Deploy OpenClaw to the Cloud: Fly.io & Render Setup Guide

Cloud Deployment: Always-On AI

Local installations work great for testing, but for production 24/7 availability, cloud deployment is the way to go. OpenClaw has first-class support for two cloud platforms: Fly.io (more control, CLI-driven) and Render (simpler, web UI-driven).

Option 1: Fly.io Deployment

Fly.io runs Docker containers on edge servers worldwide. OpenClaw includes a ready-made fly.toml configuration.

Step 1: Install Fly CLI and Clone

curl -L https://fly.io/install.sh | sh
fly auth login

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

Step 2: Create App and Storage

# Create a Fly app
fly apps create my-openclaw

# Create persistent volume (1GB minimum, same region as app)
fly volumes create openclaw_data --size 1 --region iad

Step 3: Set Secrets

# Required: gateway authentication token
fly secrets set OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)

# Your AI provider key
fly secrets set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-key-here

# Channel tokens (add as needed)
fly secrets set TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your-telegram-token
fly secrets set DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=your-discord-token

Step 4: Deploy

fly deploy

That's it. Fly builds the Docker image, pushes it, and starts the gateway.

Key fly.toml Settings Explained

[env]
NODE_ENV = "production"
OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR = "/data"           # Persistent volume mount point
NODE_OPTIONS = "--max-old-space-size=1536"  # Prevent OOM on 2GB machines

[processes]
app = "node dist/index.js gateway --allow-unconfigured --port 3000 --bind lan"

[http_service]
internal_port = 3000
force_https = true
auto_stop_machines = false      # Keep running 24/7
min_machines_running = 1        # At least one instance always on

[[vm]]
size = "shared-cpu-2x"
memory = "2048mb"               # 2GB recommended (512MB too small)

[mounts]
source = "openclaw_data"
destination = "/data"           # Where config and state persist

Fly.io Tips

• Memory matters: 512MB causes silent OOM restarts. Use 2GB minimum
• Gateway lock stuck after crash: fly ssh console --command "rm -f /data/gateway.*.lock" then fly machine restart
• Private deployment (no public IP): Use fly deploy -c fly.private.toml — access via Fly's WireGuard VPN only
• Cost: ~$10-15/month on shared-cpu-2x with 2GB RAM

Option 2: Render Deployment

Render offers a one-click Blueprint deployment — the simplest path to cloud OpenClaw.

Step 1: One-Click Deploy

Go to Render's deploy page for the OpenClaw Blueprint. Click "Deploy to Render." Set the SETUP_PASSWORD when prompted. The OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN is auto-generated.

Step 2: Web-Based Setup

After deployment completes:

1. Navigate to https://your-service.onrender.com/setup
2. Enter your SETUP_PASSWORD
3. Select your AI model provider and paste the API key
4. Configure channels (Telegram, Discord, Slack) through the web UI

Render Configuration

The render.yaml Blueprint configures:

• Docker runtime — builds from the included Dockerfile
• Port 8080 — Render's default internal port
• 1GB persistent disk at /data — survives deployments
• Health check on /health endpoint
• Auto-deploy on push — connect your GitHub repo for CI/CD

Render Tips

• Free tier limitation: Services spin down after 15 min of inactivity. Config resets without persistent disk. Use Starter plan ($7/mo) for always-on with persistence
• Logs: Available in the Render dashboard under your service's "Logs" tab
• Environment variables: Managed in the Render dashboard under "Environment"

Platform Comparison

Feature	Fly.io	Render
Setup method	CLI commands	Web UI (one-click)
Configuration	fly.toml + CLI	render.yaml + dashboard
Minimum cost	~$10-15/mo	$7/mo (Starter)
Persistent storage	Fly Volumes	Persistent Disk
Regions	30+ worldwide	US, EU, Singapore
SSH access	Yes (fly ssh console)	Yes (Render shell)
Custom domains	Yes (free SSL)	Yes (free SSL)
Best for	Developers wanting control	Non-technical users wanting simplicity

After Deployment: Essential Commands

# Fly.io
fly status                    # App status
fly logs                      # Live logs
fly ssh console               # SSH into container
fly secrets list              # View secret names

# Render
# All managed via web dashboard