OpenClaw CLI
Open-source personal AI assistant on your own machine: answers in Telegram, Slack, Discord and WhatsApp, extended with skills and plugins
- 393,291 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Broad access
Why this level
- The assistant sends messages in messengers on your behalf
- Runs tools and commands on the gateway host
- Stores provider keys and channel tokens
Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is designated an extremist organization in Russia and its activities are banned there.
Install
- Works in
- Services
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add cli/openclawDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- The assistant sends messages in messengers on your behalf
- Runs tools and commands on the gateway host
- Stores provider keys and channel tokens
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
OpenClaw runs a local gateway on your computer or server that holds sessions, tools and messenger connections. The assistant is reachable in Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, Signal, iMessage and other channels, plus a web control panel, a TUI and apps for macOS, iOS, Android, Windows and Linux. Models and agent harnesses such as Claude and Codex plug in as swappable providers. Capabilities grow through skills, tools and plugins from the ClawHub catalog, and the repository itself ships extensions for the browser, Slack, Feishu and other services.
Who it is for. For people who want to run their own assistant on their own hardware and talk to it through familiar messengers, solo or as a team.
Good fit when
- You want an assistant that answers in Telegram or Slack and works with your files and services
- You want memory, state and credentials to stay on your hardware
- You need a shared team deployment
Not a fit when
- You only need a coding assistant inside an editor
- You cannot keep a gateway running
Example request
Every morning send me a Telegram summary of unread email and today's tasksLimitations
Requires Node.js 24.22.1+ or 26.12.1+ (the installer provisions it) and a key for at least one model provider. Availability from Russia depends on the chosen provider and messengers. The assistant gets access to channels and tools, so review permissions per the Security docs.
How to disable. Stop the gateway and remove the package with npm uninstall -g openclaw. Full service removal is described at docs.openclaw.ai.
FAQ
Is there a paid tier?
Per the README, no: the nonprofit OpenClaw Foundation runs it with no hosted or paid version. You only pay your model provider.
What leaves the machine?
Prompts go to your model provider and messengers. OpenClaw itself only checks for updates by default; statistics are opt-in.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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README in short
The README covers an install script for macOS, Linux and Windows or npm, followed by the onboard wizard that checks model access and configures the gateway. The architecture: the gateway as control plane, web panel, CLI and TUI as clients, channels for messengers, and companion apps with voice and camera. Telemetry and the security model are explained separately. MIT licensed.