Technical personal-assistant users
Run a persistent assistant from your own machine and reach it through the chat apps you already use.
Independent tool overview
OpenClaw at a glance
OpenClaw, formerly known as Clawdbot, is an open-source, self-hosted gateway that connects AI agents to messaging apps, local devices, tools, schedules, and reusable skills.
Visit the official OpenClaw site ↗
- Current name
- OpenClaw
- Former name
- Clawdbot
- Deployment
- Self-hosted on macOS, Linux, or Windows
- Software price
- Free and open source
Overview
What OpenClaw is
OpenClaw runs on a computer or server you control and lets you reach an AI assistant through channels such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, and WebChat. The gateway routes messages to one or more agents, maintains sessions and workspace state, and can expose tools for files, browsers, commands, scheduled tasks, webhooks, and connected devices.
The software is now developed in the open by the nonprofit OpenClaw Foundation. OpenClaw itself is free to install, but users bring a hosted subscription, API key, gateway, or local model and are responsible for the resulting model, infrastructure, and third-party service costs. Its flexibility is substantial, but safe operation requires deliberate access controls, sandboxing, and careful treatment of untrusted messages and content.
Use cases
Who OpenClaw is best for
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Multi-channel agent access
Connect one gateway to several messaging services, browser chat, desktop companions, and mobile nodes.
Custom agent workflows
Combine models, tools, skills, schedules, webhooks, workspaces, and isolated agents for tailored automations.
Capabilities
Core OpenClaw features
Multi-channel gateway
Connects AI agents to major messaging services through core and official channel plugins.
Bring your own model
Supports numerous hosted model providers, subscription-backed runtimes, gateways, and local OpenAI-compatible servers.
Multi-agent routing
Routes channels, accounts, or senders to agents with separate workspaces, state, authentication profiles, and session histories.
Tools and reusable skills
Extends the assistant with browsing, files, commands, webhooks, cron jobs, media handling, and installed skill packages.
Control UI and apps
Provides a browser dashboard plus macOS and Windows companions and paired iOS or Android nodes.
Local state and observability
Keeps configuration, workspaces, transcripts, usage information, and operational controls on the host you manage.
Process
How the OpenClaw workflow works
Step 1
Install and onboard
Install OpenClaw, run the guided onboarding flow, and configure the local gateway service.
Step 2
Choose model access
Authenticate a supported provider, subscription-backed runtime, gateway, or local model and set a default.
Step 3
Connect channels
Pair only the messaging accounts and senders that should be able to reach each agent.
Step 4
Harden before enabling tools
Keep the gateway local, isolate sessions, restrict files and commands, enable approvals and sandboxing, and audit the configuration.
Step 5
Add workflows gradually
Introduce skills, schedules, browser access, device commands, or additional agents only after testing their permissions and failure modes.
Cost
OpenClaw pricing and free plan
OpenClaw is free, open-source software with no required OpenClaw subscription. Total cost depends on the model or subscription you connect, API-based tools such as search or speech, and the computer or cloud server running the gateway.
OpenClaw software
Free
Install and self-host the open-source gateway and agent runtime.
- No required platform subscription
- Run on your own hardware or server
- Community-maintained core and official plugins
Models and services
Provider costs vary
Bring model access and optional third-party APIs separately.
- Model tokens or hosted subscription
- Optional search and speech APIs
- Optional cloud hosting
- Usage can be inspected locally when pricing metadata is available
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
OpenClaw strengths and limitations
Where it stands out
- Keeps the gateway, workspace state, and configuration under the operator's control
- Supports an unusually broad selection of messaging channels and model providers
- Can separate agents, workspaces, channel accounts, authentication, and sessions
- Extensible through tools, plugins, schedules, webhooks, devices, and reusable skills
What to consider
- Setup, updates, backups, provider credentials, monitoring, and security remain the operator's responsibility
- A tool-enabled assistant can access sensitive files, accounts, devices, or commands if permissions are too broad
- Prompt injection can arrive through messages, links, email, documents, browser pages, attachments, or tool output even when direct messages are private
- OpenClaw's documented trust model is a personal assistant, not hostile multi-tenant isolation; mutually untrusted users need separate gateways or hosts
Compare
OpenClaw alternatives
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Business Operations
Lindy
Choose Lindy for a managed no-code agent platform with less self-hosting and infrastructure work.
Explore Lindy →Business Operations
n8n
Choose n8n for integration-heavy business automation with visual workflows and self-hosting support.
Explore n8n →Agents
Manus
Choose Manus for a hosted general-purpose agent experience that does not require operating a local gateway.
Explore Manus →Questions
OpenClaw FAQs
Is Clawdbot now called OpenClaw?
Yes. The active project and documentation use the OpenClaw name; this page retains the older Clawdbot slug so people can find the current product.
Is OpenClaw free?
The OpenClaw software is free and open source. You may still pay for model usage or subscriptions, optional APIs, and the machine or cloud server that runs it.
Where does OpenClaw run?
The gateway is self-hosted on macOS, Linux, or Windows, with browser and desktop interfaces plus optional paired mobile nodes.
Which chat apps does OpenClaw support?
Current official documentation lists Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, WebChat, and many plugin-based channels.
Is OpenClaw safe for a public bot?
Public or shared deployments need strict sender policies, isolated sessions, minimal tools, sandboxing, approvals, and careful handling of untrusted content. The project recommends a personal-assistant trust model and separate gateways for mutually untrusted users.
Bottom line
Our OpenClaw verdict
OpenClaw is a powerful choice for technical users who want a personal AI assistant that they can host, extend, and contact from almost any messaging app. Its open architecture is the appeal and the risk: start with a local, minimally privileged configuration and expand capabilities only when you understand the data and system access each tool receives.
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