---
title: "Deploy OpenClaw + Ollama on Railway | Self-Hosted Personal AI Assistant"
description: "Self-host OpenClaw (optional - Local LLM Models). 20+ chat platforms."
category: "Automation"
url: https://railway.com/deploy/openclaw-with-ollama
---

# Deploy OpenClaw + Ollama on Railway | Self-Hosted Personal AI Assistant

Self-host OpenClaw (optional - Local LLM Models). 20+ chat platforms.

**[Deploy OpenClaw + Ollama on Railway | Self-Hosted Personal AI Assistant on Railway](https://railway.com/template/openclaw-with-ollama)**

- **Creator:** Heimdall
- **Category:** Automation
- **Total deploys:** 71

## Template content

### OpenClaw 🦞  https://openclaw.ai/favicon.svg

- **Source:** praveen-ks-2001/openclaw-railway
- **Public domain:** Yes

### Ollama https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/svg/ollama-dark.svg

- **Image:** ollama/ollama
- **Start command:** `bash -c "ollama serve & sleep 5 && ollama pull $OLLAMA_DEFAULT_MODELS && wait"`

## Documentation

![OpenClaw logo](https://opengraph.githubassets.com/027231e34679f13d043884e2d69bd69e052e500e3bf7b5b03c72101eda21b724/openclaw/openclaw)

# Deploy and Host OpenClaw

Deploy OpenClaw — the open-source personal AI assistant — on Railway with a single click. OpenClaw is a self-hosted agent runtime that connects your favorite chat apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, iMessage, and 20+ more) to AI models like Claude, GPT, Gemini, or **fully local models via Ollama** — letting an AI agent browse the web, manage files, run commands, and work autonomously on your behalf.

Self-host OpenClaw on Railway with this template and get a fully configured **gateway, browser-based setup wizard, admin dashboard with live terminal, and persistent storage** — no CLI or SSH access needed.

## 🚀 Getting Started with OpenClaw on Railway

Once your Railway deploy is live, open your service URL — you'll be redirected to the `/setup` wizard automatically. Pick your AI provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Groq, OpenRouter, or **Ollama for free local models**), configure your connection, and optionally add messaging channels. Click **Launch OpenClaw** and the gateway starts within seconds.

### Step 1: Initial Setup via `/setup`

The `/setup` page is a **one-time configuration wizard** for selecting your AI provider, pasting your API key, and wiring up messaging channels (Telegram, Discord, Slack, etc.). 

Once setup is complete, `/setup` cannot be used again without first wiping the config from `/admin` — it's an open URL by design, so it only works when no config exists yet.

![OpenClaw setup wizard](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1774640492/openclaw-setup-ollama_zv2lhi.png)

### Step 2: Access the **Admin Dashboard** at `/admin`

Log in with your `WRAPPER_ADMIN_PASSWORD`. This is your control panel for:

- **📊 Status** — real-time gateway health, uptime, and quick actions (restart/stop)
- **📋 Live Logs** — stream OpenClaw gateway logs with filtering, in the browser
- **💻 Terminal** — full PTY terminal inside the container
- **🔗 Device Pairing** — approve or reject browser pairing requests in real time
- **⚙️ Config Editor** — view and edit `openclaw.json` with hot-reload support

![OpenClaw Admin Page Protection](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1774088295/Openclaw_Admin_Login_u1eqcu.png)

![OpenClaw admin dashboard](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1774088294/Openclaw_admin_UI_qzsxep.png)

![OpenClaw admin terminal](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1774088288/Openclaw_admin_TUI_elvlpt.png)

### Step 3: Connect to the **OpenClaw UI**

Click **"Open OpenClaw UI"** in the admin dashboard, then:

1. On the gateway screen, paste your `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN` and click **Connect**

![OpenClaw gateway connection screen](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1774088291/Openclaw_gateway_dlmpb3.png)

2. Go to **Admin → Pairing** and approve the incoming device pairing request

![OpenClaw admin — approve device pairing](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1774088289/Openclaw_Pairing_UI_spmo3x.png)

3. Return to the gateway and click **Connect** again — you're in

![OpenClaw UI — fully connected](https://res.cloudinary.com/asset-cloudinary/image/upload/v1774088288/OpenClaw_UI_after_full_setup_rzkl2x.png)

## 🦙 Using Ollama — Free Local Models, Zero API Cost

This template includes a **built-in Ollama service** so you can run AI models locally on Railway without paying for any API. Ollama runs as a separate service in the same Railway project, connected to OpenClaw over Railway's private network.

### How it works

1. The Ollama service boots, pulls your chosen model(s), and listens on the private network
2. OpenClaw connects via `OLLAMA_BASE_URL` — pre-filled in the template via Railway's private domain reference
3. At `/setup`, select **Ollama (local models)** — the URL is auto-filled and a live model picker fetches available models from your Ollama instance

| Variable | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| `OLLAMA_DEFAULT_MODELS` | Models to pull at boot (comma-separated, e.g. `llama3.2:1b,qwen2.5-coder:7b`) |

> ⚠️ **Tool calling required** — OpenClaw uses tool/function calling extensively. Not all Ollama models support this. Browse compatible models at [ollama.com/library](https://ollama.com/library).

> ⚠️ Railway doesn't currently support GPUs, so local models will be CPU-only and slower. For best results, use Railway's Pro plan.

### Ollama RAM requirements

| Model size | Minimum RAM | Notes |
|------------|-------------|-------|
| 1B–3B | 2 GB | Fast, limited capability |
| 7B | 6–8 GB | Best balance for most tasks |
| 13B+ | 12 GB+ | Requires Pro plan |

## About Hosting OpenClaw 📖

OpenClaw is a fully open-source (MIT), local-first personal AI agent. It runs as a long-lived Node.js gateway that routes messages between chat platforms and AI models.

**Key features:**
- 🔌 Multi-channel messaging — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, and 20+ more
- 🤖 Multi-provider AI — Claude, GPT, Gemini, Groq, OpenRouter, Moonshot, Z.AI, MiniMax, or local models via Ollama
- 🧠 Autonomous agent — browses the web, manages files, runs commands, schedules tasks via heartbeat daemon
- 🎨 Live Canvas with A2UI — agent-driven visual workspace
- 🔒 Self-hosted & private — your data stays on your machine
- 📱 Companion apps for macOS, iOS, and Android

## Why Deploy OpenClaw on Railway ✅

- 🟢 No Docker, volume, or network setup — Railway handles it all
- 🦙 Ollama included — run local models at zero extra API cost
- 🔐 Managed TLS and custom domains out of the box
- 🔄 One-click redeploys from Git with zero downtime
- 💾 Persistent volume keeps config and conversations across deploys

## Common Use Cases 💡

- **Personal AI assistant** — a 24/7 agent on WhatsApp or Telegram that browses, codes, and researches autonomously
- **Automation hub** — schedule recurring tasks via heartbeat: daily summaries, monitoring, data pipelines
- **Privacy-first AI** — run everything on local Ollama models with zero data leaving your Railway project

## Dependencies for OpenClaw📦

- **OpenClaw** — `npm install -g openclaw@${OPENCLAW_VERSION}` ([GitHub](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw))
- **Ollama** — separate Railway service for local inference ([ollama.com](https://ollama.com))
- **node-pty** — native PTY for the admin terminal (compiled at Docker build time)

### Deployment Dependencies

- **GitHub:** [openclaw/openclaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw)
- **Docs:** [docs.openclaw.ai](https://docs.openclaw.ai/)


## 🐳 Self-Hosting Outside Railway

```
git clone https://github.com/praveen-ks-2001/openclaw-railway
cd openclaw-railway
docker build -t openclaw-railway .
docker run -d \
  --name openclaw \
  -p 3000:3000 \
  -e PORT=3000 \
  -e OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN=your-secret-token \
  -e OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:11434 \
  -v ./data:/data \
  openclaw-railway
```

For local Ollama, run `ollama serve` on your host and set `OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://host.docker.internal:11434`.

## 💰 Pricing

OpenClaw is 100% free and open-source (MIT). No subscriptions or per-user fees — on Railway, you only pay for compute.

- **Cloud providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.):** ~$5–30/month in API costs depending on usage
- **Ollama (local models):** Zero API cost — only pay for the Railway compute running Ollama (~$5–15/month)

## 🆚 OpenClaw vs Cursor vs Claude Code

| Feature | OpenClaw | Cursor | Claude Code |
|---------|----------|--------|-------------|
| Open Source | ✅ MIT | ❌ | ❌ |
| Self-Hostable | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Multi-Channel Chat | ✅ 20+ platforms | ❌ IDE only | ❌ CLI only |
| Local Models (Ollama) | ✅ Built-in | ❌ | ❌ |
| Autonomous Agent | ✅ Heartbeat daemon | ⚠️ Limited | ⚠️ Limited |
| Pricing | Free + API costs | $20–200/month | API costs |

## ❓ FAQ

**What is OpenClaw?**
An open-source, self-hosted AI agent that connects 20+ messaging platforms to models like Claude, GPT, Gemini, and local Ollama models — all running on your own hardware.

**Can I use cloud AI providers instead of Ollama?**
Yes. The setup wizard supports Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Groq, OpenRouter, Moonshot, Z.AI, and MiniMax out of the box.

**Is it safe to expose OpenClaw to the public internet?**
The template uses token-based auth (`OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN`), admin password protection, and explicit device pairing approval. Review the [OpenClaw security docs](https://docs.openclaw.ai/) before deploying.

**How do I update OpenClaw?**
Set `OPENCLAW_VERSION` in Railway (e.g. `2026.3.24`) and redeploy. Set it to `latest` to always pull the newest release.

**How do I add more Ollama models after initial setup?**
Update `OLLAMA_DEFAULT_MODELS` on the Ollama service and redeploy. You can also pull models manually via the Admin → Terminal panel.

**The Ollama model dropdown shows nothing — what do I do?**
Model pulling can take a few minutes on first boot. Wait for the Ollama service to finish, then click **Refresh** in the setup wizard.

## Similar templates

- [N8N Main + Worker](https://railway.com/deploy/n8n-main-worker) — Deploy and Host N8N with Inactive worker.
- [Evolution API with n8n](https://railway.com/deploy/evolution-api-with-n8n) — Automate WhatsApp workflows with Evolution API, n8n, and Postgres.
- [Postgres Backup](https://railway.com/deploy/postgres-s3-backups) — Cron-based PostgreSQL backup to bucket storage

Open this page in a browser: https://railway.com/deploy/openclaw-with-ollama