europe. Outgoing mail ports are closed by default, so if your agent needs to send email, use an HTTPS API provider such as Resend, Postmark or Amazon SES.
Step by step guides
Written by our team and tested on DataPasa servers.
For most people a plan with 2 vCPU and 4 GB of RAM, such as VPS-3, is enough for one agent working with APIs and Telegram. Choose 8 GB, such as VPS-4, if the agent will control a browser.
No. OpenClaw sends requests to a hosted language model through an API key, so the model runs at the provider. The VPS only runs the agent, its tools and optionally a headless browser.
With our step by step guide it usually takes about ten minutes: order the server, connect over SSH, install Node.js and OpenClaw, add your API key and link a Telegram bot.
Keep the dashboard listening on localhost and forward its port with an SSH tunnel from your computer. You then open it in your local browser without exposing it to the internet.
Yes, if the server has enough memory. Plan roughly 4 GB per agent without a browser and more with browser automation. Larger plans such as VPS-5 or VPS-6 suit several agents.
Yes. Top up your balance from $5 with USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, XMR and many other coins, or with a card. Servers are charged by the hour from that balance.