How to Deploy Moltbot (formerly Clawdbot) on VPS: The Ultimate Guide

About 3 min

Overview of Moltbot: The "Lobster" Reborn

Moltbot is the new identity of the viral open-source AI assistant previously known as Clawdbot. Born from a rapid rebranding effort (due to trademark conflicts with Anthropic's Claude), Moltbot retains all the powerful features that made its predecessor a hit: it is a "local-first" AI agent that lives on your infrastructure, not in a walled garden.

Unlike standard chatbots, Moltbot connects directly to your personal messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, iMessage) and can execute real tasks—from managing calendars to writing code and controlling your browser. By deploying it on a Virtual Private Server (VPS), you ensure your assistant is always on, responding 24/7 without needing your laptop open.

Why Deploy Moltbot on a VPS?

While you can run Moltbot on a local Mac mini or Raspberry Pi, deploying on a cloud VPS offers distinct advantages:

100% Uptime: Your agent never sleeps, even if your home internet goes down.
High Performance: Faster network speeds for API calls and media processing.
Privacy: Keeps your personal IP address hidden while interacting with third-party webhooks.

For this guide, we recommend LightNode as the infrastructure provider due to its high-performance NVMe storage and global low-latency locations.

Deployment Process of Moltbot

1. Prerequisites & Server Requirements

Moltbot is built on a modern stack and requires a specific environment to run smoothly.

OS: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS (Recommended)
Runtime: Node.js version 22+ (Strict requirement)
Resources: Minimum 2GB RAM (4GB Recommended for heavier workloads)

2. Choose the Right VPS Provider

We suggest LightNode for hosting Moltbot. Their hourly billing allows you to spin up an instance to test the "Lobster" without long-term commitment.

Plan	Specs	Price	Best For
Start	1 vCPU, 2GB RAM	$7.71/mo	Basic text-based agent
Agency	2 vCPU, 4GB RAM	$14.70/mo	Recommended: Voice mode, heavy browsing

3. Setting Up the Environment

Once you have SSH access to your LightNode VPS, the first step is installing the correct Node.js version. Moltbot requires bleeding-edge Node features.

# Update system packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install Node.js 22 (Required)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Verify version
node -v
# Output must be v22.x.x

4. Installing Moltbot

Although the name has changed to Moltbot, the CLI tools currently maintain backward compatibility. You can install it using the official "universal" installer script or via npm.

Option A: The One-Line Installer (Recommended)
This script automatically handles dependencies and path configurations.

curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash

Option B: Manual NPM Install
If you prefer manual control:

npm install -g clawdbot@latest

Note: As the rebrand settles, the package name clawdbot is still used for the CLI commands.

5. Onboarding & Configuration

Moltbot features a powerful interactive wizard that configures your AI provider (Anthropic, OpenAI) and messaging channels.

Run the onboarding command:

clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

What happens during onboarding:

AI Provider: You'll link your Anthropic API key (recommended for the best "smart" experience) or OpenAI key.
Gateway: Select "Remote" or "Local". For VPS, configuring the Gateway allows you to access the web dashboard remotely.
Channels: You can link WhatsApp (via QR code), Telegram (via Bot Token), or Discord immediately.
Persistence: The --install-daemon flag automatically sets up a system service (systemd) so your Moltbot restarts if the server reboots.

6. Starting the Gateway

If you didn't auto-install the daemon, you can start the gateway manually. This is the "brain" of Moltbot.

clawdbot gateway --port 18789

To access the stunning control dashboard, navigate to http://YOUR_VPS_IP:18789 in your browser. You will need the authentication token generated during the onboarding step.

7. Connecting Messaging Channels

The magic of Moltbot is chatting with it via your favorite apps.

WhatsApp: Run clawdbot channels login and scan the QR code with your phone (Linked Devices).
Telegram: Create a bot via @BotFather and paste the token into the Moltbot config or wizard.

Final Thoughts: The Future is Personal

Moltbot represents a shift towards "Personal AI OS." By hosting it on a VPS like LightNode, you gain a private, powerful assistant that isn't limited by your local hardware. Whether you are automating emails, managing server tasks, or just want a witty companion, Moltbot is the cutting-edge solution for 2026.

For documentation and community support, visit the Official Moltbot Website.