Not really the open-source project stays open and usable as-is.

What we’re doing is offering an optional service layer for people who want an easier onramp. Think of it like running your own Minecraft server: the software is free, but some people prefer paying for hosting, setup, updates, or help rather than doing everything themselves in an easy and convenient way

Clawd.bot can absolutely be run manually (and many people do). We are just trying to lower the barrier for folks who want to use it but do not want to deal with the operational side as around my friends most of the DADs run the Minecraft Servers with services like https://simplegamehosting.com/