OpenClaw is a powerful open-source framework. But between API costs, infrastructure, and months of development, "free" software can cost you $50,000+ before your first customer. Here's the honest comparison.
We love OpenClaw. We built Dooza on it. But we also spent months solving problems that OpenClaw was never designed to solve.
If you're a developer or technical founder evaluating whether to build your AI agent business on OpenClaw from scratch, this article will save you months of pain. We've been there. We've solved every problem listed here. The hard way.
The short version: OpenClaw is an incredible agent runtime. But an agent runtime is not a business. The gap between "agent that works on my laptop" and "platform that serves paying customers" is wider than most people expect.
If you want to understand OpenClaw first, read our complete OpenClaw guide. If you want to understand the business layer, read our guide to building AI employees on OpenClaw.
This article is the honest comparison. No fluff.
OpenClaw (formerly ClawdBot, then MoltBot) is an open-source AI assistant that runs locally on your machine. It connects to LLMs like Claude or GPT, integrates with messaging apps, and can execute tasks autonomously.
It's powerful. It's free. And it's attracted a massive developer community.
Free framework, MIT licensed
Runs on your machine or server
Works with Claude, GPT, and more
Custom skills and tools
OpenClaw gives you the engine. But an engine isn't a car. You still need the chassis, the steering wheel, the brakes, the doors, and the road to drive on. That's the gap this article is about.
Every developer has the same thought when they first see OpenClaw:
"This is incredible. I can build anything with this. Why would I pay for a platform?"
We thought the same thing. Then we actually tried to ship a product. Here's the timeline of what really happens:
You get a demo working on your laptop. The agent can chat, use tools, and complete tasks. You feel unstoppable. You tweet about it.
You try to add a second user. Realize there's no multi-tenancy. Customer A can see Customer B's data. You spend 2 weeks building data isolation from scratch.
Authentication. Real-time chat. WebSocket management. A UI that doesn't look like a terminal. Each problem takes a week to solve properly.
Your agent only works when someone talks to it. That's ChatGPT, not an employee. You need cron scheduling so the agent works autonomously. Another 2 weeks.
First business customer asks about security. You realize your agent can execute arbitrary commands. Prompt injection could leak data across tenants. You need three security layers. Minimum.
The punchline:
You started with a free framework. Four months later, you've spent $50,000+ in developer time and you still don't have a product you'd show to a paying customer. The agent is 10% of the work. The platform is the other 90%.
Dooza is built on OpenClaw. Same powerful framework underneath. But we've already solved every problem listed above — and wrapped it in a platform that's ready for paying customers on day one.
Eva (Email), Somi (Social Media), Seomi (SEO), Rachel (Receptionist), Stan (Sales), Linda (Legal). All configured and working from day one.
AI employees wake up on schedule, do their work, and report back. Social posts at 9am. Review monitoring at noon. Weekly reports on Monday.
Three-layer security: agent whitelists, global blacklists, and sandbox isolation. All active by default. Zero configuration.
Row-level database security, filesystem sandboxing, runtime identity tracking. Each customer's data is completely isolated.
Each AI employee gets a purpose-built workspace. Content calendars, analytics, conversation history. Not a blank chat window.
Our team configures your AI employees in a 30-minute call. Your brand voice, your workflows, your tools. You don't lift a finger.
Sign up. Book your free onboarding call. Our team configures everything. Your AI employees start working the same day. Compare that to 3-4 months of building infrastructure from scratch.
| Feature | OpenClaw DIY | Dooza |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | 3-4 months | 30 minutes |
| Upfront Cost | $45,000-67,500 (dev time) | $0 (free trial) |
| Monthly Cost | $100-300+/day in API + hosting | $29/month flat |
| Multi-Tenancy | Build from scratch | Built in |
| Security Layers | Build from scratch | 3 layers, active by default |
| Cron Scheduling | Build from scratch | Built in |
| Dashboard UI | Build from scratch | Per-agent workstations |
| Real-Time Chat | Build from scratch | Slack-like, built in |
| AI Employees | Build each one | 6 pre-built, ready to go |
| Memory Management | Manual, fragile | Auto-preserved on updates |
| Onboarding Help | GitHub docs + Discord | Free concierge team |
| Technical Skill Required | Senior developer | None |
| Ongoing Maintenance | You maintain everything | We handle it |
| Time to First Customer | 3-6 months | Same day |
Let's be brutally honest about what each path actually costs over the first year.
The difference
527x - 621x more expensive
to build it yourself. And that's assuming everything goes right on the first try.
We're not going to pretend Dooza is right for everyone. Here's the honest breakdown:
If you're a developer who wants to build AI employees but doesn't want to build the platform, Dooza's upcoming marketplace is the answer. Define the agent's personality in SOUL.md, write instructions in AGENTS.md, add YAML tools. We handle tenancy, auth, billing, and deployment. You build the brain. We run the body.
Ask yourself: "Is building AI infrastructure my competitive advantage?" If no, you're better off using a platform and focusing on what actually differentiates your business. Most businesses compete on their product, their service, their relationships — not on their server architecture.
Start your free trial. No credit card required. No commitment.
Our concierge team configures your 6 AI employees — Eva (email), Somi (social), Seomi (SEO), Rachel (receptionist), Stan (sales), and Linda (legal) — to match your business, brand voice, and workflows.
AI employees begin handling email, posting content, answering calls, generating leads, optimizing SEO, and managing compliance. Autonomously. 24/7.
Want to see more? Learn how to automate your entire business without coding, or read about how to build a 20X company with AI employees.
Every week you spend building platform infrastructure is a week your competitors are serving customers. Dooza gives you the same OpenClaw power — without the months of development.
OpenClaw (formerly ClawdBot/MoltBot) is a free, open-source AI assistant framework that runs locally on your computer. It connects to AI models like Claude or GPT and can automate tasks through messaging apps. It's powerful but requires significant technical expertise to set up and maintain.
The framework is free and open-source. However, running it requires API costs ($100-300+/day for heavy use), a dedicated server, and significant developer time for setup and maintenance. The 'free' software often costs more than a managed platform.
Dooza solves the 7 infrastructure problems that OpenClaw doesn't: multi-tenancy, workstation UIs, real-time chat, cron scheduling, prebuilt skills, memory management, and security. You get all of this for $29/month instead of spending weeks building it yourself.
You can, but OpenClaw is an agent runtime, not a business platform. You'll need to build multi-tenancy, security layers, user management, billing, and a UI from scratch. Most businesses are better served by a managed platform like Dooza.
Based on real-world builds: 2-4 weeks for basic setup, 2-3 months for production infrastructure (multi-tenancy, security, cron), and ongoing maintenance. At $150/hour developer rates, that's $50,000-100,000+ before your first customer.
Yes. Dooza is built on OpenClaw's open-source framework and adds all the managed infrastructure businesses need — multi-tenancy, security, cron scheduling, billing, and a dashboard UI. You get the power of OpenClaw without the complexity.
Dooza offers full customization through free concierge onboarding. Our team configures AI employees to match your business, brand voice, and workflows. For builders, Dooza's upcoming marketplace lets you create custom AI employees using SOUL.md and AGENTS.md files.
Looking for MoltBot alternatives? Compare the best AI assistants for business including Dooza, ChatGPT, and more. Find secure, affordable options that don't require coding.
Looking for a Sintra AI alternative? Discover why Dooza offers better AI employees with simpler setup, transparent pricing, and superior automation.
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