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AI Browsers & Agents
OpenClaw
A free, open-source assistant you run yourself and message on WhatsApp or Telegram.
3.2our ratingNo community reviews yet. Add yours
Open sourceWorks with Claude Code
Quick take
- A free assistant you run on your own computer and message through WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage and other chat apps.
- The software costs nothing. Expect roughly $5 to $30 a month in AI model charges for light use, and much more if it runs constantly.
- Security is the big worry. Malicious skills, exposed installs and serious bugs were all found in 2026. Give it its own accounts, never your main ones.
- Not for non-technical users. Setup and upkeep take real time, and a mistake can expose your email and files.
What is OpenClaw?
OpenClaw is a personal AI assistant that runs on your own computer and that you talk to through the chat apps you already use: WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage, Slack, Discord, Signal and more. Once it's connected to your email, calendar and files, you can message it to summarise your inbox, move a meeting, send you a morning briefing, check you in for a flight or kick off a job on your computer. It remembers your preferences over time and can learn new 'skills' from a community library.
It began in November 2025 as a hobby project called Clawdbot, was renamed Moltbot and then OpenClaw in January 2026, and became one of the most-starred projects on GitHub within weeks. Its creator joined OpenAI in February 2026 and the project is now run by an independent non-profit foundation. Choose it over Manus or Genspark if you want an assistant that lives on your own machine and works around the clock; choose those if you want something that works the moment you sign up.
The catch is safety and setup. Gartner, Microsoft and Cisco have all warned about it: tens of thousands of copies were left open to the internet, hundreds of malicious skills turned up in its library, and an agent with your email and passwords can do real damage if it's tricked. Setting it up safely takes technical skill. If you aren't comfortable with a terminal, separate accounts and a spare computer, leave this one alone.
Who's using it, and who it's for
- Developers
- Tech-savvy founders
- Tinkerers
- Productivity enthusiasts
Technically confident people who want a 24/7 personal assistant on their own hardware and accept the security risk.
Key features
Chat where you are
Talk to it through WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage, Slack, Discord, Signal and around 29 other channels.
Runs on your machine
Install on a Mac, Windows or Linux computer, or a small server, so your data stays with you.
Does real things
Reads and sends email, manages your calendar, browses the web, fills in forms and runs commands.
Memory
Remembers your preferences, projects and people between conversations.
Skills
Add abilities from the ClawHub library, now scanned for malware, or let it write its own.
Any model
Works with Claude, GPT, Gemini and local open models, using an API key or some subscriptions.
How we rate it
3.2overall, out of 5
Our rating, from using the tool ourselves. Each score is out of 5.
- Ease of use
- 1.5
- Features
- 4.5
- Output quality
- 3.5
- Value for money
- 3.5
- Speed & reliability
- 3.0
How quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
How completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together.
How good the results are before you fix them.
What you get for the price, including the free plan.
How fast it is and how often it falls over.
Community rating
No community reviews yet. Be the first to leave one.
OpenClaw pricing
- Our pick
Self-hosted
Free
Everyone: there is no paid version.
- The full assistant, MIT licensed
- Desktop installers for Mac and Windows
- All chat channels and skills
- You pay your AI provider separately
Which plan should you pick?
There's nothing to buy. Budget for the AI model instead: a cheaper model or a local one keeps costs to a few dollars a month, while a top model running all day can cost $50 or more. Check your AI provider's rules first, because Google and Anthropic have both restricted using personal subscriptions with it at times in 2026.
Prices in USD unless noted, checked 21 October 2026. Vendors change plans often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Best use cases
Ways OpenClaw can slot into your week.
- 1
Morning briefing
Get a WhatsApp message at 7am with today's meetings, urgent emails and the weather.
- 2
Inbox triage on the go
Text it from your phone to summarise unread email and draft replies for you to approve.
- 3
Calendar juggling
Ask it to find a time with a client and move your 3pm without opening your laptop.
- 4
Remote control for your computer
Start a coding agent, a report or a file clean-up on your home machine from a chat message.
How it fits your tech stack
OpenClaw connects your chat apps to your email, calendar, files and AI model of choice, so it sits across your whole digital life. Run it on a spare computer or a cheap server with its own email and password-manager accounts, and treat it like a new staff member you haven't vetted yet.
Connects to
- Telegram
- iMessage
- Slack
- Discord
- Gmail
- Google Calendar
- GitHub
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free, open source and run by a non-profit foundation
- Lives in the chat apps you already use, including on your phone
- Works around the clock and remembers context
- Use any AI model, including free local ones
- Huge community with skills and guides for almost anything
Cons
- Serious security risks: exposed installs, malicious skills and high-severity bugs in 2026
- Hard to set up and keep running: users report weeks of tinkering, memory leaks and updates that break things
- AI costs are unpredictable when it runs all day
- Google and Anthropic have restricted or metered subscription use with it, so your setup can break
- Can take actions you didn't intend, such as deleting or sending email
OpenClaw alternatives
The closest alternatives to OpenClaw in the library, best rated first.
- Comet3.9/5· best for summarising long pages, PDFs and videosOpenClaw vs Comet
- Manus3.7/5· best for multi-step research with a report at the endOpenClaw vs Manus
- Dia3.6/5· best for asking questions across several open tabsOpenClaw vs Dia
- Genspark3.5/5· best for first-draft slide decks from a briefOpenClaw vs Genspark
Why it made the list
It's the open-source agent everyone is talking about in 2026, and a preview of where personal assistants are heading.
Not sure OpenClaw is the one?
Put it next to a similar tool and see the differences side by side.
OpenClaw FAQ
How much does OpenClaw cost?
It's free and open source. Prices checked 21 October 2026 against OpenClaw's pricing page.
Is OpenClaw free?
Yes, OpenClaw has a free option. There's nothing to buy. Budget for the AI model instead: a cheaper model or a local one keeps costs to a few dollars a month, while a top model running all day can cost $50 or more. Check your AI provider's rules first, because Google and Anthropic have both restricted using personal subscriptions with it at times in 2026.
What is OpenClaw best for?
OpenClaw is best for A personal assistant you text on WhatsApp or Telegram, morning briefings from email and calendar and inbox triage and draft replies. Technically confident people who want a 24/7 personal assistant on their own hardware and accept the security risk.
What are the best OpenClaw alternatives?
The closest alternatives are Comet, Manus, Dia and Genspark. Comet is best for summarising long pages, PDFs and videos.
Community reviews
Nobody has reviewed OpenClaw here yet. If you use it, your take helps everyone else choose.
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