Keep the machine you have
The hardware part of "always-on" is a spare computer and a few dollars a year in electricity. A Pi 5 costs about $5 a year to run 24/7, a Mac mini about $6.50.
It keeps going, and it stops when you say
A service that restarts your agent after a crash, a heartbeat that pings your phone when the box goes quiet, and one command to stop everything from anywhere.
Caps before surprises
Daily budget, crash-loop limit, part-time hours, memory and CPU ceilings, and a safety checklist for leaving an agent on overnight.
What it costs to run
Most agents wait on the network more than they compute, so idle power is what matters. Four machines people already own, running 24/7 for a year at the US average residential price:
| Machine | Typical idle draw | kWh per year (24/7) | Cost per year | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 | ~3 W | 26 | $4.81 | $0.40 |
| Mac mini (2024, M4) | 4 W idle (Apple) | 35 | $6.42 | $0.53 |
| Mini PC with an Intel N100 (the ~$150 kind) | ~6–10 W, we use 8 W | 70 | $12.83 | $1.07 |
| Old laptop, lid closed, screen off | ~10–20 W, we use 15 W | 131 | $24.06 | $2.00 |
US average residential electricity price: 18.31 ¢/kWh (July 2026). Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, end-use update — eia.gov/electricity/monthly/update/end-use.php (read Oct 4 2026). Formula: watts × 8,760 hours ÷ 1,000 = kWh per year; × $0.1831 = dollars. Power figures from the vendors' and reviewers' public measurements, named in the guide.
What's inside
- The guide — PDF, 14 pages: picking a machine, a 20-minute headless setup for Debian/Ubuntu, Raspberry Pi and macOS, keep-awake, auto-restart, phone access, the heartbeat, cost caps, the safety checklist, and the "pre-built box vs DIY" table.
- 8 script files —
install.sh,keepalive.sh, the Linux service file, the macOS launch agent,heartbeat.sh,uninstall.sh, a settings file and its example. - caps.md — copy-paste cost caps and the kill switch.
- TESTS.md — every test we ran, with the exact command, output and date.
What we tested
20 of 20 checks passed
Every script ran on our Linux test bench (Debian 12, systemd 252) on October 4, 2026: crash restarts, the crash cap, the kill switch, the budget cap, the heartbeat's ok and failure pings, and the service file under real systemd. The full log is in the download.
What we did not test
The macOS launch agent was checked as a valid file but not run on a Mac. We didn't test Raspberry Pi hardware, a real laptop lid, or a real power cut. Those steps come from the vendors' own documentation, named where they appear in the guide.
Pre-built box vs DIY
Public facts only. If you want a box that arrives ready and you're happy to wait and pay for that, a pre-built one is a legitimate choice. If you already own a spare computer, the hardware part costs you nothing.
| Otto One | DIY with this kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware price | $599 (8 GB / 256 GB) or $799 (16 GB / 512 GB) | $0 with a computer you own; a new N100 mini PC is roughly $150–250 |
| Upfront to start | $20 refundable deposit, balance before shipping | $5–$19 for this kit (pay what you want) |
| Shipping | $15 flat; orders after Aug 12 2026 ship January 2027 | Today |
| Processor | Intel N95 (product page) / N97 (their FAQ) | Your choice |
| Where the thinking happens | Cloud models (their FAQ says it is not an on-device model box) | Same: whatever service your agent uses |
| Agent software | An open-source agent harness pre-installed, plus their own app layer | Any agent or script you choose |
| Ongoing fees | Pay-as-you-go model usage through their gateway, which takes "a small transaction fee on cloud spend"; per-agent identity "$5.99/agent/month" listed as coming soon | Model usage paid directly to the service you choose; no middle fee |
| Phone app | Yes: chat, approvals, live activity | A private network app + any SSH app; heartbeat alerts to your phone |
| Returns | 14 days, 15 % restocking fee | Nothing to return |
| Setup time | "Plug in", per their marketing | About 40 minutes with this guide |
Otto facts from myotto.ai pages /otto-one, /hardware, /faq, /gateway, /identity and /terms, read Oct 4 2026 (Isaac Oppenheimer Studio's notes). Prices and dates are theirs to change; check their site before you decide.
Questions people ask
Does this include an assistant or agent?
No. It keeps the one you choose running: anything you can start with one command in a terminal.
Do I need to know Linux?
You need to be OK copying commands into a terminal. Every command is in the guide, in order. Budget about 40 minutes the first time.
Will it work on my old laptop?
Most laptops from the last ten years are fine. The guide covers closing the lid without sleeping, and battery care for a laptop that's always plugged in.
Is a Raspberry Pi enough?
For most agents, yes: they wait on the network more than they compute. Check that your agent's tools run on ARM, and use an SSD rather than a memory card.
How is this different from buying a pre-built always-on box?
A pre-built box costs hundreds of dollars and may ship months from now. This uses a computer you already have and works today. The guide has a side-by-side table built only from public prices and specs.
What if it doesn't work for me?
Write to us through the store page with what you tried and what keepalive.log says. We'll help, and we fix the guide when a step is unclear.
Pay what you want. $5 minimum, $19 suggested.
You get the guide, the scripts and every v1 update.
Get the kit, pay what you want ($5+)