How to Install and Configure OpenClaw Free on Oracle Cloud VPS (2026 Complete Guide)

Introduction: Why Run Your Own AI Assistant?

Imagine having a personal AI assistant that never sleeps, works on your own server, and connects to all your favorite messaging apps. Sounds expensive? Think again. With Oracle Cloud Free Tier and OpenClaw, you can run a powerful personal AI assistant for absolutely free.

Most people pay monthly subscriptions for AI tools like ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro. But what if you could have your own AI assistant running 24/7 on a VPS with incredible specs – completely free? That’s exactly what we’re going to build in this guide.

OpenClaw isn’t just another chatbot. It’s a full-featured personal AI assistant that integrates with WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, and dozens of other platforms. It can browse the web, run code, manage your files, send messages, and much more – all running on your own infrastructure.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through every single step to get OpenClaw running on Oracle Cloud’s free tier. We’ll cover everything from creating your Oracle account to securing your installation. By the end, you’ll have a fully functional AI assistant that’s available whenever you need it.

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What Exactly is OpenClaw?

Before we dive into the installation, let’s take a moment to understand what OpenClaw actually is and why it’s become so popular among developers, sysadmins, and tech enthusiasts.

OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI assistant framework. Think of it as the infrastructure layer that connects large language models to real-world actions. While ChatGPT or Claude are amazing, they’re hosted by their respective companies. OpenClaw gives you control – your data stays on your servers, you choose which models to use, and you decide what tools your AI can access.

The project was inspired by Claude Code and aims to provide a similar experience but with more flexibility and community-driven development. It’s designed to be your personal digital assistant that lives on your hardware.

Key Features That Make OpenClaw Special

OpenClaw comes packed with features that make it stand out from other AI assistant solutions:

• Multi-Channel Support: Connect to WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, Microsoft Teams, Matrix, and even web chat. Your AI is accessible everywhere.
• Voice Capabilities: With ElevenLabs integration, OpenClaw can speak to you and listen. Perfect for hands-free interactions.
• Live Canvas: A visual workspace where the AI can present information, draw diagrams, and create interactive interfaces.
• Browser Automation: OpenClaw can browse the web, take screenshots, fill forms, and interact with websites automatically.
• Node Integration: Connect macOS, iOS, or Android devices as nodes – your AI can access your cameras, screens, location, and more.
• Automation & Cron: Set up scheduled tasks, webhooks, and automated workflows.
• Skills System: Extend functionality with plugins and skills – from WordPress management to GitHub integration.

The best part? All of this runs on your server. Your conversations stay private, and you have complete control over what your AI can and cannot do.

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Why Oracle Cloud Free Tier is Perfect for OpenClaw

You might be wondering – why Oracle Cloud? There are plenty of cloud providers offering free tiers. Let me explain why Oracle Cloud Free Tier is the best choice for running OpenClaw.

Oracle Cloud Free Tier: What’s Included

Oracle Cloud offers one of the most generous free tiers in the industry. Here’s what you get at absolutely no cost:

• Always Free ARM Compute: This is the golden ticket. You get an ARM-based virtual machine with 4 CPUs and 24GB of RAM – forever. No credit card required, no trial period, it just keeps running.
• Block Storage: 200GB of block storage for your files and data.
• Object Storage: 20GB for backups and archives.
• Networking: 2 public IP addresses and 10TB of outbound bandwidth per month.
• Additional Services: Free access to over 100 Oracle Cloud services including databases, monitoring, and more.

The 4 CPU, 24GB RAM VM is particularly significant. Most free tiers give you 1GB or 2GB of RAM – barely enough for running AI models. With 24GB, you can run larger language models locally or connect to multiple API providers without worrying about resource constraints.

Comparing Free Tier Options

Let’s see how Oracle Cloud compares to other providers:

Provider	CPU	RAM	Storage	Always Free?
Oracle Cloud	4 CPUs	24GB	200GB	Yes – Forever
AWS	1-2 CPUs	1GB	30GB	12 months only
Google Cloud	1-2 CPUs	1GB	30GB	12 months only
Azure	1 CPU	1GB	30GB	12 months only

As you can see, Oracle Cloud is in a league of its own. The ARM-based Ampere instance is truly unlimited – no hidden catches, no automatic charges after a trial period.

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Step 1: Creating Your Oracle Cloud Account

Let’s get started. The first step is creating your Oracle Cloud Free Tier account. Don’t worry – it’s straightforward and doesn’t require a credit card for the free tier.

Registration Process

1. Navigate to oracle.com/cloud/free
2. Click the “Start for Free” button
3. Enter your email address and create a password
4. Verify your email by clicking the link Oracle sends you
5. Complete the registration form – name, phone number (for verification), and country
6. You’ll be asked to verify your phone number via SMS code

Important: You do NOT need to add a payment method for the free tier. If you only use Always Free services, you won’t be charged. When signing up, look for the option that says something like “I only want free services” or similar.

After Verification

Once your account is verified, you’ll land in the Oracle Cloud Console. This is your command center for managing all Oracle Cloud services. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the layout – you’ll be spending some time here.

The console shows various services in the left sidebar. For our purposes, we mainly care about Compute (for our VM) and Networking (for IP addresses and firewall rules).

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Step 2: Creating Your Virtual Machine

Now let’s create the actual virtual machine that will run OpenClaw. This is where the magic happens.

Navigating to Compute

1. In the Oracle Cloud Console, look for the left sidebar
2. Click on Compute
3. Under Compute, click on Instances
4. You’ll see any existing instances here – hopefully empty for a new account
5. Click the blue Create Instance button

Configuring Your Instance

The instance creation page has several sections. Let’s go through each:

Name and Compartment

• Name: Enter something descriptive like “openclaw-vps” or “ai-assistant”
• Compartment: Leave as default (root compartment) unless you have specific compartment requirements

Placement

• Availability Domain: Oracle typically assigns you to one AD automatically. You can leave this as default or choose whichever AD is available.
• Fault Domain: Leave as default – Oracle will handle distribution for high availability

Image

This is your operating system choice. I recommend:

• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS – Most popular, excellent community support, easy to troubleshoot
• Oracle Linux 8 – Also excellent, Oracle’s preferred OS, very stable

I’ll use Ubuntu 22.04 for this guide as it has the widest compatibility and most tutorials available.

Shape (The Important Part!)

This is where you select your server specs. Here’s how to find the free tier instance:

1. Click on Change Shape
2. Look for the ARM or Ampere tab
3. Select VM.Standard.A1.Flex (or similar Ampere flex shape)
4. Set OCPUs (CPUs) to 4
5. Set Memory to 24 GB
6. This combination is always free!

Networking

Configure the network settings:

• Virtual Cloud Network: Create new or select existing
• Subnet: Create new public subnet
• Assign a public IP address: Make sure this is checked – you need it to SSH into your server

SSH Keys

For security, you’ll need SSH keys:

1. Click on Save private key to generate a new key pair
2. Or if you have existing keys, upload your public key
3. Save the private key securely – you’ll need it to connect to your server

Boot Volume

Leave at default settings. You get 50GB of boot volume included, which is plenty for OpenClaw.

Creating the Instance

Click Create and wait 1-2 minutes for Oracle to provision your VM. Once the state shows “Running” and you see a public IP address, you’re ready to proceed.

Write down your Public IP Address – you’ll need it for everything coming up!

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Step 3: Connecting to Your VPS via SSH

Now comes the part where we actually connect to our server. If you’re on macOS or Linux, you already have SSH. If you’re on Windows, you can use PowerShell or an SSH client like PuTTY.

Finding Your SSH Command

In the Oracle console, under your instance details, look for the SSH Command section. It will look something like:

ssh -i /path/to/your/private_key opc@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP

For macOS/Linux Users

1. First, make sure your private key has correct permissions:

chmod 400 /path/to/your/private_key

1. Connect using the SSH command:

ssh -i /path/to/your/private_key ubuntu@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP

For Windows (PowerShell) Users

1. Navigate to your key folder in PowerShell
2. Make the key readable:

icacls your_key.pem /inheritance:r

1. Connect:

ssh -i ./your_key.pem ubuntu@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP

First Connection: Accepting the Host Key

The first time you connect, you’ll see something like:

The authenticity of host 'xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx' can't be established.ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:xxxxxxxxxxxxx.Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

Type yes and press Enter. This adds the server’s fingerprint to your known hosts.

Welcome to Ubuntu!

You should now see a welcome message and a command prompt. Congratulations – you’re inside your server! This is where we’ll install and configure OpenClaw.

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Step 4: Preparing Your Server

Before installing OpenClaw, we need to prepare our Ubuntu server with the necessary dependencies.

Updating Package Lists

sudo apt update

This fetches the latest package information from Ubuntu’s servers. You’ll see a lot of scrolling text as it updates.

Upgrading System Packages

sudo apt upgrade -y

This installs the latest security updates and package versions. The -y flag automatically answers “yes” to prompts. This may take a few minutes.

Installing Essential Dependencies

sudo apt install -y curl git build-essential

These are essential tools:

• curl: For downloading files from URLs
• git: Version control – needed for installing some packages
• build-essential: Compiler tools needed to build certain Node.js modules

Installing Node.js 22

OpenClaw requires Node.js version 22 or higher. Let’s install it:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -

sudo apt install -y nodejs

Verifying Node.js Installation

node --version

You should see something like v22.x.x

npm --version

This shows your npm version, needed for installing packages.

Installing pnpm (Optional but Recommended)

OpenClaw works with npm, but pnpm is recommended for better dependency management:

sudo npm install -g pnpm

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Step 5: Installing configure OpenClaw free

Now for the main event – installing OpenClaw itself!

Installing OpenClaw Globally

sudo npm install -g openclaw@latest

This downloads and installs OpenClaw and all its dependencies. This may take a few minutes as it downloads a significant amount of packages.

Verifying Installation

openclaw --version

You should see the version number. If you get a “command not found” error, try refreshing your path:

source ~/.bashrc

Or:

export PATH="$(npm root -g)/bin:$PATH"

The OpenClaw Command Structure

OpenClaw comes with several commands:

• openclaw onboard – The setup wizard
• openclaw gateway – Start the gateway server
• openclaw agent – Interact with your AI
• openclaw message – Send messages
• openclaw channels – Manage messaging channels
• openclaw config – View/modify configuration
• openclaw doctor – Troubleshooting tool

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Step 6: Configuring OpenClaw with the Onboarding Wizard

OpenClaw provides an interactive wizard that guides you through the initial setup. This is the easiest way to get started.

Running the Onboarding Wizard

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The --install-daemon flag sets up OpenClaw as a background service that starts automatically when your server boots.

What the Wizard Configures

The wizard will ask you several questions:

1. Workspace Location: Where OpenClaw stores its files. Default is ~/.openclaw/workspace
2. Model Selection: Which AI model to use (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.)
3. API Keys: You’ll need at least one API key for your chosen model
4. Channels: Which messaging platforms to connect
5. Security Settings: Authentication and access controls

Choosing Your AI Model

OpenClaw supports multiple AI providers:

• OpenAI (GPT-4, GPT-4o): Most popular, excellent for general tasks
• Anthropic (Claude): Excellent reasoning, longer context
• Google Gemini: Good multimodal capabilities
• Local Models: Run models locally (requires more setup)

For the free tier with 24GB RAM, you might want to use API-based models (requiring API keys) rather than running local models, as local models would require significant additional setup and resources.

Obtaining API Keys

You’ll need to sign up for at least one AI service:

• OpenAI: platform.openai.com
• Anthropic: console.anthropic.com
• Google AI: aistudio.google.com

Most services offer some free credits for new users. You can start with these and scale up as needed.

Starting the Gateway

After the wizard completes, start the gateway:

openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

The gateway is the main server that handles all connections. --verbose enables detailed logging which is helpful for troubleshooting.

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Step 7: Connecting Messaging Channels

One of OpenClaw’s most powerful features is its ability to connect to multiple messaging platforms. Let’s set up a few popular ones.

Telegram Setup

1. Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
2. Send /newbot to create a new bot
3. Follow the prompts – give your bot a name and username
4. BotFather will give you a bot token – copy this
5. Configure in OpenClaw:

openclaw config set channels.telegram.botToken "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN_HERE"

Discord Setup

1. Go to the Discord Developer Portal
2. Create a new Application
3. Under “Bot”, create a bot user
4. Copy the bot token
5. Configure in OpenClaw:

openclaw config set channels.discord.token "YOUR_DISCORD_TOKEN"

You’ll also need to invite the bot to your server using the OAuth2 URL in the developer portal.

WhatsApp Setup

pnpm openclaw channels login

This will display a QR code. Scan it with your WhatsApp app (Settings > Linked Devices > Link Device).

Testing Your Channels

Once configured, restart the gateway:

openclaw gateway --port 18789 --verbose

Send a message to your bot on any connected platform. You should get a response from your AI assistant!

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Step 8: Running OpenClaw 24/7 with Systemd

So far, we’ve been running OpenClaw manually. But what happens if you close your SSH connection or the server restarts? That’s where systemd comes in – it manages services that run in the background.

Creating a Systemd Service File

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service

Paste the following configuration:

[Unit]Description=OpenClaw Gateway - Personal AI AssistantAfter=network.targetWants=network-online.target[Service]Type=simpleUser=ubuntuWorkingDirectory=/home/ubuntuExecStart=/usr/bin/openclaw gateway --port 18789Restart=alwaysRestartSec=10StandardOutput=journalStandardError=journalEnvironment=NODE_ENV=production[Install]WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save and exit (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X in nano)

Enabling and Starting the Service

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

This reloads systemd to recognize our new service.

sudo systemctl enable openclaw

This makes OpenClaw start automatically when the server boots.

sudo systemctl start openclaw

This starts OpenClaw right now.

Checking Service Status

sudo systemctl status openclaw

You should see “active (running)” in green. If there are errors, check the logs:

sudo journalctl -u openclaw -f

Useful Service Commands

• Stop OpenClaw: sudo systemctl stop openclaw
• Restart OpenClaw: sudo systemctl restart openclaw
• Check logs: sudo journalctl -u openclaw

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Step 9: Securing Your OpenClaw Installation

Running a service connected to the internet requires proper security measures. Let’s harden your installation.

Configuring the Firewall

Ubuntu comes with UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall). Let’s configure it:

sudo ufw allow 22/tcp comment 'SSH'sudo ufw allow 18789/tcp comment 'OpenClaw Gateway'sudo ufw enable

This allows SSH connections and your OpenClaw gateway, but blocks everything else.

Setting Up Gateway Authentication

By default, your gateway might be open. Let’s add password protection:

openclaw config set gateway.auth.mode passwordopenclaw config set gateway.auth.username adminopenclaw config set gateway.auth.password YOUR_STRONG_PASSWORD

Now anyone trying to access your gateway needs authentication.

Configuring DM Policies

For messaging channels, set up pairing policies to prevent spam:

openclaw config set channels.telegram.dmPolicy pairingopenclaw config set channels.discord.dmPolicy pairing

This means new users need to be explicitly approved before they can interact with your AI.

Approving Users

When a new user tries to message your bot, you’ll get a notification with a pairing code. Approve them with:

openclaw pairing approve telegram USER_ID

Regular Security Audits

Run OpenClaw’s built-in security check:

openclaw doctor

This checks for common misconfigurations and security issues.

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Advanced: Remote Access with Tailscale

Want to access your OpenClaw dashboard from anywhere? Tailscale provides a secure tunnel without exposing your server to the public internet.

Installing Tailscale

curl -fsSL https://tailscale.com/install.sh | sh

Connecting to Tailscale

sudo tailscale up

Follow the authentication link shown in the output.

Using Tailscale Serve

Tailscale Serve lets you access your gateway through your Tailscale network:

tailscale serve http 18789

Now you can access your gateway at your Tailscale URL (shown by the command above).

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

Even with the best guides, things sometimes go wrong. Here are solutions to common problems.

Gateway Won’t Start

Symptom: Running openclaw gateway fails or immediately exits

Solutions:

• Check if the port is already in use: sudo lsof -i :18789
• Check the logs for error messages: sudo journalctl -u openclaw
• Verify Node.js is working: node --version
• Try running with verbose logging to see what’s happening

Channels Not Connecting

Symptom: Messages sent to your bot don’t get responses

Solutions:

• Verify credentials are correct: check your tokens and API keys
• Run openclaw doctor to diagnose issues
• Check channel-specific logs
• Make sure your bot has been added to the appropriate servers/chats

Out of Memory Errors

Symptom: Gateway crashes with memory errors

Solutions:

• Monitor memory usage: free -h
• Consider using smaller or more efficient models
• Limit concurrent sessions
• Add swap space as emergency buffer

Can’t Connect via SSH

Symptom: SSH connection fails after working before

Solutions:

• Check Oracle console – is the instance running?
• Verify public IP hasn’t changed
• Check if security groups allow SSH (port 22)
• Try a console connection through Oracle’s web UI as fallback

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What Can You Do with Your OpenClaw Assistant?

Now that everything is set up, what exactly can your AI assistant do? Let me give you some ideas.

Personal Productivity

• Email Management: Read, summarize, and compose emails
• Calendar Management: Check and update your calendar
• Reminder Systems: Set and receive reminders
• Note Taking: Create and organize notes

Development Tasks

• Code Review: Have your AI review code snippets
• Bug Analysis: Describe bugs and get debugging help
• Documentation: Generate and explain documentation
• Shell Commands: Run terminal commands through natural language

Information Retrieval

• Web Research: Browse and summarize web content
• Technical Docs: Query documentation
• News Updates: Get summaries of current events

Automation

• Scheduled Tasks: Set up cron jobs for regular AI tasks
• Webhooks: Trigger AI responses from other services
• Workflows: Connect multiple services together

Fun Stuff

• Storytelling: Generate stories, poems, creative content
• Learning: Explain complex topics in simple terms
• Translation: Translate text between languages
• Analysis: Analyze data, create summaries

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Conclusion: Your Personal AI Assistant Awaits

Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up OpenClaw on Oracle Cloud Free Tier. You now have a powerful personal AI assistant running on a server with 4 CPUs and 24GB of RAM – completely free!

Here’s what you’ve accomplished:

• Created an Oracle Cloud Free Tier account
• Provisioned a powerful VPS with 4 CPUs and 24GB RAM
• Installed OpenClaw and its dependencies
• Configured the onboarding wizard with your preferred AI model
• Connected messaging channels (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, etc.)
• Set up systemd to run OpenClaw 24/7
• Secured your installation with firewall and authentication

The possibilities are endless. Your AI assistant can help with coding, research, automation, productivity, and much more. Because it runs on your own server, you have complete control over its capabilities and what data it has access to.

Next Steps

To get the most out of your OpenClaw installation:

• Explore Skills: Check out the skills system at docs.openclaw.ai/tools/skills
• Join the Community: Connect with other users on Discord at discord.gg/clawd
• Read the Docs: Full documentation is available at docs.openclaw.ai
• Contribute: OpenClaw is open source – contribute at github.com/openclaw/openclaw

Your personal AI assistant is ready. Start chatting with it on any connected channel and see what it can do!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Oracle Cloud Free Tier really free? Will I be charged?

Yes! The Always Free services, including the ARM VM with 4 CPUs and 24GB RAM, are genuinely free – no credit card required, no trial period, no charges ever. As long as you stay within the Always Free limits, you will not be billed. Just be careful not to accidentally create paid resources.

Can I run multiple messaging channels at the same time?

Absolutely! OpenClaw supports connecting multiple messaging platforms simultaneously. You can have your AI assistant available on WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, and more – all working at the same time. Each platform operates independently.

Do I need to keep my computer on for OpenClaw to work?

No! That’s one of the main benefits of running OpenClaw on a VPS. Your AI assistant runs on your Oracle Cloud server, which stays online 24/7. Your local computer can be turned off, and OpenClaw will still respond to messages on all your connected channels.

Which AI model should I use?

It depends on your needs. OpenAI GPT-4 is excellent for general tasks and coding. Claude (Anthropic) offers great reasoning and long context. For the free tier, start with whichever service offers you free credits and expand from there. You can also use multiple models and switch between them.

Is my data secure?

Yes! Since OpenClaw runs on your own server, you control where your data goes. Your conversations stay on your infrastructure. However, when using external AI APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.), some data is sent to those services. Review each provider’s privacy policy for details.

Can I access OpenClaw from anywhere?

Yes! With the public IP Oracle provides, you can access your gateway from anywhere in the world. For additional security, consider using Tailscale for encrypted remote access. Your gateway runs on port 18789 by default.

What happens if Oracle Cloud goes down?

If Oracle Cloud experiences downtime, your OpenClaw will be unavailable until the service is restored. Oracle Cloud has a good track record, but for critical applications, you might want to set up monitoring alerts. Oracle’s status page shows current system status.

Can I upgrade my OpenClaw installation later?

Yes! OpenClaw is continuously updated. Run npm install -g openclaw@latest to update to the latest version. Your configuration and settings are preserved during updates.