Compare managed OpenClaw cloud plans and BYOK VPS options.
No. Add the managed AI credits addon and start immediately — no API key required. If you prefer to use your own key from OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google, you can use bring-your-own-key (BYOK) mode instead.
A dedicated virtual machine running your OpenClaw instance 24/7, automatic updates, server maintenance, backups, and support. AI credits are available as an optional addon with monthly credit pools. You can also bring your own API key.
Yes. No contracts, no cancellation fees. Cancel from your dashboard and your subscription ends at the end of the billing period.
Self-hosting requires provisioning a server, installing Node.js, configuring OpenClaw, setting up SSL, and managing updates — typically 45+ minutes of terminal work. ClawCloud starts at $29/month and does all of that in under a minute. See the full comparison. See comparison →
Managed mode includes 100+ curated AI models including Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, Grok, Qwen, and more. BYOK mode uses your own Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google key. Add Backup Models if you want supported :free models available as a manual backup via /model in chat.
Telegram, Discord, and Feishu are available on all plans. Additional channels are in development.
Your bot stops responding on paid models once credits are exhausted. The dashboard shows an exhaustion warning and links to the free-model guide. If Backup Models is enabled, you can switch to a supported free model manually in chat to keep the bot running at lower quality and speed. Credits reset at the start of the next billing cycle, and you can also buy a credit top-up at any time — top-ups carry over and don't expire.
Yes. Credit top-ups are one-time purchases available from your dashboard. Three packs: $6 (500 credits), $12 (1,000 credits), and $30 (2,500 credits). Top-up credits carry over until used and never expire — they are not reset on billing renewal. Your monthly included credits are consumed first, then top-ups.
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