Managed OpenClaw vs Self-Hosted: Which Deployment is Right for You?
You've decided to run OpenClaw. Now you need to choose: managed hosting or self-hosted?
Both work. Both have trade-offs. This guide breaks down the real differences so you can make the right choice for your situation.
Quick Comparison Table
| Factor | Managed OpenClaw (Clawctl) | Self-Hosted OpenClaw |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 60 seconds | 2-4 hours minimum |
| Monthly cost | $49-999 | $10-50 (infra only) |
| Time investment | Zero ongoing | 2-5 hours/month |
| Security | Built-in (gateway, sandbox, audit) | DIY (100% your responsibility) |
| Gateway auth | Included | You build it |
| Audit logging | Automatic | You implement it |
| Kill switch | One-click | SSH + find process |
| Human-in-the-loop | Included (Team+) | Not available |
| Egress controls | Built-in allowlist | DIY firewall rules |
| SSL/TLS | Automatic | You configure |
| Updates/patches | We handle it | You track + apply |
| Uptime SLA | 99.9% | Depends on you |
| Support | Included | Community only |
| Compliance ready | SOC 2, audit exports | You build evidence |
| Data location | Clawctl cloud | Your infrastructure |
| Full control | Sandboxed | Root access |
The Case for Managed OpenClaw
When Managed Makes Sense
1. You want to ship, not manage infrastructure
Every hour spent on infrastructure is an hour not spent on your actual product. Managed OpenClaw eliminates:
- Server provisioning
- Security hardening
- SSL certificate management
- Reverse proxy configuration
- Monitoring setup
- Patch management
2. Security is non-negotiable
Self-hosted OpenClaw has real security risks. Researchers have found hundreds of exposed instances with:
- Unprotected admin dashboards
- Leaked API keys (Anthropic, OpenAI)
- No authentication
- Full command execution access
Managed OpenClaw includes security by default:
✓ Gateway authentication (256-bit tokens)
✓ Sandboxed execution
✓ Network egress controls
✓ Full audit logging
✓ One-click kill switch
3. You have compliance requirements
Enterprise customers ask: "Where are the audit logs?" "How do you handle data?" "Show me your security controls."
With self-hosted, you build this evidence yourself. With managed OpenClaw, it's included:
- Searchable audit trail
- Compliance exports
- Data isolation documentation
- SOC 2 readiness
4. Your time has value
The math:
| Self-hosted | Managed |
|---|---|
| $20/mo (DigitalOcean) | $49/mo |
| + 4 hours setup | + 0 hours setup |
| + 2 hours/month maintenance | + 0 hours/month |
| + Security risk | + Security included |
If your time is worth more than $15/hour, managed wins on pure economics—before accounting for security.
The Case for Self-Hosted
When Self-Hosted Makes Sense
1. Data must stay on your infrastructure
Some organizations have strict data residency requirements. If data cannot leave your network under any circumstances, self-hosted is your only option.
2. You need full root access
Managed OpenClaw runs in a sandbox. You can't:
- Install arbitrary system packages
- Modify low-level OS settings
- Run privileged containers
- Access the host system
If your use case requires this level of control, self-host.
3. Budget is the hard constraint
If $49/month is genuinely not in the budget, self-hosted on a cheap VPS works. Just understand you're trading money for time and accepting security responsibility.
4. You enjoy infrastructure work
Some people genuinely like managing servers. If hardening Linux, configuring nginx, and debugging SSL issues sounds fun—self-host.
5. You're just experimenting
For local development and experimentation, self-hosted makes sense. Run OpenClaw on your laptop, play with it, learn how it works. When you're ready for production, consider managed.
Security Comparison: The Real Difference
This is where the choice matters most.
Self-Hosted Security Reality
| Risk | What Happens | Your Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Exposed dashboard | Anyone can access your agent | Configure firewall + auth |
| Credential leak | Your API keys stolen | Implement secret management |
| No audit trail | Can't prove what happened | Build logging system |
| Prompt injection | Full system access | Implement guardrails |
| Runaway agent | Manual intervention needed | Build kill mechanism |
| Network exfiltration | Data sent anywhere | Configure egress rules |
Real incidents (documented):
- Hundreds of exposed OpenClaw instances found by security researchers
- API keys (Anthropic, OpenAI) harvested from unprotected dashboards
- Full command execution on internet-exposed instances
Managed OpenClaw Security
| Risk | Clawctl Protection |
|---|---|
| Exposed dashboard | Gateway auth required—never exposed |
| Credential leak | Encrypted at rest, injected at runtime |
| No audit trail | Automatic logging of all actions |
| Prompt injection | Sandboxed execution limits blast radius |
| Runaway agent | One-click kill switch |
| Network exfiltration | Egress allowlist enforced |
Total Cost of Ownership
Self-Hosted Costs
Infrastructure: $10-30/month (VPS)
Your time (setup):
- Server provisioning: 1-2 hours
- Security hardening: 2-4 hours
- SSL/reverse proxy: 1-2 hours
- Monitoring setup: 1-2 hours
- Total: 5-10 hours
Your time (ongoing):
- Security patches: 1-2 hours/month
- Monitoring: 1-2 hours/month
- Troubleshooting: Variable
- Total: 2-5 hours/month
Risk cost:
- One security incident: Hours to days of cleanup
- Reputation damage: Incalculable
- Compliance failure: Project blocked
Managed OpenClaw Costs
Clawctl pricing:
- Starter: $49/month
- Team: $299/month (adds human-in-the-loop)
- Business: $999/month (full compliance)
Your time: Zero ongoing
Risk cost: Transferred to provider
Decision Framework
Choose Managed OpenClaw If:
- Time to market matters
- You don't have dedicated DevOps
- Security is important (it should be)
- You have compliance requirements
- You want to focus on building, not maintaining
- Your agent handles sensitive data or actions
Choose Self-Hosted If:
- Data cannot leave your infrastructure (regulatory)
- You need full root/system access
- Budget is under $49/month hard limit
- You have infrastructure expertise and enjoy it
- You're only experimenting locally
Migration Path
Starting self-hosted? You can migrate to managed later.
- Sign up at clawctl.com/checkout
- Enter your existing LLM API keys in the dashboard setup wizard
- Re-authenticate your channels in the dashboard
- Update webhook URLs to point to your new Clawctl tenant
Your config is now on Clawctl. See the full migration guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I switch from self-hosted to managed OpenClaw?
Yes. Sign up for Clawctl, enter your existing API keys in the dashboard, and re-authenticate your channels. Your settings and preferences transfer over. See the migration guide.
Is managed OpenClaw more secure than self-hosted?
In practice, yes. Managed OpenClaw includes security controls (auth, sandbox, audit, egress) that most self-hosted deployments lack. The security is built-in, not optional.
Will I lose features with managed OpenClaw?
No—you gain features. Managed OpenClaw includes everything self-hosted has, plus human-in-the-loop, kill switch, and audit logging that don't exist in raw OpenClaw.
Can I self-host and use Clawctl?
Clawctl is a managed service. If you need self-hosted with enterprise features, contact us about on-premise options for Business tier customers.
What if I need data to stay in a specific region?
Contact us. Business tier customers can discuss regional deployment options.
The Bottom Line
Most teams should use managed OpenClaw. The time savings, security benefits, and reduced risk outweigh the cost difference for any production deployment.
Self-hosted makes sense for local experimentation, strict data residency requirements, or when you genuinely enjoy infrastructure work.
Deploy managed OpenClaw → | View pricing → | Self-hosted security risks →