Basic Information
| Item | Details |
|---|
| Product Name | OpenClaw GitHub Star Growth Analysis |
| Product Type | Open Source Project Growth Data Analysis |
| Belongs to Project | OpenClaw (github.com/openclaw/openclaw) |
| Current Stars | 338,000+ (as of March 2026) |
| Growth Rate | One of the fastest-growing open-source projects in GitHub history |
| First Release | November 24, 2025 |
Product Overview
The GitHub star growth of OpenClaw is one of the most remarkable phenomena in the history of open source. From its launch in November 2025 to March 2026, the project accumulated over 330,000 stars in approximately four months, surpassing React's decade-long record and becoming one of the most-watched software projects on GitHub.
Growth Milestones
| Milestone | Achievement Time | Duration |
|---|
| First Release | November 24, 2025 | - |
| 100,000 Stars | ~Early February 2026 | ~70 days |
| 150,000 Stars | ~Mid-February 2026 | ~80 days |
| 200,000 Stars | Mid-Late February 2026 | 84 days |
| 250,000 Stars | ~Early March 2026 | ~100 days |
| 338,000 Stars | Late March 2026 | ~120 days |
Growth Rate Comparison
Comparison with Top Open Source Projects
| Project | Total Stars | Time to Achieve | Daily Growth |
|---|
| OpenClaw | 338,000+ | ~4 months | ~2,800 |
| React | 243,000 | ~10 years | ~67 |
| Linux Kernel | 217,000 | ~13 years | ~46 |
| Vue.js | 210,000+ | ~9 years | ~64 |
| TensorFlow | 185,000+ | ~9 years | ~56 |
Key Growth Events
- Rebranding Period - Renamed to OpenClaw in late January 2026, sparking widespread attention
- Media Coverage Wave - Concentrated discussions on platforms like Hacker News and Product Hunt
- Founder Joins OpenAI - News on February 14, 2026, brought significant buzz
- 80,000 Stars in Two Weeks - The most intensive star growth during a single surge period
Growth Controversies
Discussions on Star Authenticity
- AI Certs and other media outlets reported on the "OpenClaw GitHub Stars Controversy Reaching 200,000"
- Some community members questioned whether the growth rate included non-organic traffic
- The project team responded to doubts through code quality and community activity
Stars vs. Actual Usage
- Star count does not equate to actual user count
- Medium article titled "Nobody Knows What to Do with It" reflects some users' confusion
- The project needs to transition from "attention" to "deep usage"
Growth Driver Analysis
Technical Factors
- MIT License lowers the barrier to entry
- Local-first architecture meets privacy needs
- 50+ integrations cover mainstream platforms
- Supports local LLM running (free via Ollama)
Community Factors
- Founder Peter Steinberger's personal influence
- Community spread on Reddit (r/selfhosted, r/LocalLLaMA)
- Continuous discussions on Hacker News
- YouTube tutorial ecosystem
Market Factors
- Investment boom in the AI agent sector
- Exploding demand for open-source AI tools
- Self-hosting/privacy-first trend
- Comparative discussions with competitors (e.g., AutoGPT)
Data Correlation
| Metric | Data |
|---|
| Stars | 338,000+ |
| Forks | 66,400+ |
| Contributors | 1,200+ |
| Commits | 11,400+ |
| Star/Fork Ratio | ~5:1 |
| Star/Contributor Ratio | ~280:1 |
Sources
External References
Learn more from these authoritative sources: