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What is OpenClaw?

Your own AI assistant that actually does things. Explained for complete beginners.

The Simple Explanation

OpenClaw is an AI assistant that actually does things for you.

Unlike ChatGPT (which just answers questions), OpenClaw can:

  • Check your emails and flag urgent messages
  • Book restaurants and appointments
  • Manage your calendar
  • Control your smart home devices
  • Send messages and make calls
  • Search the web and summarise articles

You message it from WhatsApp like you'd message a person. It runs on your own server (or one you rent), so your data stays private.

How is This Different From ChatGPT?

ChatGPT (and Similar)

  • Answers questions
  • Gives advice and explanations
  • Writes text
  • Can't take action
  • Can't access your email, calendar, apps
  • You copy-paste everything manually

OpenClaw

  • Does all of the above, PLUS...
  • Takes action for you
  • Connects to your email, calendar, smart home
  • Works from WhatsApp (no switching apps)
  • Runs on your own server
  • Your data stays private
  • You control everything

Think of it like this: ChatGPT is a helpful friend who gives advice. OpenClaw is a personal assistant who actually does the work.

How Does It Work?

OpenClaw has three main parts:

  1. Your server - A small computer (VPS) that runs 24/7. Costs £4–6/month to rent.
  2. AI brain - You connect it to Claude, GPT-4, or Gemini. This is what understands your messages and decides what to do. Costs £2–10/month.
  3. Messaging interface - You message it via WhatsApp (or Telegram, Discord). It responds and takes action.

When you message OpenClaw:

  1. Your message goes to your server
  2. OpenClaw sends it to the AI brain (Claude, GPT, etc.)
  3. The AI decides what action to take
  4. OpenClaw executes the action (checks email, books restaurant, etc.)
  5. You get a response on WhatsApp

Try It Yourself

Set up your own OpenClaw instance in 20 minutes with our step-by-step guide.

VPS Setup Guide →

Who is OpenClaw For?

Perfect for:

  • People who want a personal AI assistant but care about privacy
  • Busy professionals who need help managing admin tasks
  • Tech enthusiasts who like owning and controlling their tools
  • Anyone tired of switching between 10 different apps

Not ideal if:

  • You just want to ask questions (ChatGPT is fine for that)
  • You're not willing to spend £10–15/month
  • You want zero setup (though our Railway option is very easy)

What Can OpenClaw Actually Do?

Out of the Box

  • Answer questions and have conversations (like ChatGPT)
  • Search the web and summarise articles
  • Set reminders and timers
  • Write and edit text
  • Basic maths and calculations

With Integrations (Easy to Set Up)

  • Email: Gmail, Outlook - check inbox, send emails, flag urgent messages
  • Calendar: Google Calendar, Outlook - check schedule, book meetings, set reminders
  • Tasks: Todoist, Notion, Trello - add tasks, check to-do lists
  • Smart home: Home Assistant, Philips Hue - control lights, heating, devices
  • Messaging: Send WhatsApp messages, Telegram messages, SMS

With Skills (Community Plugins)

The ClawHub marketplace has hundreds of community-made skills:

  • Weather forecasts
  • Food delivery (Deliveroo, Uber Eats)
  • Music control (Spotify)
  • News summaries
  • Recipe suggestions
  • Travel planning
  • And many more...

Is It Secure and Private?

Yes, more so than most AI assistants:

  • OpenClaw runs on your server, not someone else's cloud
  • Your conversations stay on your server
  • You choose which AI provider you trust (Claude, GPT, Gemini)
  • It's open-source - anyone can inspect the code
  • No company has access to your data unless you integrate their service

What gets shared:

  • When you ask OpenClaw something, your message is sent to your chosen AI provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google) to generate a response
  • If you integrate email/calendar, OpenClaw accesses those (but doesn't send them to the AI unless you ask it to)

Bottom line: You're in control. You decide what OpenClaw can access and which services you trust.

How Much Does It Cost?

OpenClaw itself is free (it's open-source). You pay for:

  • VPS hosting: €4–6/month (Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Linode)
  • AI model API: £2–10/month (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google)
  • Total: £7–15/month depending on usage

Compare to alternatives:

  • Virtual assistant (human): £500+/month
  • ChatGPT Plus: £20/month (but can't take actions)
  • Multiple app subscriptions: £30+/month

Ready to Set Up?

Choose your path based on technical comfort level.

VPS Setup (Full Control) →

Railway Setup (Easy, One-Click)

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to know how to code?

No. Our guides are written for complete beginners. If you can copy and paste text, you can set up OpenClaw.

Can I use it on my phone?

OpenClaw runs on a server (VPS or Railway). You message it from your phone via WhatsApp. So yes, you interact with it entirely from your phone.

What happens if my server goes down?

OpenClaw stops working until you restart it. VPS providers have 99.9% uptime, so this rarely happens. You can restart it via SSH from anywhere.

Can multiple people use the same OpenClaw instance?

Yes. You can configure it for family members or team use. Each person would message the same OpenClaw number on WhatsApp.

Can I switch AI providers later?

Yes. Change the configuration file and restart OpenClaw. Takes 2 minutes.

Is there a mobile app?

Not needed. You message OpenClaw via WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord - apps you already have.

Next Steps

Want to set it up?

Want to learn more?