OpenClaw is an open-source runtime for autonomous AI agents. It’s powerful because it lets one agent handle many tasks: email, support, summaries, reminders, research, and more, using tools and the model you choose (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini). You describe what you need in plain language; the agent figures out how to do it.
Why it’s powerful
The same agent can switch context and use different tools—browsing, scheduling, reading documents—without you writing custom code for each use case. That flexibility is what makes OpenClaw appealing to founders, ops teams, and anyone who wants automation without building pipelines from scratch.
Why installation is hard
When you self-host, you typically need a server or VM, Docker (or similar), environment variables, and a way to connect the agent to your channels (e.g. Telegram). You’re also responsible for updates, uptime, and scaling. That’s ideal if you want full control and have DevOps capacity; for many people it’s more friction than they want.
The trade-off
Self-hosting OpenClaw gives you maximum control. Using a managed service like EasyClaw gives you the same agent experience without installation or servers. Neither approach is “wrong”—they serve different needs. If you want to focus on what the agent does rather than how it runs, a managed OpenClaw platform is worth considering.