OpenClaw

Open Source Project O OpenClaw Core

Basic Information

  • Company/Brand: OpenClaw / OpenClaw Foundation
  • Country/Region: Austria (Location of founder Peter Steinberger)
  • Official Website: https://openclaw.ai/
  • Type: Open Source Project
  • Founded: November 2025 (First released under the name Clawdbot)

Product Description

OpenClaw is a free and open-source autonomous AI agent capable of performing tasks through large language models (LLMs), using messaging platforms as its primary user interface. It is a personal AI assistant that runs 24/7 on the user's local machine. Unlike standard chatbots like ChatGPT, it has "eyes and hands"—it can browse the web, read and write files, execute shell commands, and autonomously perform tasks.

The project was first released in November 2025 by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger under the name "Clawdbot." On January 27, 2026, it was renamed "Moltbot" due to a trademark complaint from Anthropic, and three days later, it was renamed again to "OpenClaw." On February 14, 2026, Steinberger announced that he would join OpenAI, and the project would be handed over to an open-source foundation for management.

OpenClaw supports interaction through more than 50 platforms, including WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, WeChat, Microsoft Teams, and Matrix. It can use models from Anthropic, OpenAI, or local models, with data kept private by default. As of March 2026, it has over 247,000 stars and 47,700 forks on GitHub.

Core Features/Characteristics

  • Supports integration with 50+ messaging platforms (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, WeChat, etc.)
  • Web browsing capabilities (browsing, form filling, data extraction)
  • File reading/writing and shell command execution
  • Secure sandboxed code execution environment
  • Voice interaction (macOS/iOS/Android)
  • Real-time Canvas control
  • ClawHub skill marketplace (automatic search and installation of skills)
  • Supports Anthropic, OpenAI, and local models
  • Data kept locally by default, prioritizing privacy
  • MCP (Model Context Protocol) architecture support

Business Model

Completely free and open-source (MIT license). The project is managed by the OpenClaw Foundation and accepts sponsorships (OpenAI has become a sponsor). There is no direct commercial revenue model; it relies on community contributions and corporate sponsorships.

Target Users

  • Tech enthusiasts and developers
  • Individuals seeking a private AI assistant
  • Professionals needing to automate daily tasks
  • Teams deploying AI agents within enterprises

Competitive Advantages

  • Fully open-source, with user data kept locally for strong privacy protection
  • Supports far more platforms than competitors (50+ integrations)
  • Autonomous execution capabilities (not just conversation, but actual system operation)
  • Massive community support (247K+ stars on GitHub)
  • Flexible model selection (supports multiple LLM providers and local models)

Market Performance

  • Over 247,000 stars and 47,700 forks on GitHub (as of March 2026)
  • Widely covered by mainstream media such as Fortune and CNBC
  • Founder gained attention from Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg due to the project
  • Achieved widespread recognition within just 3 months of release

Relationship with the OpenClaw Ecosystem

OpenClaw is the core project of the entire ecosystem, with all other products and components built around it. It is the main body of the personal AI agent platform, and other products (such as ClawHub, IronClaw, various messaging integrations, etc.) are extensions of its ecosystem.

Sources

External References

Learn more from these authoritative sources: