OpenClaw

The Original AI Agent Framework

OpenClaw is the pioneering AI agent framework that started it all. Created by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger in November 2025, OpenClaw has grown to become the most popular and comprehensive AI agent framework with over 247,000 GitHub stars (as of March 2, 2026).

Project History:

• Originally named "Clawdbot"
• Briefly renamed to "Moltbot"
• Finally settled on "OpenClaw"
• Reached 100,000 stars in ~30 days
• Reached 180,000 stars by mid-February 2026
• Reached 247,000 stars by March 2, 2026
• One of the fastest-growing GitHub projects in history
• 21st most-starred repository on GitHub

Viral Growth: The project attracted 2 million visitors within days of going viral, with millions of installs worldwide.

Why OpenClaw?

Largest Ecosystem: Access to 13,729+ skills through the official ClawHub marketplace, covering everything from email automation to code generation.

Multi-Platform Integration: Native support for Discord, Slack, Telegram, WeChat, DingTalk, Feishu, and more. Connect your AI assistant wherever you work.

Flexible AI Model Support: Works with Claude, GPT, Kimi, Zhipu, and many other AI models. Switch between models based on your needs and budget.

Enterprise-Ready: Docker containerization, vector database integration, and browser automation make it suitable for production deployments.

Key Features

1. Extensible Plugin Architecture

OpenClaw's modular design allows you to add new capabilities through plugins and skills. The community has contributed thousands of skills for various use cases.

2. Long-term Memory

Built-in vector database integration enables your AI assistant to remember context across conversations and sessions.

3. Browser Automation

Automate web interactions like form filling, data extraction, and website navigation through integrated browser automation.

4. Real-time Task Execution

Execute tasks 24/7 with reliable scheduling and monitoring capabilities.

Installation

# Quick install (recommended)
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows PowerShell
iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

# NPM installation
npm install -g openclaw@latest

# Docker deployment
docker pull openclaw/openclaw:latest
docker run -d --name openclaw -p 18789:18789 openclaw/openclaw:latest

# Source code build
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw && pnpm install
pnpm openclaw setup

System Requirements

Common Use Cases

Email Automation

Automatically sort, categorize, and respond to emails based on your preferences and past behavior.

Code Assistance

Generate, debug, and optimize code with AI-powered suggestions integrated into your development workflow.

Social Media Management

Schedule and post content across multiple platforms automatically.

Research Automation

Gather, summarize, and analyze information from various sources automatically.

Security Considerations

⚠️ Critical Security Advisory: OpenClaw has been described as "Agentic AI's Biggest Security Wake-Up Call" due to several security incidents.

Known Security Issues:

• System-level access to your computer
• Critical CVE vulnerabilities discovered
• Hundreds of API keys exposed in early incidents
• Account hijacking by crypto scammers reported
• 341+ malicious skills discovered in ClawHub (February 2026)

Essential Security Practices:

• ✅ Review Skills Carefully: Only install skills from trusted sources
• ✅ Use Container Isolation: Run OpenClaw in Docker for better security
• ✅ Monitor Logs: Regularly check execution logs for suspicious activity
• ✅ API Key Protection: Never share your API keys or configuration files
• ✅ Keep Updated: Install security patches immediately
• ✅ Limit Permissions: Use minimum required permissions

Recommendation: For production or sensitive data, consider security-focused alternatives like NanoClaw (container isolation), ZeroClaw (sandboxed), or IronClaw (WASM sandbox).

Source: LearnDevRel Security Analysis

Comparison with Alternatives

Community and Support

• Official Website: https://openclaw.ai
• Documentation: https://docs.openclaw.ai
• GitHub: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw (247K+ stars)
• Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenClaw
• Discord: Active community server
• Reddit: r/openclaw

Latest Statistics (March 2026)

GitHub Metrics:

• Stars: 247,000+
• Forks: 47,700+
• Open Issues: 3,436
• Open Pull Requests: 3,465
• Organization Followers: 8,900+

Community Size:

• Millions of installs worldwide
• 2 million+ visitors during viral peak
• Active development with regular updates

Last Updated: March 2, 2026 Source: Wikipedia - OpenClaw

License

MIT License - Free and open source for commercial and personal use.