Open Source|MIT Licensed|Built by Developers, for Developers

Your Code, Your AI, Your Rules

Openclaw is an open-source framework that lets developers build AI-powered automations. Route messages, execute workflows, and extend with plugins—all running on your own infrastructure.

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60k+
GitHub Stars
50+
Integrations
5
Chat Platforms
MIT
Open Source

“Openclaw is running my company. I just tell it what I need and it handles everything from scheduling to email responses.”

Alex Chen
@alexchen

“Finally an AI assistant that actually DOES things instead of just telling me how to do them. This is the future.”

Sarah Miller
@sarahmiller

“The self-hosted aspect is huge. My data never leaves my machine. Openclaw with Ollama is a game changer for privacy.”

Marcus Johnson
@marcusj

Why Developers Choose Openclaw

Openclaw isn't just another chatbot wrapper—it's a programmable AI framework with transparent source code and a plugin architecture built for extensibility.

Programmable Workflow Engine

Define AI workflows in TypeScript or YAML. Full programmatic control over triggers, conditions, and actions. Build automation logic that fits your exact requirements.

Universal Message Router

Route messages across WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, and iMessage through a unified API gateway. Treat messaging platforms as middleware, not lock-in.

Transparent & Auditable

100% open-source under MIT license. Every line of code is auditable. No telemetry, no hidden behaviors. Deploy on your infrastructure with full visibility.

Stateful Context Manager

Built-in session and context management for multi-turn conversations. Persistent state storage with pluggable backends—SQLite, PostgreSQL, or Redis.

Plugin Architecture

Extensible plugin system with 50+ built-in integrations. Write custom plugins in TypeScript. Hot-reload during development. Community plugin registry.

Bring Your Own Model (BYOM)

Zero vendor lock-in. Connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, or run fully local with Ollama. Swap models with a single config change. Your keys, your costs, your control.

Deploy Openclaw in Minutes

Multiple installation paths for different environments. Choose your stack and get running quickly.

Docker / K8s

Container-ready with Helm charts. Production-grade deployments with horizontal scaling.

Cross-Platform

Native support for macOS, Linux, and Windows. No WSL required on Windows.

Local Models

BYOM with Ollama support. Run Llama, Mistral, or any compatible model offline.

Extensible Plugin Ecosystem

Openclaw ships with 50+ built-in integrations. Build custom plugins in TypeScript or leverage community extensions to connect any service.

messaging

WhatsAppTelegramDiscordSlackiMessage

productivity

GmailGoogle CalendarNotionLinearJiraTodoistTrello

developer

GitHub

media

Spotify

ai

OpenAIClaudeOllama

smart home

HomeAssistantPhilips Hue

automation

Zapier

Universal Message Router

Route messages through a unified API gateway

WhatsApp
Telegram
Discord
Slack
iMessage

Openclaw vs Cloud AI Services

Cloud AI services are convenient, but they come with trade-offs. Openclaw gives developers full control without sacrificing capability.

CapabilityCloud AI ServicesOpenclaw
Source Code AccessClosed source100% Open Source (MIT)
Data LocationVendor serversYour infrastructure
CustomizationLimited to API optionsFull code-level control
Pricing ModelPer-token feesYour compute costs only
Model ChoiceVendor-lockedBYOM - Any provider
Audit & ComplianceTrust vendorFull auditability
Built for developers who want transparency and control

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Openclaw. Can't find an answer? Ask in our Discord community.

Openclaw is an open-source AI automation framework designed for developers who want full control over their AI workflows. Unlike hosted AI services, Openclaw runs on your infrastructure, gives you complete source code access, and lets you customize every aspect of the system through TypeScript plugins and configuration.
Openclaw is built for developers and technical teams who need programmable AI automation. If you want to inspect and modify the source code, write custom plugins, integrate with internal systems, or avoid vendor lock-in, Openclaw is for you. It's not a no-code chatbot builder—it's a developer toolkit.
ChatGPT and Claude are hosted AI services—you send data to their servers and get responses. Openclaw is a framework you deploy yourself. You control the infrastructure, the data never leaves your environment, and you can swap underlying models (GPT-4, Claude, Ollama) without changing your application code.
Openclaw supports multiple deployment methods. Quick start with: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.im/install.sh | bash. For production, use Docker (docker run openclaw/openclaw) or deploy to Kubernetes. Check the GitHub repo for Terraform modules and Helm charts.
Yes. Openclaw's BYOM (Bring Your Own Model) architecture supports Ollama out of the box. Run Llama, Mistral, or any Ollama-compatible model for fully offline operation. No API keys required, no data sent externally. Perfect for air-gapped environments or cost-sensitive deployments.
Openclaw is free and open-source under the MIT license—use it commercially, modify it, redistribute it. No license fees, no usage limits, no vendor lock-in. You only pay for compute (your own servers) and AI model API costs if you choose to use external providers instead of local models.
Write plugins in TypeScript using the Openclaw Plugin SDK. Plugins can add new integrations, custom workflow actions, or modify core behavior. Hot-reload in development, publish to the community registry, or keep them private. See the plugin development guide in the docs.

Start Building with Openclaw

Fork the repo, deploy in minutes, and build AI automations your way. Open source, MIT licensed, and backed by an active developer community.

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Releases|Documentation|Plugin SDK