NanoClaw
Open-source personal AI agent that runs in containers you host
NanoClaw report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 9, 2026
Best for a self-hosted agent kept inside containers
NanoClaw is a personal agent you run yourself: it lives on your own computer, you message it from WhatsApp, Telegram or Slack, and every session is boxed inside its own Docker container. It's free and open source. But there's no hosted version, so if git and a terminal aren't your thing, this isn't either.
Who NanoClaw is for
- Great if you want a personal agent on hardware you control
- Handy when you want to give an agent shell access without letting it loose on your own machine
- A treat if you like a small codebase you can read and fork
Who NanoClaw is not for
- Skip it if you've never opened a terminal, because installing takes git, Docker and a command line
- Not for you if you want a hosted service, as there isn't one and your computer must stay on
- Too light for people who want an app with buttons, since it's all terminal and chat channels
Why NanoClaw gets a 3.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyIt costs nothing. NanoClaw is free and open source under the MIT license, with no paid plan at all. What you do pay for is the AI model behind it, billed by the provider you connect, unless you run local Ollama models.
- AFree plan and trialThe whole product is free, with nothing held back for a paid tier. You bring the computer it runs on and your own AI provider account.
- AFeaturesMessage it from the terminal or from WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Signal, iMessage and Teams. Each session runs in its own Docker container, API keys sit in a vault outside it, and jobs can repeat on a schedule. Templates stamp out a ready-made agent with its skills.
- DEase of useYou host it yourself. Installing means git and a terminal, Docker is the only container runtime it supports, and your computer has to stay on for it to answer. There's no graphical app either: you talk to it in the terminal or in a chat app.
- BPlatforms and integrationsIt runs on Mac, Linux and Windows, though Windows only through WSL2. It has no phone app of its own, so on a phone you reach it through a chat app you've connected: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Signal, iMessage or Microsoft Teams.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from NanoClaw's own pages on 6 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make NanoClaw? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/nanoclaw#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/nanoclaw.svg" alt="NanoClaw: 3.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>What is NanoClaw?
NanoClaw is an open-source personal AI agent that you install on your own Mac, Linux or Windows (WSL2) computer and message from the terminal or from apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and Discord. Every active session runs in its own Docker container, and by default credentials stay in a vault outside it. It is maintained by NanoCo, is free under the MIT license, and uses a model provider you bring, with Claude as the default.
NanoClaw is free to use. See every plan
Good for
- People who want a personal agent running on hardware they control
- Developers who want a small codebase they can read and fork
- Giving an agent shell access inside a container instead of on the host
Worth knowing
- There is no hosted version: you install it yourself with git and a terminal, and the computer must stay on for the agent to respond.
- The software is free, but hosted model usage is billed by the provider you connect, through a subscription or an API key.
- Docker is the only supported container runtime, and Windows is supported only through WSL2.
- The site lists no graphical app of its own: you talk to it in the terminal or through the messaging channels you connect.
Key features
- Messaging channels
- Talk to agents in the terminal or connect WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Signal, iMessage, Microsoft Teams and other channels, each installed on demand with an /add- skill.
- Container isolation
- Every active session runs in its own unprivileged Docker container and sees only the files you mount, so shell commands run inside the container rather than on your host.
- Credential vault
- By default agents never hold raw API keys: outbound requests pass through OneCLI's Agent Vault, which injects credentials at request time and applies per-agent policies and rate limits.
- Scheduled tasks
- Ask an agent in chat for a reminder or a recurring job and it creates a task on a cron-style schedule. Tasks can also be listed, paused and cancelled with the ncl admin CLI.
- Choice of model provider
- Claude is the default, Codex can be chosen during setup, and OpenCode or local Ollama models can be added later. Each agent group can use a different provider.
- Templates and skills
- A template stamps out a prebuilt agent with a persona, skills, MCP servers and paused recurring tasks, while skills add channels, providers or tools to your own fork.
NanoClaw pricing
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The whole product is free and open source under the MIT license. You supply the computer it runs on and your own AI provider account, which the provider bills separately.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| NanoClaw (MIT licensed) | Free | The complete self-hosted agent, with channels, providers and tools added as skills. Model usage is billed by the provider you connect, unless you run local Ollama models. |
Read from nanoclaw.dev on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with NanoClaw before you buy.
Works with
NanoClaw alternatives
- NanoClaw vs Hermes Agent
Free plan · from $20/mo
Common questions
Is NanoClaw free?
Yes. NanoClaw is free to use. The whole product is free and open source under the MIT license. You supply the computer it runs on and your own AI provider account, which the provider bills separately.
How much does NanoClaw cost?
NanoClaw lists one plan. NanoClaw (MIT licensed): Free. Prices were read from nanoclaw.dev on Oct 6, 2026.
What platforms does NanoClaw work on?
NanoClaw is available on macOS, Linux and Windows.
Does NanoClaw have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. NanoClaw is listed for macOS, Linux and Windows.
Does NanoClaw have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. NanoClaw is listed for macOS, Linux and Windows.
Is NanoClaw open source?
Yes. NanoClaw is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
What does NanoClaw integrate with?
NanoClaw's listing names WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Signal, iMessage, Microsoft Teams and GitHub. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes NanoClaw?
NanoClaw is made by NanoCo.
What are the alternatives to NanoClaw?
The closest alternatives to NanoClaw in our directory are OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, Agent Zero and goose. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with NanoClaw.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026.