The OpenClaw alternative that runs your agents for you
Agents live in 60 seconds with no Docker, VPS or YAML. $0 to start.
Free forever · 1 agent · 100 credits/mo · Basic skills · BYOK · Secrets auto-purge
Weighing several tools? See the 9 OpenClaw alternatives compared.
OpenClaw vs BetterClaw: the comparison table
Twelve rows, the ones that decide a switch. OpenClaw release checked 13 October 2026; BetterClaw prices as listed on our pricing page in October 2026. Want the long version? Read the full BetterClaw vs OpenClaw comparison.
| Feature | Self-Hosted OpenClaw | BetterClaw |
|---|---|---|
| Install | Docker or Node.js on a server you set up. Hours to days | Nothing to install. Live in 60 seconds |
| Hosting | Your own VPS, Mac or home server | Managed cloud, each agent in its own isolated sandbox |
| Updates | You apply them yourself (current stable: 2026.10.3) | Handled for you. Zero maintenance |
| Channels | WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, iMessage and more, each set up by hand | Telegram, Slack, Discord and Gmail, plus webhooks and 500+ connectors (no WhatsApp yet) |
| Skills | 44,000+ on ClawHub, unvetted. 824+ confirmed malicious | Unlimited skills. Our curated set passes a 4-layer security audit |
| Models / BYOK | Any provider with your own key, wired up in config files | 28+ model providers via your own API key, no markup. Managed keys on Pro |
| Secrets | Plaintext .env files, no expiry | AES-256 encrypted, purged from agent memory after 5 minutes |
| Memory | Markdown files on your server, unencrypted | Persistent memory: 7 days (Free, Basic), 90 days (Pro), unlimited (Business) |
| Scheduling | A scheduler you configure and keep running yourself | Built-in heartbeat scheduling, nothing to maintain |
| Team seats | No seat model. Access is whoever you give the server to | Single user on Free and Basic. 2 seats on Pro, 5 on Business, more as add-ons |
| Support | GitHub issues and community | Community (Free, Basic). 24h email (Pro). 12h priority (Business) |
| Price | Free and open source, plus your server ($12-$200/mo) and your time | Free plan, then Basic $19/mo, Pro $49/mo, Business $149/mo |
What you give up and what you get
Switching is a trade: you hand over control of the server, and in return you stop maintaining one. Here is both sides, plainly.
What you give up
- Self-hosting. Your agents run on our managed cloud, not on your own server or hardware.
- Root and SSH access to the machine your agent runs on.
- Channels we do not support yet, such as WhatsApp and iMessage.
- Forking the runtime. You configure agents; you do not patch the code they run on.
- A zero software bill. OpenClaw itself is free; our plans above Free are paid.
What you get
- Zero maintenance. No servers to patch, no updates to apply, no containers to restart.
- 60-second deploy. Create an agent, choose your AI model, connect your channels. Live before your coffee gets cold.
- No config files. No Docker commands. No servers to provision. No YAML. No terminal.
- Isolated and encrypted. Every agent runs in its own sandbox with AES-256 encryption and secrets that auto-purge from memory in 5 minutes.
- Unlimited skills, with a 4-layer security audit on our curated set.
- Heartbeat scheduling. Agents wake, check for work, and stand down when idle. No 24/7 token burn. Most teams save 60%+ on LLM costs.
- Trust levels. Intern to Specialist to Lead. Your agent earns autonomy over time, it does not get full system access from minute one.
- BYOK on Free. BYOK or managed keys on Pro. Free plan is bring-your-own-key with zero markup. Pro adds managed keys and 12,000 credits a month. Zero inference tax either way.
Switching from OpenClaw takes an afternoon
Create Your Agent
Free plan, no credit card. Set identity, model, trust level.
Connect Channels
Telegram + Slack on Free. All channels on Pro. One click each.
Attach Skills
Unlimited skills. Custom OpenClaw skills can be recreated.
Configure Memory & Scheduling
Persistent memory starts immediately. Heartbeat kicks in on first run.
Decommission OpenClaw
Final stepCancel your VPS. Stop patching CVEs. Most teams complete the full switch in a single afternoon.
Most teams complete the full migration in a single afternoon.
What it costs vs self-hosting
OpenClaw is “free” the same way building your own house is free. The materials cost money and the labor costs more.
| Cost Component | Self-Hosted OpenClaw | BetterClaw |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Free (open source) | Free ($0), Pro ($49/mo) or Business ($149/mo) |
| Server | $12-$200/month | Included |
| Docker setup | 5-10 hours | Included |
| Monthly maintenance | 3-6 hrs @ $50-$150/hr | Included |
| Security setup | 10+ hours | Included |
| Monitoring | SaaS or custom | Included |
| LLM costs | You pay provider | BYOK (Free). 12,000 credits + BYOK or managed keys (Pro) |
| 1 agent real cost | $200-$500+/mo | $0 (Free) or $49 (Pro) |
| 5 agents | $500-$1,500+/mo | $49/mo (Pro, all 5 included) |
| 10 agents | $1,000-$3,000+/mo | $109/mo (Pro + 5 extra agents) |
| 25 agents | $2,500-$7,500+/mo | $149/mo (Business, all 25 included) |
Who should stay on OpenClaw
Stay on OpenClaw if you need full control of the machine: root access, your own sandboxing rules and the freedom to patch the runtime. Stay if your agents must run air-gapped or on premises with no outside service in the loop. Stay if your users live on WhatsApp or another channel we do not support yet; today BetterClaw covers Telegram, Slack, Discord and Gmail, plus webhooks and 500+ connectors. Stay if you maintain a custom fork with changes you cannot give up. And stay if your budget is zero and you already own the hardware, because OpenClaw is free and open source and your time is the only cost.
If you want to keep OpenClaw and hand the server to someone else, we rank the options in managed OpenClaw hosting compared.
BetterClaw pricing - free, pro, and business AI agents
Start free, no card. Your LLM bill stays with your provider - we never skim inference costs.
Hobbyist / tester
Free
Try before you commit
No credit card required
- 1 AI agent
- 100 credits/month
- 3 connectors (single account)
- 7-day memory retention
- Basic skills
- BYOK (bring your own key)
- Kill switch + sandbox execution
- AES-256 encryption
- Basic cost tracking
- Community support
Free forever. Never asks for a card.
Solo builder / small business
Pro
Everything you need to ship
or $39/mo billed annually
Everything in Free, plus
- 5 AI agents
- 12,000 credits/month
- Unlimited connectors
- Multi-account support
- Ad integrations (Meta / Google / X)
- Proxy access
- Server: 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM
- 90-day memory retention
- 2 team seats
- Curated skill library + custom skills
- BYOK + managed keys
- Telegram + Slack webhooks
- Advanced cost tracking
- 24h email support
Cancel anytime.
Agency / team
Business
Built for teams and clients
or $119/mo billed annually
Everything in Pro, plus
- 25 AI agents
- 40,000 credits/month
- Unlimited connectors
- Multi-account support
- Ad integrations (Meta / Google / X)
- Proxy access
- Unlimited memory retention
- 5 team seats
- Dedicated server (8 vCPU / 16 GB RAM)
- Telegram + Slack + custom webhooks
- Advanced cost tracking + alerts
- 12h priority support
Cancel anytime.
Large org
Enterprise
CustomFor teams with custom infra, SSO, and dedicated support needs. Volume pricing, negotiated annually.
Dedicated onboarding · SSO · Custom SLA
Everything in Business, plus
- Unlimited agents
- Custom credit volume
- Unlimited memory retention
- Custom team seats
- Dedicated server (custom spec)
- Custom skills + all webhooks
- Custom cost dashboards
- Dedicated account manager
BYOK, zero markup
Your LLM bill stays with your provider
Replaces repetitive human work
One agent runs the recurring jobs on a schedule
Cheaper than self-hosting
Self-hosting runs $200-500/mo in infra + time
Frequently asked questions
Is BetterClaw hosted OpenClaw or a different platform?
BetterClaw is not hosted OpenClaw. It is a standalone no-code AI agent platform. Same agent capabilities. Purpose-built platform with security, cost controls, trust levels, heartbeat scheduling, and a visual builder that OpenClaw does not have.
Do I lose anything by switching from self-hosted OpenClaw?
You give up root access to the server, running on your own hardware, and channels we do not support yet, such as WhatsApp. You keep the core: Telegram, Slack, Discord and Gmail, plus webhooks and 500+ connectors, 28+ model providers via your own API key with no markup, persistent memory, and unlimited skills.
Does BetterClaw have a free plan?
1 agent, 100 credits/mo, 3 connectors (single account), Basic skills, 7-day memory, BYOK, sandbox execution, AES-256 encryption, secrets auto-purge. No credit card. Free forever.
What does the $49/month Pro plan include?
5 agents, 12,000 credits/month, unlimited connectors, multi-account support, ad integrations (Meta / Google / X), proxy access, 90-day memory retention, 2 team seats, curated skill library plus custom skills, BYOK and managed keys, Telegram and Slack webhooks, advanced cost tracking, and 24h email support. Annual: $39/mo (20% savings, $468/yr).
How does BYOK work with the monthly credits?
Free plan is BYOK only. Bring your own LLM key, zero markup. Pro includes 12,000 credits each month plus managed keys. When your credits run out, extra 1K credit packs are $5 each on Pro, or use your own API key with zero markup. Both work simultaneously.
Will my OpenClaw workflows work on BetterClaw?
In most cases, yes. Same core concepts: skills, memory, channels, AI model integration. Custom skills can be recreated.
How long does migration take?
Most teams complete the full switch in a single afternoon.
Is BetterClaw enterprise-ready?
Yes. Docker sandbox, AES-256 encryption, 5-minute secrets auto-purge, 4-layer skill audit, trust levels, action approval, kill switch, full audit trail. Enterprise plan adds SSO, your own infrastructure, private skill registry, 4-hour SLA.
What AI models work with BetterClaw?
28+ providers. Anthropic Claude (Sonnet 5, Opus 5.5), OpenAI (GPT-6 Sol, GPT-6 Luna), Google Gemini, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, Cohere, custom endpoints. Switch providers without changing agent config. BYOK with zero markup.
Can I run both during migration?
Yes. Run BetterClaw alongside OpenClaw during transition. Test on separate channels before decommissioning.
What is the annual discount?
20% off Pro and Business. Pro annual: $39/mo ($468/yr). Business annual: $119/mo ($1,428/yr). Basic is $19/mo either way, and the free plan needs no commitment.
What is heartbeat scheduling?
Agents wake on schedule, check for tasks, process work, stand down when idle. Daily minimum on Free. Hourly on Pro. Custom on Enterprise. Saves 60%+ on LLM costs versus always-on agents.
Looking for every option? See the 9 OpenClaw alternatives compared.
OpenClaw Deep Dives & Comparisons
Comparison
OpenClaw vs Claude Cowork: Which Agent Do You Need?
OpenClaw runs 24/7 on a server. Claude Cowork works on your desktop. How to choose the right agent.
Comparison
Manus vs OpenClaw vs Managed Agents: An Honest Take
Three ways to run an agent compared, including why OpenClaw struggles with fire-and-forget tasks.
Use Cases
OpenClaw for Startups: Run Like a 10-Person Team
5 AI agent workflows under $70/mo for 3-person startups. Real workflows, real costs.
Stop Configuring. Start Deploying.
Your team didn't sign up to manage Docker containers and YAML files. BetterClaw gives you everything OpenClaw offers without the infrastructure tax, the security exposure, or the surprise bills.
Free plan forever · Pro at $49/mo · 12,000 credits on Pro · Annual: $39/mo