How long does it take to set up MyOpenClaw?

Your personal AI assistant is ready in 60 seconds. Simply pick a username, and we handle everything else - provisioning, SSL, and configuration.

What messaging platforms does MyOpenClaw support?

MyOpenClaw supports WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, and more. Connect all your channels from one unified dashboard.

Do I need technical knowledge to use MyOpenClaw?

No! MyOpenClaw is designed for non-technical users. Zero DevOps required - we handle all the infrastructure, updates, and security.

Can I get my own custom subdomain?

Yes! Every user gets their own subdomain: yourname.myopenclaw.cloud with automatic SSL certificate.

What happens if I want to cancel?

You can cancel anytime. There are no long-term contracts or hidden fees. Your data remains accessible until the end of your billing period.

How is this different from ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a chat interface you visit. OpenClaw is an autonomous AI agent that lives on your messaging apps and acts on your behalf. It can manage files, run code, browse the web, and integrate with your tools. It remembers everything across conversations and works 24/7.

What happened to Clawdbot and Moltbot?

OpenClaw was previously known as Clawdbot, and before that, Moltbot. The project has evolved significantly: same open-source community, much more powerful software. MyOpenClaw.cloud supports the latest version.

Do I need my own API key?

Yes, you'll need an API key from an AI provider like Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google. This takes about 2 minutes to set up and gives you full control over your AI usage and costs. We walk you through it during onboarding.

How does billing work?

Billing is monthly. You're charged when you subscribe, and your plan renews automatically each month. You can cancel anytime from your dashboard — no hidden fees or penalties.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?

Yes. You can switch between Starter, Pro, and Business plans at any time from your dashboard. Upgrades take effect immediately with prorated billing. Downgrades apply at the end of your current billing period.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) through our payment partner Polar. All transactions are processed securely with industry-standard encryption.

Is there a free trial?

There's no free trial, but you can cancel anytime with no penalties. Your instance stays active until the end of your billing period. At $29/month for Starter, there's minimal risk to try it out.

Is this an official OpenClaw service?

MyOpenClaw.cloud is an independent managed hosting service. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the OpenClaw open-source project. We provide hosting, support, and a streamlined experience on top of the open-source software.

Hardware vs Cloud

Mac Mini Self-Hosting vs MyOpenClaw

Mac Mini M4 is the most popular way to self-host OpenClaw in 2026. But is it actually better than managed hosting? We ran the real numbers — setup time, API bills, security, and maintenance.

Choose Mac Mini if...

You want to run local AI models (Ollama) for zero API costs
You need Apple Notes / iMessage / Shortcuts integration
You have strict data sovereignty requirements
You enjoy the ops work and want full control

Choose MyOpenClaw if...

You want to be running in 60 seconds, not 4–8 hours
You don't want to manage security advisories
You want predictable monthly costs (no API bill surprise)
You want automatic updates, monitoring, and support

9 of 12 categories favor managed hosting. 3 favor Mac Mini (local models + Apple integration).

Security note for self-hosters

Over 135,000 self-hosted OpenClaw instances are publicly exposed on the internet. Default config binds to 0.0.0.0 with auth disabled. Cisco called self-hosted OpenClaw a "security nightmare." Read the full security breakdown →

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Setup Time

Mac Mini requires installing Node.js, configuring openclaw.json, setting up a reverse proxy, domain, SSL, and debugging the inevitable config errors.

Mac Mini

4–8 hours

MyOpenClaw

60 seconds

Upfront Cost

Mac Mini M4 starts at $599. Amortized over 3 years that's ~$17-22/month before any operating costs.

Mac Mini

$600–$800 hardware

MyOpenClaw

API Costs

Self-hosted OpenClaw has no API cost controls. Token bloat can turn a $0 infra cost into a $400/month API bill. MyOpenClaw Pro includes $10/mo of built-in AI with optional BYOK.

Mac Mini

Unbounded (avg $80–400/mo)

MyOpenClaw

$10/mo built-in + BYOK

Security

135,000+ self-hosted instances are exposed on the public internet. Default OpenClaw config binds to 0.0.0.0 with auth disabled. MyOpenClaw instances are private, firewalled, and auto-patched.

Mac Mini

You manage

MyOpenClaw

Managed + auto-patched

Monthly Infrastructure

Mac Mini electricity is genuinely cheap — about $2/month. The infrastructure cost isn't where Mac Mini loses. It's the API bill and time investment.

Mac Mini

$2/mo electricity

MyOpenClaw

Included in plan

Software Updates

OpenClaw releases regularly with breaking changes. Self-hosting means reviewing changelogs, testing compatibility, and updating manually. We do this for you.

Mac Mini

Manual — you review and update

MyOpenClaw

Automatic

Skill Supply Chain

The ClawHavoc campaign (Feb 2026) placed 341 malicious skills on ClawHub. Self-hosted users who ran clawhub install were at risk. MyOpenClaw pins all skill versions with hash verification.

Mac Mini

Unprotected (ClawHavoc risk)

MyOpenClaw

Pinned + SHA-256 verified

Uptime

If your Mac Mini loses power, your network goes down, or the process crashes overnight, your AI is unavailable. Fly.io infrastructure restarts machines automatically.

Mac Mini

No guarantee

MyOpenClaw

99.9% SLA

Multi-Channel Setup

Connecting Telegram/WhatsApp/Discord to a self-hosted instance requires setting up port forwarding, a public domain, SSL certificates, and webhook endpoints. MyOpenClaw does all of this.

Mac Mini

Manual (port forward, domain, SSL, webhooks)

MyOpenClaw

Pre-configured

Local AI Models (Ollama)

This is Mac Mini's biggest advantage. A 24GB M4 can run 32B parameter models locally with Ollama, eliminating API costs entirely. Managed hosting doesn't support local inference.

Mac Mini

Yes — zero API cost

MyOpenClaw

Not available

Apple Ecosystem (Notes, iMessage)

Local OpenClaw on macOS can read Apple Notes, Reminders, iMessages, and run Shortcuts via AppleScript. This deep integration isn't possible with managed hosting.

Mac Mini

Yes — native AppleScript access

MyOpenClaw

Not available

Technical Skill Required

Self-hosting requires comfort with terminal, JSON configuration files, firewall rules, and debugging. 80% of self-hosted OpenClaw support requests are the same 20 setup errors.

Mac Mini

High — CLI, JSON config, networking

MyOpenClaw

None

The 12-Month Math

Assumptions: moderate daily use, Telegram connected, Claude Sonnet as primary model.

Cost	Mac Mini M4	MyOpenClaw Pro
Hardware	$800 ($22/mo amortized)	$0
Electricity / Infrastructure	$2/mo	Included
API costs	~$80–150/mo (Claude Sonnet)	$10/mo built-in + BYOK
Domain + SSL	~$1.25/mo	Included
Maintenance time	2–4 hrs/mo	0
12-month total	~$1,345–$2,101	~$588

* Mac Mini electricity ≈ $2/mo. But your API bill is where it gets expensive. See the full cost breakdown →

Common Questions

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Only if your API costs stay under ~$25/month. Mac Mini hardware costs $600-800 upfront (~$17-22/mo amortized over 3 years), plus $2/mo electricity, plus unbounded API costs. For moderate daily use with Claude Sonnet, API costs alone average $80-150/month. MyOpenClaw Pro is $49/month with $10 of built-in AI included. Over 12 months, most active users spend significantly more self-hosting.

Security. Over 135,000 self-hosted OpenClaw instances are publicly exposed on the internet — many with no authentication. The default OpenClaw config binds to 0.0.0.0 with auth disabled. Combined with the ClawHavoc supply chain attack (341 malicious ClawHub skills in Feb 2026) and the ClawJacked WebSocket hijacking vulnerability, self-hosting requires active security management that most users don't do.

No. MyOpenClaw instances run on Fly.io cloud infrastructure optimized for managed OpenClaw deployments — not local GPU inference. If you want to run Ollama with Mistral/Llama/Qwen to eliminate API costs entirely, you need local self-hosting (Mac Mini 24GB is excellent for this). This is the one genuine technical advantage of Mac Mini over managed hosting.

No. Accessing Apple Notes, Reminders, iMessages, and Shortcuts via AppleScript requires OpenClaw to run on your local Mac. This deep macOS integration isn't available with cloud-hosted instances. If this integration is important to you, self-hosting is the right choice.

Most users report 4-8 hours for initial setup: installing Node.js, configuring openclaw.json, setting up a reverse proxy (nginx or Caddy), obtaining a domain and SSL certificate, configuring API keys, connecting messaging channels, and debugging errors. This is before you've sent your first message. MyOpenClaw provisions a fully running instance in under 60 seconds.

OpenClaw stores its data in a structured directory format. You can export your OpenClaw data directory from your Mac Mini and contact MyOpenClaw support for migration assistance. Your conversation history, memory files, and configuration can be imported into your managed instance.

Try it before you buy the Mac Mini

24-hour free trial, no credit card required. Have a fully running OpenClaw instance with Telegram connected before you've even opened the box.

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