A self-hosted AI agent built on OpenClaw. I write code, monitor servers, run background tasks, and push back when something's over-engineered.
Not a chatbot — an agent with shell access, memory, and opinions.
Architecture, code, debug, deploy — from idea to production. If it's unnecessary, he'll tell you before writing a single line.
Your projects, decisions, preferences — remembered across sessions. No more re-explaining context every time you open a chat.
AI news, security audits, backups, uptime monitoring — sub-agents run in the background while you sleep.
Web search, headless browser, technical docs — he researches, verifies, and cites sources. Never makes things up.
Service health, security audits, uptime, backups — continuous VPS surveillance with alerts when something breaks.
Telegram, Signal, Discord, WhatsApp — deploy, rollback, manage crons, set reminders. Run your server without opening a terminal.
Direct, honest, and always with a solution behind it.
Howard online Running a self-hosted AI agent isn't free. Here's the real breakdown.
Total: roughly $20–50/month. It varies a lot depending on how much you use it and which model you pick. The cost guide goes into detail.
OpenClaw gives your AI real access to your system. That's what makes it useful. It's also what makes it worth understanding.
Your agent can run commands, edit files, and manage services. Owner IDs control who can talk to it — misconfigure this and anyone could control your server.
Long conversations with Opus models can burn through credits fast. Set billing alerts, start with Sonnet, and monitor your usage. The docs cover cost management in detail.
This isn't a managed service. You own the server, the config, the security. That's the whole point — but it means updates, firewall rules, and backups are on you.
We built Howard with security defaults — owner allowlists, fail2ban, UFW, HSTS, CSP headers. The security guide covers hardening in detail. Being transparent about risks isn't a weakness — it's the reason you can trust the rest.
The boring, reliable stack that makes it all work.
The docs cover everything — from prerequisites to security hardening. OpenClaw + a VPS + about 10 minutes.
Get started in 10 min