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Pacestack
Hosting Guide

Where Should You Run Moltbot?

Cloud vs local, cost vs control. We break down every option so you can make the right choice for your setup.

Recommended

DigitalOcean Droplet

1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD

$6/mo
Setup: 15 minutes
Beginner-friendly
Easy setup
Scalable
Great API
Recurring cost
Requires some Linux knowledge

Cloudron

Managed platform + hosting

$15/mo
Setup: 5 minutes
Easiest
One-click install
Auto updates
Built-in backups
Higher cost
Less control

Mac Mini (Local)

M2 chip, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD

$0/mo
+ $599 one-time
Setup: 30 minutes
Intermediate
No recurring cost
Full control
Apple ecosystem
Upfront cost
No redundancy

Cost Calculator

See the real cost over 1, 2, or 3 years

DigitalOcean Droplet

$72
total over 12 months
$6.00/mo avg

Cloudron

$180
total over 12 months
$15.00/mo avg

Mac Mini (Local)

$599
total over 12 months
$49.92/mo avg

* Estimates based on listed prices. Actual costs may vary. Mac Mini price based on base M2 model.

Full Feature Comparison

Everything you need to know, side by side

FeatureDigitalOcean DropletCloudronMac Mini (Local)
Monthly Cost$6$15$0
Upfront Cost$0$0$599+
Setup DifficultyEasyEasiestMedium
24/7 UptimeDepends
Auto Updates
Built-in Backups
SSL IncludedManualManual
Scale Up Easily
Full Root Access
No Recurring Fees

Step-by-Step Setup Guides

Follow along tutorials for each platform

DigitalOcean Setup

Deploy Moltbot on a $6/mo droplet in 15 minutes. Includes SSL, backups, and security hardening.

  1. 1Create droplet
  2. 2Install dependencies
  3. 3Configure Moltbot
  4. 4Set up SSL
  5. 5Connect integrations

Cloudron One-Click

The easiest way to self-host. App store experience with enterprise-grade features.

  1. 1Create Cloudron account
  2. 2One-click install Moltbot
  3. 3Configure your domain
  4. 4Done!

Mac Mini Local

Run Moltbot on your own hardware. Perfect for power users who want full control.

  1. 1Set up Mac Mini
  2. 2Install Docker
  3. 3Deploy Moltbot
  4. 4Configure network
  5. 5Remote access setup

AI API Providers

You'll need an API key to power your Moltbot

Anthropic (Claude)

The best AI for agentic tasks. Claude excels at following complex instructions and has strong safety features.

~$3-15/month typical usage

OpenAI (GPT-4)

The original. Great ecosystem, function calling, and wide model selection for different use cases.

~$5-20/month typical usage

Still Not Sure? Take the Quiz

Answer 5 quick questions and we'll recommend the perfect hosting setup based on your skills, budget, and preferences.

Get the Complete Hosting Guide

Detailed setup instructions, troubleshooting tips, and optimization tricks for all three platforms.