Vultr provides fast, affordable VPS hosting for OpenClaw with datacenters worldwide. This guide covers provisioning a Vultr instance, securing SSH access, installing Node.js, configuring systemd for automatic restarts, and setting up firewall rules. You'll have a production-ready OpenClaw deployment in the cloud in under 2 hours with excellent price-performance.
Why This Is Hard to Do Yourself
These are the common pitfalls that trip people up.
Instance type selection
Choosing between Regular Performance, High Frequency, and Cloud Compute tiers
SSH security setup
Default Vultr instances allow password auth, which is a security risk
Network configuration
Vultr private networking and firewall groups require manual setup
Snapshot and backup strategy
No automated backups on the cheapest plans
Step-by-Step Guide
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Create a Vultr account and deploy an instance
Choose Ubuntu 22.04, at least 2GB RAM.
# In Vultr control panel:
# Click "Deploy New Server"
# Choose "Cloud Compute - Regular Performance"
# Select Ubuntu 22.04 x64
# Choose 2GB RAM plan ($12/mo)
# Add your SSH key (highly recommended)
# DeployConnect via SSH and update the system
SSH into your Vultr instance.
ssh root@your_vultr_ip
apt update && apt upgrade -y
rebootHarden SSH security
Disable password authentication.
nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
# Set: PasswordAuthentication no
# Set: PermitRootLogin prohibit-password
systemctl restart sshdWarning: Ensure you have SSH key access working BEFORE disabling password authentication, or you'll be locked out.
Install Node.js 20+
Install Node.js from NodeSource.
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | bash -
apt install -y nodejs git
node --versionCreate a non-root user and install OpenClaw
Run OpenClaw as a dedicated user.
adduser openclaw
usermod -aG sudo openclaw
su - openclaw
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
npm installConfigure environment and gateway
Set up API keys and gateway config.
cp .env.example .env
nano .env # Add ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, etc.
cp gateway.example.yaml gateway.yaml
nano gateway.yamlCreate systemd service for auto-start
Configure OpenClaw to start on boot.
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/openclaw.service
# [Unit]
# Description=OpenClaw AI Agent
# After=network.target
#
# [Service]
# Type=simple
# User=openclaw
# WorkingDirectory=/home/openclaw/openclaw
# ExecStart=/usr/bin/npm start
# Restart=on-failure
#
# [Install]
# WantedBy=multi-user.target
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable openclaw
sudo systemctl start openclawConfigure firewall
Set up UFW firewall rules.
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 3000/tcp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw statusWant Expert Vultr Configuration?
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