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Run your AI agent 24/7 without leaving your laptop on

Your agent stops the moment your laptop sleeps. Here's what it actually needs to stay online, what that costs after the promo price ends, and how to set it up safely.

Agent hosting

Run Hermes Agent, OpenClaw and other personal agents 24/7.

Hermes AgentWhat Hermes Agent actually needs from a VPS, which plans fit, the renewal prices nobody mentions, and a verified 24/7 setup with systemd.OpenClawHow much server OpenClaw needs, which VPS and managed plans fit, what Hostinger's one-click template leaves exposed, and how to run it 24/7 safely.

Automation

Self-host n8n and workflow tools.

n8nSelf-hosting n8n on a VPS: which plan size fits, one-click templates, queue mode, and the full 3-year cost including renewal.

Coding agents

Claude Code and Codex on a server, safely.

Claude CodeRunning Claude Code or Codex on a server: how much RAM, how to keep sessions alive, and the sandboxing steps people skip.

Cost calculatorYour 1–3 year bill, renewal jump included

Every plan we've checked, with the renewal price

Most "best VPS" lists quote the first-month promo. The number that matters is the 3-year total, because almost every promo renews higher. Each price links to the page we read it from.

Sorted as listed; 36-month total includes renewal
Provider / plan	Specs	Intro / mo	Renews / mo	Paid upfront	36-month total	The catch
Hostinger KVM 1VPS	1 vCPU · 4 GB · 50 GB	$6.49 (24-mo term)	$11.99 +85%	$155.76	$299.64	Intro price needs 24 months paid upfront (~$155.76); renews 85% higher.source, checked 2026-11-04
Hostinger KVM 2VPS	2 vCPU · 8 GB · 100 GB	$8.79 (24-mo term)	$14.99 +71%	$210.96	$390.84	~$210.96 upfront for 24 months; renews 71% higher. Promo moved between $8.79 and $8.99 in 2026.source, checked 2026-11-04
Hostinger KVM 4VPS	4 vCPU · 16 GB · 200 GB	$12.99 (24-mo term)	$28.99 +123%	$311.76	$659.64	~$311.76 upfront; renews 123% higher — the steepest jump in the range.source, checked 2026-11-04
Hostinger Managed OpenClawmanaged	not published	$4.99 (24-mo term)	$11.99 +140%	$119.76	$263.64	$119.76 paid upfront for 24 months, then renews 140% higher. Specs not published.source, checked 2026-11-08
MC-Node Premium VPS 2 GBVPS	2 vCPU · 2 GB · 40 GB	€5.00	€5.00	monthly	€180.00	2 GB is chat-only territory — no browser automation.source, checked 2026-11-08
MC-Node Premium VPS 4 GBVPS	2 vCPU · 4 GB · 60 GB	€8.30	€8.30	monthly	€298.80	EU-only footprint; check latency if your users are elsewhere.source, checked 2026-11-08
MC-Node Premium VPS 8 GBVPS	4 vCPU · 8 GB · 80 GB	€15.30	€15.30	monthly	€550.80	Monthly price is higher than a 24-month promo — but it never jumps.source, checked 2026-11-08
Synteq Custom VPS 2 vCPU / 4 GBVPS	2 vCPU · 4 GB · 40 GB	$7.40	$7.40	monthly	$266.40	Priced per component — adding RAM later changes the bill.source, checked 2026-11-08
OpenClaw Launch Lite (managed)managed	1 vCPU · 2 GB · 10 GB	$3.00	$6.00 +100%	monthly	$213.00	A container, not a server — no root access.source, checked 2026-11-08
OpenClaw Launch Pro (managed)managed	2 vCPU · 4 GB · 40 GB	$20.00	$20.00	monthly	$720.00	Costs more than a self-managed 4 GB VPS — you pay for not doing ops.source, checked 2026-11-08
Agent37 Cloud sandbox 2 vCPU / 4 GBmanaged	2 vCPU · 4 GB · 4 GB	$4.76	$4.76	monthly	$171.36	Pay-as-you-go from a prepaid balance — $4.76 assumes running all 730 hours. Only 4 GB disk; running Docker needs VM mode at 2.5× the compute rate.source, checked 2026-11-08
Oracle Cloud Always Free (Ampere A1)free tier	2 vCPU · 12 GB	$0.00	$0.00	monthly	$0.00	Instances under 20% CPU/network/memory for 7 days can be reclaimed — an idle agent looks exactly like that. 'Out of host capacity' errors are common.source, checked 2026-11-08
Hetzner Cloud (cost-optimised)VPS	not published	check current price	check current price	monthly	check current price	Raised cloud prices twice in 2026 (some plans >170%). KYC at signup. Pays no cash commission — listed because it's often the right pick.source, checked 2026-11-08
DigitalOcean DropletVPS	not published	check current price	check current price	monthly	check current price	1 GB is the documented floor, not a comfortable size.source, checked 2026-11-08

EUR prices are shown in EUR and not converted. "Total" includes the renewal price once the promo term ends.

Managed agent hosting vs your own VPS

Managed hosts (OpenClaw Launch, Agent37, Hostinger's managed OpenClaw) run the agent for you in a container. You give up root access and flexibility; you get updates, restarts and backups handled. A VPS is cheaper per GB and runs anything — several agents, n8n, a database — but security and updates are your job. If you've never hardened a Linux server, read the security checklist on any of the guides above before choosing a VPS.

Questions

Do I need a GPU to run an AI agent 24/7?

No, not if the model is an API (Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter). The server only runs the agent loop, messaging gateway, scheduler and tools. A GPU only matters if you run the model locally.

How much RAM does an always-on agent need?

2 GB for a single chat-only Hermes Agent or OpenClaw; 4 GB once browser automation is on; 8 GB for Claude Code or Codex doing builds and tests.

Why not just leave my laptop on?

Sleep, reboots, Wi-Fi drops and travel all kill the agent, and its scheduled jobs silently stop. A VPS is the cheapest way to get real uptime.

Prices and specs last reviewed 2026-11-08. Hosting promos change often — confirm on the provider's page before you buy.