ClawTrust vs Self-Hosting on DigitalOcean
A $6/month droplet sounds cheap until you count the hours of security configuration most users skip.
DigitalOcean is a popular choice for developers who want to self-host OpenClaw. A basic droplet costs $6-12/month, and there are community guides to walk you through setup. But the guides focus on getting OpenClaw running, not on making it secure. The result: your AI agent's gateway port is exposed to the entire internet, your API keys sit in plaintext environment variables, SSH is open to brute-force attacks, and there's no disk encryption. ClawTrust was built specifically to solve these problems.
Feature comparison
ClawTrust wins 8 of 10 categories
| Feature | ClawTrust | DigitalOcean Self-Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | Under 5 minutes | 4-20 hours |
| Open ports | Zero (outbound-only tunnels) | SSH (22) + Gateway (18789) exposed |
| Disk encryption | LUKS2 disk encryption | Not included |
| Credential storage | Encrypted vault, never on agent server | Plaintext .env file on the droplet |
| Container isolation | Docker sandbox, read-only FS | Default Docker settings |
| Health monitoring | Automated checks every 15 minutes | Manual (you check yourself) |
| Security patches | Fleet-wide automated updates | Manual SSH + update |
| DDoS protection | Built-in via edge network | Not included |
| Server cost | Included in plan | $6-24/month |
| Full server access | Dashboard + API | Full root SSH |
Setup comparison
ClawTrust (4 steps)
- 1Choose your plan and complete checkout
- 2Your dedicated server is provisioned automatically with full security
- 3Connect your messaging channels from the dashboard
- 4Your agent is live and secured, typically under 5 minutes
DigitalOcean Self-Hosting (12 steps)
- 1Create a DigitalOcean account and droplet
- 2SSH into the droplet and install Docker
- 3Download and configure OpenClaw
- 4Set up environment variables with your API keys (stored in plaintext)
- 5Configure firewall rules (most guides skip this)
- 6Set up SSL certificates for HTTPS
- 7Configure Docker container security (resource limits, read-only mounts)
- 8Set up monitoring and log rotation
- 9Harden SSH access (key-only auth, non-standard port)
- 10Set up disk encryption (requires full re-provision)
- 11Configure automated backups
- 12Test and troubleshoot, typically 4-20 hours total
Security comparison
The core difference is visibility. A self-hosted OpenClaw instance on DigitalOcean is discoverable by internet scanners like Shodan within hours of deployment. The default setup script exposes port 18789 (the gateway) and port 22 (SSH) to the public internet. Anyone can attempt to connect. With ClawTrust, your agent establishes an outbound-only encrypted tunnel. There are zero listening ports. Internet scanners cannot detect your agent because there is nothing to detect. Additionally, self-hosted setups store all API keys and credentials in plaintext .env files on the droplet. If an attacker gains access to the server (through SSH brute-force, a vulnerable Docker image, or a compromised dependency), they get every credential your agent uses. ClawTrust stores credentials in an encrypted vault on a separate control plane. The agent requests credentials through the encrypted tunnel at runtime. Even if someone somehow accessed the agent server, there are no credentials to steal.
Total cost of ownership
A DigitalOcean droplet costs $6-24/month depending on the size. ClawTrust starts at $79/month. The price difference is real, but consider the total cost: self-hosting requires 4-20 hours of initial setup (security hardening, Docker configuration, monitoring, SSL). At any reasonable hourly rate, that initial setup costs more than months of ClawTrust. Then factor in ongoing maintenance: security patches, OpenClaw updates, monitoring, troubleshooting. Most self-hosted setups skip the security hardening entirely, which creates a hidden risk cost. One compromised credential or one unauthorized access incident can cost far more than the annual difference in hosting fees.
The verdict
DigitalOcean self-hosting makes sense if you have deep Linux and Docker security experience and the time to maintain it. For everyone else, the math favors ClawTrust: you get enterprise-grade security, zero-maintenance hosting, automated health monitoring, and you can be live in 5 minutes instead of a weekend.
Frequently asked questions
Can I migrate my existing DigitalOcean OpenClaw setup to ClawTrust?
Yes. Sign up for ClawTrust, and your agent is provisioned with all security hardening. You can export your agent's configuration (skills, personality, workspace files) from your existing setup and import them through the ClawTrust dashboard.
Is my data safe during migration?
Your data stays on your DigitalOcean droplet until you choose to move it. ClawTrust provisions a completely new, clean server. You control when and what to transfer.
Do I lose any features compared to self-hosting?
You gain security features (encrypted tunnels, credential vault, Docker sandbox isolation, health monitoring) and lose root SSH access. You manage your agent through the ClawTrust dashboard and API instead of direct server access. All OpenClaw features, skills, and channels work identically.
Why is ClawTrust more expensive than a $6/month droplet?
The $6 droplet price covers only the bare server. ClawTrust includes: a dedicated server, encrypted tunnel networking, credential vault, Docker sandbox isolation, automated health monitoring, security patching, DDoS protection, and a management dashboard. The comparable cost to replicate all of this yourself (including your time) far exceeds the monthly difference.
What about the DigitalOcean OpenClaw 1-Click setup?
Community 1-Click setups get OpenClaw running quickly but do not include security hardening. The gateway port is exposed, credentials are in plaintext, and there is no disk encryption or Docker sandbox isolation. You still need to manually secure the server after the 1-Click install.
Can I still use my DigitalOcean account for other things?
Absolutely. ClawTrust runs on its own dedicated infrastructure. Your DigitalOcean account and other droplets are completely unaffected.
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