OpenClaw
Open-source personal AI agent you run yourself and message in chat
Our verdict
Third of our top three AI agents
For: People who want an agent on their own hardware
OpenClaw is an open-source personal agent that runs on your own computer or server and is messaged from chat apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and iMessage. It is MIT licensed with no paid version: you connect the model provider you choose, or a local model through Ollama or LM Studio, and its memory is stored on your machine, not in a vendor cloud. Desktop apps cover Mac, Windows and Linux. It is third because it asks more of you than the two above: there is no hosted service, so you install, run and update the Gateway yourself, and model usage is billed by the provider you connect. The iPhone and Android apps need a Gateway running on another machine.
See all three and how we rankWhat is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI agent that runs on your own computer or server and is reached through chat apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and iMessage. A single self-hosted Gateway connects those channels to the model provider you choose, keeps memory between conversations, and can browse the web, work with files and run shell commands. It is MIT licensed and stewarded by the non-profit OpenClaw Foundation, with no paid version and no hosted service.
OpenClaw is free to use. See every plan
Good for
- Developers and power users who want an assistant on their own hardware
- Reaching one agent from WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack or iMessage
- Teams sharing a single gateway with sessions everyone can open
Worth knowing
- There is no hosted service: you install, run and update the Gateway yourself on a computer or server.
- The software is free, but model usage is billed by whichever provider you connect, through an API key or an existing subscription.
- The iOS and Android apps are companion nodes and need a Gateway running on another machine.
- The macOS desktop app requires macOS 15 or later, and the Linux desktop app is x64 only.
Key features
- Self-hosted Gateway
- One Gateway process on your own machine or server handles sessions, routing and channel connections. Desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux install it for you.
- Chat channels
- Message the agent from WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage and other channels, 29 in all, in direct messages and group chats.
- Bring your own model
- Works with hosted providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI and Google, with gateways such as OpenRouter, and with local models through Ollama or LM Studio.
- Persistent memory
- Remembers preferences, projects and people from one conversation to the next, with state stored on your machine rather than in a vendor cloud.
- System access and sandboxing
- Can browse the web, fill in forms, read and write files and run shell commands, with a choice between full access and a sandbox.
- Skills, plugins and automation
- Skills and plugins extend the agent, and it can write its own skills. Cron jobs, hooks and webhooks run work on a schedule or in response to events.
OpenClaw pricing
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The whole product is free and MIT licensed, with no paid version or hosted tier. You supply the machine it runs on and your own model access, which the model provider bills separately.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| OpenClaw (MIT licensed) | Free | The complete product: Gateway, desktop and mobile apps, chat channels and plugins. Model usage is billed separately by the provider you connect. |
Read from openclaw.ai on Oct 5, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with OpenClaw before you buy.
Works with
OpenClaw alternatives
- OpenClaw vs Hermes Agent
Free plan · from $20/mo
- OpenClaw vs Poke
Free plan · from $19/mo
Common questions
Is OpenClaw free?
Yes. OpenClaw is free to use. The whole product is free and MIT licensed, with no paid version or hosted tier. You supply the machine it runs on and your own model access, which the model provider bills separately.
How much does OpenClaw cost?
OpenClaw lists one plan. OpenClaw (MIT licensed): Free. Prices were read from openclaw.ai on Oct 5, 2026.
What platforms does OpenClaw work on?
OpenClaw is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Is OpenClaw open source?
Yes. OpenClaw is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
What does OpenClaw integrate with?
OpenClaw's listing names WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, Gmail and GitHub. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is made by OpenClaw Foundation.
What are the alternatives to OpenClaw?
The closest alternatives to OpenClaw in our directory are Hermes Agent, NanoClaw, Agent Zero, goose and Poke. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with OpenClaw.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 5, 2026.