NanoClaw
A compact OpenClaw alternative: a personal assistant on Claude Agent SDK with agents in isolated containers and messengers added via skills
Install
git clone https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw.git nanoclaw-v2
cd nanoclaw-v2
bash nanoclaw.shThe script installs Node, pnpm and Docker if missing and walks through pairing a channel.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
NanoClaw runs agents on Claude Agent SDK, each in its own Linux container with separate memory, CLAUDE.md and only the mounts you allow. You message the assistant from Slack, Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, iMessage and other channels, and it runs scheduled tasks and searches the web. Channels and alternative providers are not in the main branch: Claude Code skills like /add-telegram or /add-codex copy the needed module into your fork. Agents never hold raw keys; requests go through the OneCLI vault.
Who it is for. For developers who want a personal messenger assistant with readable code and OS-level isolation.
Good fit when
- You want an assistant in Telegram or Slack with file access and scheduled jobs
- OpenClaw feels too large and opaque
- You want to change the assistant by editing code with Claude Code
Not a fit when
- You cannot run Docker or a long-running process
- You need a ready team platform with a dashboard
Example request
@Andy send a sales pipeline overview every weekday at 9amLimitations
Requires Docker on macOS, Linux or WSL2 and Anthropic credentials. Setup sends anonymous diagnostics, disabled with NANOCLAW_NO_DIAGNOSTICS=1. The prebuilt agent image and managed Slack app need a free account.
How to disable. Stop the NanoClaw system service and agent containers, then delete the cloned repository folder.
Security check
- Agents run commands and access mounted folders
- Connects to messengers and can send messages
README in short
The README explains why the author built NanoClaw instead of OpenClaw and gives a one-script quick start that installs Node, pnpm and Docker, builds the container and pairs the first channel. It covers the project philosophy, supported channels, isolation models, agent templates and what data leaves the machine. There is a v1 migration guide. MIT licensed.
FAQ
How is it different from OpenClaw?
A much smaller codebase, and agents are isolated in containers rather than by permission checks in one process.
How do I add Telegram?
Run the /add-telegram skill in Claude Code inside your NanoClaw fork.
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