What is AI Assistants?
Personal AI assistants are the killer app for self-hosting in 2026. OpenClaw pioneered the category — a long-running agent that connects your favorite messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage) to powerful language models like Claude and GPT. It can manage your inbox, schedule meetings, run shell commands, automate browser tasks, and even control smart home devices.
NanoClaw takes the same concept and strips it to ~500 lines of code, running inside Apple Containers for hypervisor-level security. It's the minimalist's choice — one LLM, one messaging platform, one database, zero bloat.
Self-hosting your AI assistant means your conversations stay private, you choose the model provider, and there's no monthly subscription per seat. A $5/mo VPS runs OpenClaw 24/7 with room to spare.
$ apt list --installable
Popular AI Assistants Software
Top open-source tools you can self-host on your VPS.
OpenClaw
The original open-source personal AI assistant. Connects WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and iMessage to Claude, GPT, and other LLMs. 100k+ GitHub stars.
Read our guideNanoClaw
Ultra-minimalist AI assistant in ~500 lines of code. Runs inside Apple Containers for hypervisor-level isolation. Security-first design with WhatsApp integration.
Read our guideVPS Specifications
What you need to run ai assistants workloads.
$ top --providers --for=ai-assistants
Best Providers for AI Assistants
Hand-picked based on specs, pricing, and suitability for ai assistants workloads.
Hostinger
Best value — 4GB RAM at $5.99/mo runs OpenClaw 24/7 with room for other services
Get Started
Hetzner
Excellent price-to-performance with 20TB bandwidth for always-on messaging
Get Started
DigitalOcean
Great developer experience with easy Docker setup and reliable uptime
Get Started$ man ai-assistants
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI assistant that runs on your own server. It connects messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord to AI models like Claude and GPT, letting you chat with your AI assistant from any device, 24/7.
How much RAM does OpenClaw need?
OpenClaw is a Node.js service that runs comfortably on 2GB RAM. For production use with multiple messaging channels and tool integrations, 4GB is recommended.
What's the difference between OpenClaw and NanoClaw?
OpenClaw is the full-featured assistant (430k+ lines) with support for multiple LLMs, platforms, and extensive tool integrations. NanoClaw is a minimalist rewrite (~500 lines) focused on security via Apple Container isolation, supporting a single LLM and messaging platform.
Is my data private with a self-hosted AI assistant?
Your conversations and data stay on your server — nothing is shared with third parties. You still need API keys for the LLM provider (Anthropic, OpenAI), so prompts are sent to their APIs, but your message history and files remain local.
Can I use OpenClaw with WhatsApp without a business account?
Yes. OpenClaw uses the Baileys library for WhatsApp Web integration, which works with personal WhatsApp accounts. No business account or Meta API access required.
Ready to self-host AI Assistants?
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