€5/month for a Hetzner VPS. Docker, OpenClaw image, done. Sounds easy.
Three weeks later I was at my terminal at 11:30 PM because a kernel update broke Docker.
Wrote an honest comparison of self-hosting vs managed OpenClaw:
• Real maintenance hours (8-12/month)
• Hidden costs beyond the server
• When managed makes sense
• When self-hosting actually wins
Spoiler: For 80% of users, managed is the better deal. But not everyone.
Full comparison: https://clawhosters.com/blog/posts/openclaw-self-hosted-vs-managed
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