OpenClaw on Docker: What You Need to Know

Docker is the most popular way to self-host OpenClaw. Most self-hosted wrappers ship with a `docker-compose.yml` that gets you running in under 5 minutes. The typical setup involves pulling the wrapper's Docker image, configuring your API keys in an `.env` file, and running `docker compose up -d`.

The advantage of Docker deployment is isolation and reproducibility. Your OpenClaw instance runs in its own container with all dependencies bundled. Updates are as simple as pulling a new image and restarting.

For teams, Docker makes it easy to run multiple OpenClaw instances with different configurations — one for development, one for production, each with their own model and API key settings. You can also integrate OpenClaw containers into existing Docker Swarm or Kubernetes clusters.

Resource requirements are modest. Most OpenClaw wrappers run comfortably on 1-2 GB of RAM and minimal CPU. If you're running local models via Ollama alongside OpenClaw, you'll want at least 8 GB of RAM and a capable GPU.

Pro Tips for Docker

Use Docker Compose

Always use docker-compose over raw docker run. It makes managing environment variables, volumes, and networking much cleaner.

Persist Your Data

Mount a volume for your OpenClaw data directory. Without it, you'll lose conversations and settings when the container restarts.

Set Resource Limits

Use Docker's --memory and --cpus flags to prevent your OpenClaw container from consuming all system resources.

Use Watchtower

Install Watchtower to automatically update your OpenClaw container when new images are published.

Best OpenClaw Wrappers for Docker

Compatible Wrappers for Docker

OpenClaw on Docker: What You Need to Know

Pro Tips for Docker

Ready to Deploy on Docker?

Other Platforms