Openclaw: Run Your Own AI Assistant 24/7 for Free (Oracle Cloud)

Openclaw is an open-source AI assistant designed to run tasks, not just answer questions.
It runs 24/7 on your own server and communicates with you through Telegram or WhatsApp.

Unlike most AI tools, Openclaw can plan, chain actions, remember context, and execute long-running tasks once you connect the right services.

In this guide, you’ll set up Openclaw on Oracle Cloud’s Always Free Tier, using a 24GB ARM server, and talk to it securely via Telegram.

No monthly server cost.
No complex infrastructure.

What you’ll get

A free 24GB RAM ARM server (Oracle Always Free)
Openclaw running 24/7 on your own infrastructure
Secure access via Telegram
No exposed ports required for Telegram
A foundation you can extend with Gmail, GitHub, Calendar, Drive, APIs, and more

Step 1: Create a Free Oracle Cloud Server (5 minutes)

1. Create an Oracle Cloud account

Go to:

https://cloud.oracle.com

Note: Free Tier limits and conditions may change over time. Always double-check that Oracle’s Always Free Tier covers your resources to ensure you are not billed.

2. Generate an SSH key (local machine)

On your computer, run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "oracle" -f ~/.ssh/id_oracle_ed25519

This creates:

id_oracle_ed25519 (private key, keep it safe)
id_oracle_ed25519.pub (public key, you’ll upload this)

3. Create the instance

In Oracle Cloud:

Go to Compute → Instances
Click Create Instance

Use these settings:

Name
openclaw-server

Image and Shape

Image: Ubuntu 22.04 (ARM)
Shape: VM.Standard.A1.Flex
OCPUs: 4
Memory: 24GB

SSH Key

Choose Paste SSH Key
Paste the contents of id_oracle_ed25519.pub

Boot Volume

50GB is enough (up to 200GB allowed on the free tier)

Click Create and wait for it to start.

4. Open required ports (Security List)

Telegram works via polling, so no extra ports are strictly required.
SSH must be open.

Recommended ingress rule:

Source: 0.0.0.0/0
Protocol: TCP
Port: 22

That’s enough for Openclaw + Telegram.

5. Connect to the server

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_oracle_ed25519 ubuntu@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP

Step 2: Install Openclaw (2 minutes)

Once connected to the server, run:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.bot/install.sh | bash

Then start the onboarding wizard (recommended):

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Step 3: Run the Setup Wizard (10 minutes)

Recommended choices:

Quick start
Choose your AI provider (OpenAI or Anthropic)
Paste your API key when asked
Select your preferred model
Choose Telegram as your channel

Step 4: Create a Telegram Bot (5 minutes)

1. Create the bot

In Telegram:

Search for @BotFather
Send:

/newbot

Choose a name and username
Copy the bot token

2. Paste the token into Openclaw

On the server:

openclaw config set channels.telegram.botToken "<YOUR_BOTFATHER_TOKEN>"
openclaw config set channels.telegram.dmPolicy pairing

Step 4.1: Pair Your Telegram Account (Important)

Creating the bot is not enough.
You must pair your own Telegram account so only you can talk to it.

1. Message your bot

Open your bot in Telegram and send:

hi

You’ll see your Telegram user ID and a pairing code.

2. Approve the pairing

Back on the server:

openclaw pairing approve telegram <PAIRING_CODE>

Step 5: Start the Gateway

openclaw gateway --force

Tip: keep it running inside screen or tmux so it stays online.

Step 6: Quick Tests (Works Out of the Box)

Send these to your bot in Telegram:

Planning

plan my week with deep work in the mornings

Research

research [company name] and give me a 3-bullet summary

Writing

draft a linkedin post about [topic]

Reminders

remind me to review this idea tomorrow at 9am

Important: Tasks That Require Integrations

Openclaw only accesses services you explicitly connect to. These will not work until you add integrations:

Email

check my last 10 emails and tell me which need a reply

Calendar

check my calendar and find time for a call tuesday

GitHub

review my last commit and suggest improvements

This is intentional and safer by default.

Cost

Oracle Cloud Always Free server: $0
AI usage: variable, pay-as-you-go via API
Infrastructure: no hidden costs

Openclaw does not require a fixed subscription. You pay only for API usage based on how much the assistant runs tasks and generates responses.

Because Openclaw is model-agnostic, you can switch providers later without changing your infrastructure.

What to Do Next

Connect Gmail, Calendar, GitHub, or Drive
Add web search
Run multiple agents in parallel
Use voice notes on Telegram instead of typing

If something breaks, paste the error into the bot and ask it to fix itself.

Documentation

Official documentation:

https://docs.openclaw.ai