What do I need to set up OpenClaw on a VPS?

You need a VPS (starting at $4-6/month), SSH access, and the app code in a GitHub repo. For OpenClaw and CrewAI, you also need environment variables, a domain, and SSL configured before going live.

How long does it take to move to a VPS?

A straightforward OpenClaw deployment takes 2-4 hours for someone familiar with servers. RepoAssistant does it in 24h with a ship-or-refund guarantee.

How much does it cost to host OpenClaw on a VPS?

A VPS for OpenClaw or CrewAI starts at $4-6/month for a 1-2 GB instance from providers like Hetzner, DigitalOcean, or Hostinger. RepoAssistant's deploy service is a fixed $39-149 one-time fee.

What if something breaks after deployment?

Every deployment includes a smoke test (login, forms, database writes, API calls) and a handover doc with restart, rollback, and deploy commands. If the app is blocked pre-launch, we fix and ship within 24h or refund.

Framework comparison guide

OpenClaw vs CrewAI vs AutoGen: choose the right AI agent framework

OpenClaw, CrewAI, and AutoGen are the three most popular open-source AI agent frameworks in 2026. Each takes a fundamentally different approach: OpenClaw is a self-hosted agent gateway with native messaging, CrewAI is a Python multi-agent orchestrator, and AutoGen is Microsoft's enterprise conversation framework. This guide helps you pick the right one.

AutoGen CrewAI OpenClaw

What is probably broken

Choosing the wrong AI agent framework costs months of rework. All three are MIT-licensed but differ completely in architecture, deployment model, and production readiness.

What production should look like

A clear recommendation based on your use case: always-on channel agent (OpenClaw), Python multi-agent team (CrewAI), or Azure enterprise deployment (AutoGen).

STEP 01

Architecture comparison

The architectural difference determines everything downstream.

OpenClaw: long-lived gateway process, native messaging (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, Slack), persistent memory, skills system.
CrewAI: Python library for defining role-based agent teams, stateless execution, excellent for content pipelines and research workflows.
AutoGen: Microsoft's multi-agent conversation framework, Azure-native, best for enterprise teams already in the Microsoft ecosystem.

STEP 02

Cost comparison (2026)

All three are free (MIT), but infrastructure and API costs differ significantly.

OpenClaw: $4-12/month VPS + $5-30/month API costs. Runs on the cheapest VPS tiers.
CrewAI: $5-8/month VPS + $5-20/month API costs. Python-native, no special infra needed.
AutoGen: Azure-dependent, $300-1,500+/month for production. Enterprise pricing model.

STEP 03

When to choose each framework

Match the framework to your actual production requirements, not the GitHub star count.

Choose OpenClaw when you need always-on agents across WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord with full data privacy.
Choose CrewAI when building Python-based multi-agent teams for content, research, or data processing.
Choose AutoGen when your organisation is already on Azure and needs enterprise-grade conversation orchestration.

Quick check

Is your app production-ready?

If you cannot tick all five, we can fix it. Send us the repo and we handle the rest.

?Custom domain with HTTPS
?Environment variables configured
?Database wired and backed up
?Auto-deploy on push
?Smoke tested and live

Free checklist

Deploying this yourself?

Get the exact 5-step checklist we run before every deploy. No fluff, just the things that actually break.

Done-for-you deploy

Not sure which framework fits your use case? RepoAssistant helps you choose, deploy, and run the right AI agent infrastructure: fixed price.

Fixed price per repo. 24h delivery or full refund. No hourly billing.

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