OpenClaw Multi-Tenancy: Why a VM Per User Does Not Scale (and What Does)

Vanilla OpenClaw runs as a single-tenant system. One user, one instance, one VM. For a small group — 5 to 30 people — this works. Beyond 30-50 users, it falls apart. Here is why, and what actual multi-tenancy looks like. The "Use a VM" Answer Is Technically Correct You can absolutely give each user their own OpenClaw VM. It will work. But four things go wrong as you scale: 1. Predictable Costs Regardless of Usage A VM costs $5-15/month at standard cloud pricing whether the user talks to their ag