Righthand vs OpenClaw: Fully Managed AI vs Self-Hosted Open Source
Compare Righthand and OpenClaw for AI-powered personal assistance. See how a fully managed, enterprise-grade platform differs from a self-hosted open-source agent.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Righthand | OpenClaw |
|---|---|---|
| Zero Setup Required | ||
| Enterprise-Grade Security | ||
| End-to-End Encryption | User-configured | |
| SOC 2 Compliance | ||
| Automatic Updates & Patches | ||
| Voice Interaction via Phone | ||
| Email Management | ||
| Calendar Management | ||
| Open Source | ||
| Run Local LLMs | ||
| 50+ Integrations | Growing | |
| Dedicated Phone Number | ||
| Team Management & RBAC | ||
| Uptime SLA |
Why Choose Righthand
Enterprise-Grade Security by Default
Righthand provides end-to-end encryption, SOC 2 compliance, and regular security audits out of the box. OpenClaw's broad device permissions have drawn scrutiny from cybersecurity researchers - misconfigured instances expose emails, calendars, and messages.
Fully Managed - Zero Maintenance
Righthand is ready in minutes with no servers to run, no software to install, and no updates to manage. OpenClaw requires self-hosting on your own hardware, manual setup, dependency management, and ongoing maintenance.
Reliable Uptime & Support
Righthand runs on managed infrastructure with uptime SLAs and dedicated support. With OpenClaw, if your machine goes to sleep, loses power, or has a software conflict, your assistant goes down too.
Built for Teams & Business
Righthand includes team management, role-based access control, and centralized billing. OpenClaw is designed for individual use with no built-in team collaboration or admin controls.
Pricing Comparison
Righthand
Starting at $99/month for full managed AI assistant
OpenClaw
Free (open source), but requires your own hardware and API keys ($20+/month for cloud LLMs)
The Verdict
Choose OpenClaw if you're a technical user who wants full control over your AI assistant, prefers open-source software, and is comfortable managing self-hosted infrastructure and security. Choose Righthand if you want a secure, fully managed AI assistant that works instantly with no setup, maintenance, or security configuration required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OpenClaw really free?
The software is free and open source, but you still need hardware to run it and API keys for cloud LLMs like Claude. Cloud API costs typically run $20-50+/month depending on usage, plus the electricity and maintenance cost of keeping a machine running 24/7.
Is OpenClaw secure?
OpenClaw's security depends entirely on how you configure it. Cybersecurity researchers have flagged that its broad permissions - accessing email, calendars, messaging, and file systems - create significant risk if misconfigured. Righthand handles security at the infrastructure level with encryption, compliance, and regular audits.
Can I switch from OpenClaw to Righthand?
Yes. Many users start with OpenClaw to experiment and switch to Righthand when they want a reliable, secure, always-on assistant without the maintenance burden. Righthand connects to the same services and gets you productive in minutes.
Does Righthand work if my computer is off?
Yes, Righthand runs on managed cloud infrastructure and is available 24/7 regardless of your devices. OpenClaw stops working when your host machine is off, asleep, or experiencing issues.