How to Deploy Agent Zero on a VPS — The Ultimate Open-Source AI Agent

Agent Zero is the most powerful open-source AI agent available today. With capabilities like analyzing thousands of files, running code, using browsers, editing video, and accessing models like Opus 4.6, it’s more than a chatbot—it’s a fully autonomous super agent. And when you host it on your own VPS, it becomes even more powerful, private, and unstoppable.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to set up Agent Zero on a VPS, securely manage secrets, connect external tools, and even get free daily inference by staking the AOT token.

This 100% private AI Agent just destroyed Clawdbot

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🚀 Why Run Agent Zero on a VPS?

• 24/7 autonomous AI access

• Full privacy and security—you own the environment

• Free to use with no subscription

• Use multiple models without burning tokens

• Open-source, customizable, and extensible

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🧰 What You Need

• A VPS (we recommend Hostinger KVM2 plan)

• Basic Linux knowledge (terminal, nano editor)

• API key from OpenRouter

• Docker installed

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🔧 Step-by-Step Setup

1. Install Docker

2. Create Docker Compose File

Paste the contents from the Agent Zero GitHub Gist. Change:

• Username & password

• OpenRouter API key

Save with Ctrl+O, Enter, and exit with Ctrl+X.

3. Start Agent Zero

Check it’s running:

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🌐 Access Your Agent

In your browser, go to:

Login using your credentials. You’re now inside Agent Zero’s powerful interface.

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🔐 Secure Your Secrets

Store API keys safely:

• Add secrets in Agent Zero’s settings

• AI can use them without seeing or exposing them

• No context leakage = maximum privacy

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🧠 Teach Agent Zero Anything

Use markdown to store instructions, docs, or custom workflows.

Example:

• Paste OpenRouter image generation code

• Ask Agent Zero to save it as reusable knowledge

It will remember and reuse that knowledge on command.

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💡 Add External Tools

Easily integrate:

• Image generation with Nano Banana Pro

• Deep research with Perplexity AI

• ANY Python script or API

Agent Zero will learn and automate it.

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🗂️ Projects Feature

Create scoped workspaces:

• Custom system prompts

• Separate memory per project

• Folder-based file structure

• Role-based access (great for teams)

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🎁 Get Free Inference with AOT Token

Stake $AOT at agent-zero.ai:

• Get daily free API credits

• Works with powerful models (Gemini, Opus, Claude, etc.)

• The more you stake (and lock), the more credits you get

Agent Zero offers privacy-first, non-tracking inference. No chats are stored. No training on your data.

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✅ Why Agent Zero Beats the Rest

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🔚 Final Thoughts

Agent Zero is a private AI operating system that runs anywhere and adapts to you. Whether you’re a developer, researcher, content creator, or founder—it unlocks autonomous productivity like never before.

Start building your own self-hosted AI agent with Agent Zero today.

👉 Learn more at: agent-zero.ai