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Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openclaw.ai/llms.txt

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Run a persistent, always-on OpenClaw Gateway on a Raspberry Pi. Since the Pi is just the gateway (models run in the cloud via API), even a modest Pi handles the workload well — typical hardware cost is $35–80 one-time, no monthly fees.

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Hardware compatibility

Pi modelRAMWorks?Notes
Pi 54/8 GBBestFastest, recommended.
Pi 44 GBGoodSweet spot for most users.
Pi 42 GBOKAdd swap.
Pi 41 GBTightPossible with swap, minimal config.
Pi 3B+1 GBSlowWorks but sluggish.
Pi Zero 2 W512 MBNoNot recommended.
Minimum: 1 GB RAM, 1 core, 500 MB free disk, 64-bit OS. Recommended: 2 GB+ RAM, 16 GB+ SD card (or USB SSD), Ethernet.

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Prerequisites

  • Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with 2 GB+ RAM (4 GB recommended)
  • MicroSD card (16 GB+) or USB SSD (better performance)
  • Official Pi power supply
  • Network connection (Ethernet or WiFi)
  • 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS (required — do not use 32-bit)
  • About 30 minutes

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Setup

1

Flash the OS

Use Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit) — no desktop needed for a headless server.
  1. Download Raspberry Pi Imager.
  2. Choose OS: Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit).
  3. In the settings dialog, pre-configure:
    • Hostname: gateway-host
    • Enable SSH
    • Set username and password
    • Configure WiFi (if not using Ethernet)
  4. Flash to your SD card or USB drive, insert it, and boot the Pi.
2

Connect via SSH

ssh user@gateway-host
3

Update the system

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y git curl build-essential

# Set timezone (important for cron and reminders)
sudo timedatectl set-timezone America/Chicago
4

Install Node.js 24

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
node --version
5

Add swap (important for 2 GB or less)

sudo fallocate -l 2G /swapfile
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfile
sudo swapon /swapfile
echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab

# Reduce swappiness for low-RAM devices
echo 'vm.swappiness=10' | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
sudo sysctl -p
6

Install OpenClaw

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
7

Run onboarding

openclaw onboard --install-daemon
Follow the wizard. API keys are recommended over OAuth for headless devices. Telegram is the easiest channel to start with.
8

Verify

openclaw status
systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway.service
journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway.service -f
9

Access the Control UI

On your computer, get a dashboard URL from the Pi:
ssh user@gateway-host 'openclaw dashboard --no-open'
Then create an SSH tunnel in another terminal:
ssh -N -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 user@gateway-host
Open the printed URL in your local browser. For always-on remote access, see Tailscale integration.

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Performance tips

Use a USB SSD — SD cards are slow and wear out. A USB SSD dramatically improves performance. See the Pi USB boot guide. Enable module compile cache — Speeds up repeated CLI invocations on lower-power Pi hosts: 
grep -q 'NODE_COMPILE_CACHE=/var/tmp/openclaw-compile-cache' ~/.bashrc || cat >> ~/.bashrc <<'EOF' # pragma: allowlist secret
export NODE_COMPILE_CACHE=/var/tmp/openclaw-compile-cache
mkdir -p /var/tmp/openclaw-compile-cache
export OPENCLAW_NO_RESPAWN=1
EOF
source ~/.bashrc
Reduce memory usage — For headless setups, free GPU memory and disable unused services: 
echo 'gpu_mem=16' | sudo tee -a /boot/config.txt
sudo systemctl disable bluetooth
systemd drop-in for stable restarts — If this Pi is mostly running OpenClaw, add a service drop-in: 
systemctl --user edit openclaw-gateway.service

[Service]
Environment=OPENCLAW_NO_RESPAWN=1
Environment=NODE_COMPILE_CACHE=/var/tmp/openclaw-compile-cache
Restart=always
RestartSec=2
TimeoutStartSec=90
Then systemctl --user daemon-reload && systemctl --user restart openclaw-gateway.service. On a headless Pi, also enable lingering once so the user service survives logout: sudo loginctl enable-linger "$(whoami)". Since the Pi only runs the gateway, use cloud-hosted API models: 
{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
        "fallbacks": ["openai/gpt-5.4-mini"]
      }
    }
  }
}
Do not run local LLMs on a Pi — even small models are too slow to be useful. Let Claude or GPT do the model work.

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ARM binary notes

Most OpenClaw features work on ARM64 without changes (Node.js, Telegram, WhatsApp/Baileys, Chromium). The binaries that occasionally lack ARM builds are typically optional Go/Rust CLI tools shipped by skills. Verify a missing binary’s release page for linux-arm64 / aarch64 artifacts before falling back to building from source.

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Persistence and backups

OpenClaw state lives under:
  • ~/.openclaw/ — openclaw.json, per-agent auth-profiles.json, channel/provider state, sessions.
  • ~/.openclaw/workspace/ — agent workspace (SOUL.md, memory, artifacts).
These survive reboots. Take a portable snapshot with: 
openclaw backup create
If you keep these on an SSD, both performance and longevity improve over the SD card.

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Troubleshooting

Out of memory — Verify swap is active with free -h. Disable unused services (sudo systemctl disable cups bluetooth avahi-daemon). Use API-based models only. Slow performance — Use a USB SSD instead of an SD card. Check for CPU throttling with vcgencmd get_throttled (should return 0x0). Service will not start — Check logs with journalctl --user -u openclaw-gateway.service --no-pager -n 100 and run openclaw doctor --non-interactive. If this is a headless Pi, also verify lingering is enabled: sudo loginctl enable-linger "$(whoami)". ARM binary issues — If a skill fails with “exec format error”, check whether the binary has an ARM64 build. Verify architecture with uname -m (should show aarch64). WiFi drops — Disable WiFi power management: sudo iwconfig wlan0 power off.

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Next steps