Last updated 02-12-2026
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OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI assistant designed to run locally on your Mac, Windows, or Linux machine. It offers true data privacy by keeping your personal context, preferences, and conversation history on your own hardware rather than on external servers. This approach gives users full control over their AI infrastructure and sensitive data. OpenClaw integrates with popular chat apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, and iMessage, allowing users to interact with their assistant through familiar messaging platforms without needing new interfaces.
The assistant is proactive, running background tasks and cron jobs to anticipate user needs and autonomously perform actions such as managing emails, calendars, flight check-ins, and even software development tasks like running tests and opening pull requests. OpenClaw supports multiple large language models including Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, MiniMax m2.1, and local models via Ollama, providing flexibility in AI capabilities.
Users can extend OpenClaw's functionality by building or installing skills—repeatable workflows that automate specific tasks. These skills can be created using Markdown or TypeScript, and the assistant can even generate new skills on its own based on user input or external resources like YouTube videos. This hackable and self-building nature allows OpenClaw to evolve continuously with user needs.
OpenClaw is suitable for both technical users and beginners. Its installation is streamlined with a one-liner script, and onboarding through Telegram or WhatsApp makes it accessible without coding knowledge. Developers benefit from its ability to manage code sessions, capture and fix errors, and automate development workflows. The long-term vision is to create a personal AI operating system that unifies apps and interfaces into a single, user-controlled experience.
🤖 Runs locally on your own computer for full privacy and control
💬 Interacts through popular chat apps like WhatsApp and Telegram
⚙️ Automates tasks proactively with background jobs and monitoring
🛠️ Allows building and sharing custom skills to extend capabilities
🌐 Browses the web and interacts with online services autonomously
Keeps all personal data private by running fully on user hardware
Supports multiple AI models and flexible integration options
Proactively performs tasks without needing constant user prompts
Highly customizable with hackable skills and community plugins
Accessible to both technical users and beginners via chat apps
Requires initial setup and some technical understanding for advanced use
Relies on user hardware resources, which may limit performance
No free tier mentioned; subscription required to access service
How does OpenClaw ensure my data privacy?
OpenClaw runs entirely on your own Mac, Windows, or Linux machine, so your personal data like emails, files, and conversation history never leaves your hardware.
Which chat apps can I use to interact with OpenClaw?
You can communicate with OpenClaw through WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, and iMessage, both in direct messages and group chats.
Can OpenClaw perform tasks without me asking every time?
Yes, OpenClaw runs background jobs and monitors your apps proactively to perform tasks like sending reminders, checking flight statuses, and managing content pipelines automatically.
Is OpenClaw suitable for software developers?
Absolutely. Developers can use OpenClaw to manage code sessions, run tests autonomously, capture errors, and even open pull requests on GitHub.
Can I create my own skills for OpenClaw?
Yes, you can build custom skills using Markdown or TypeScript, use community plugins, or even have OpenClaw generate new skills based on your instructions or videos.
Do I need technical knowledge to use OpenClaw?
While OpenClaw has advanced features, its installation and onboarding via Telegram or WhatsApp are designed to be user-friendly for beginners.
What AI models does OpenClaw support?
OpenClaw supports multiple models including Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, MiniMax m2.1, and local models through Ollama, allowing flexible AI capabilities.