OpenClaw is a free, open-source AI runtime that connects AI assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and local Ollama models to messaging apps. It runs on your local machine — macOS, Windows, or Linux — and supports WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Feishu, LINE and more. The canonical project lives at openclaw.ai; the easiest way to install it is OpenClaw Easy, a one-click desktop app.

Yes. OpenClaw is local-first by design — the runtime lives entirely on your machine. With local Ollama models, your messages never leave your device. With a hosted AI provider (Claude, OpenAI, Gemini), messages route only to that provider, not through any OpenClaw server. There is no telemetry or analytics collected from your chats.

What is OpenClaw? Free AI Runtime for Messaging Apps (2026)

Q: Is OpenClaw free?

Yes. OpenClaw is open-source software you can download and use forever at no cost. You bring your own AI API key (Claude, OpenAI, Gemini) or run completely free with local Ollama models. The OpenClaw Easy desktop installer is also free, with an optional Premium credit tier for managed AWS Bedrock models.

Q: How do I install OpenClaw?

Two paths. For developers comfortable with the terminal: install the OpenClaw CLI from openclaw.ai using npm, Homebrew, or Docker. For non-technical users: download OpenClaw Easy, the one-click desktop installer for macOS and Windows that bundles the OpenClaw runtime inside a GUI. The Easy installer takes about 60 seconds; the CLI path takes 5-30 minutes depending on your platform and prior tooling.

Q: Does OpenClaw work on Windows?

Yes. OpenClaw works on Windows 10 and 11. The OpenClaw Easy desktop installer is an EV-signed Windows EXE that requires no WSL2, no Docker, and no Node.js. The native CLI also runs on Windows via npm install or pre-built binaries.

Q: Does OpenClaw work on Mac?

Yes. OpenClaw works on macOS 12 and later, on both Intel and Apple Silicon. The OpenClaw Easy desktop installer is a notarized DMG that does not trip Gatekeeper warnings. The native CLI installs via Homebrew or npm.

Q: Can I run OpenClaw without an API key?

Yes, with local models via Ollama. Install Ollama, pull a model (Llama 3, Qwen 2.5, Mistral, DeepSeek V3, etc.), and OpenClaw routes your messages to the local model. No API key, no monthly bill, fully offline. With OpenClaw Easy you can also use the Premium credit tier for managed AWS Bedrock models if you do not want to manage an upstream API key.

Q: Which messaging apps does OpenClaw support?

Out of the box: WhatsApp (QR-code pairing, no Business API), Telegram (bot token), Slack (OAuth), Discord (bot token), Feishu (App ID + secret), and LINE (channel tokens). The OpenClaw plug-in system also supports Signal, Matrix, Microsoft Teams, and others via community plug-ins.

OpenClaw at a glance

What it is: Open-source AI runtime that bridges AI models to messaging apps
Pricing: Free forever; bring your own API key or run local models
License: Apache-2.0 (open source)
Platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux
Channels: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Feishu, LINE (+ Signal/Matrix/Teams via plug-ins)
AI providers: Anthropic Claude, OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, Venice, Ollama (local)
Install size: ~150 MB (Easy installer) or ~50 MB (CLI)
RAM: ~200 MB idle
Easiest install: OpenClaw Easy desktop app (one-click)
Canonical project: openclaw.ai (CLI / Docker)

The one-paragraph answer

OpenClaw is a free, open-source AI runtime. You install it on your machine; it connects an AI model (Claude / ChatGPT / Gemini / a local LLM) to your messaging apps; your bots reply to messages just like any other contact would. It is the technology underneath every "AI in WhatsApp" or "AI in Telegram" desktop installer you have seen. The canonical project lives at openclaw.ai; the easiest path to install it is OpenClaw Easy, a free one-click desktop app for macOS and Windows.

Download OpenClaw Easy › Or the CLI at openclaw.ai ›

What OpenClaw actually does

OpenClaw is three things in one binary:

A local AI runtime. It speaks to AI model providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter) or local model servers (Ollama, LM Studio) and handles the chat-loop logic — tool calls, history, streaming responses, context management.
A channel bridge. It talks to messaging apps via their official APIs — Telegram Bot API, Slack Bot OAuth, Discord Gateway, WhatsApp pairing-by-QR, Feishu App SDK, LINE Channel API. Every channel is a plug-in.
A skills / hooks framework. Extensions can add capabilities (web search, cron scheduling, memory, file access, MCP servers, custom tools) to the AI, all running locally on your machine.

The end result: you send a message in WhatsApp; OpenClaw receives it locally; routes it through your chosen AI; the AI replies; OpenClaw sends the reply back through WhatsApp. The runtime is the loop in the middle that makes all of this happen without you writing any glue code.

Why people use OpenClaw

Personal AI in your messaging apps

The single biggest use case. People want an AI assistant they can text from anywhere — to summarize a long email, draft a reply, answer a research question, schedule a reminder. Putting that AI in WhatsApp or Telegram means it lives next to your friends and your family chats, not behind a separate app. OpenClaw makes that one-step.

Local AI for privacy

Running a model via Ollama on your laptop, then routing WhatsApp through OpenClaw, means your messages never leave your machine. No cloud AI provider sees your chats. No SaaS dashboard logs your data. This is genuinely private AI — not "privacy policy" private, actually private.

Small-business and team automation

A solo founder or small support team can run OpenClaw on a single machine and have an AI auto-respond to customer messages on WhatsApp Business, Slack channels, or Discord servers. Free, no per-conversation fees, and the AI hands off to a human when it cannot answer. Read the small-business guide.

Scheduled / autonomous workflows

OpenClaw includes a cron system that fires AI prompts on a schedule. "Every day at 9am, summarize unread emails and send to my Slack." "Every Monday morning, write a weekly status update." "Every Friday at 5pm, remind me to back up my photos." Read the cron-jobs guide.

How to install OpenClaw

The easy path — OpenClaw Easy desktop app

If you are not a developer, this is the path you want. Download the macOS DMG or Windows EXE from openclaw-easy.com, double-click to install, open the app, scan a QR code or paste a bot token to connect your first channel, send your first message. Total time: about 60 seconds.

The OpenClaw Easy installer bundles the OpenClaw runtime inside a desktop app with a GUI for everything (channel setup, AI provider configuration, cron scheduling, skill management). It is code-signed for macOS (Apple notarized) and Windows (EV-signed) so Gatekeeper and SmartScreen do not warn on first launch. It is free forever; the only cost is what your chosen AI provider charges per token (or zero if you use Ollama).

The CLI path — openclaw.ai

If you are a developer comfortable with the terminal, install the OpenClaw CLI directly from openclaw.ai. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. You will edit ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json to configure providers and channels; you will run openclaw gateway run to start it; you will manage plug-ins via openclaw plugins install <name>. It is the canonical reference implementation and gets new features first.

Both paths use the same underlying runtime — same plug-ins, same providers, same config format at ~/.openclaw/. You can switch between them at any time without losing data.

OpenClaw vs the alternatives

If you found this page searching "OpenClaw", you have probably also heard of one or more of these alternatives. The short version:

OpenClaw Easy vs ClawX — ClawX is the most-starred OpenClaw GUI (7,100+ stars) but has repositioned as a research-assistant cockpit, away from messaging apps. We focus on messaging apps.
OpenClaw Easy vs MyClaw.ai — MyClaw is paid cloud hosting starting at $19/month; we are free local install.
OpenClaw Easy vs Claw.so — Claw.so is a pre-launch project; we ship today.
OpenClaw Easy vs OpenClawDesktop.com — openclawdesktop.com publishes a sales site whose claimed GitHub repo returns 404; we ship a real signed installer with a real GitHub repo.
OpenClaw Easy vs OpenClaw.ai — the canonical CLI is the canonical CLI; we are the one-click desktop installer for the same runtime.
OpenClaw Easy vs ChatGPT — ChatGPT is OpenAI's standalone chat app; we put AI inside the messaging apps you already use.
OpenClaw Easy vs Claude Desktop — Claude Desktop is Anthropic's standalone chat app; we connect Claude to WhatsApp / Telegram / Slack / Discord.

What OpenClaw is not

Some things people sometimes assume OpenClaw is, but isn't:

Not a chatbot platform like ManyChat / Chatfuel. Those are SaaS marketing-automation tools; you build flowcharts to capture leads. OpenClaw is an AI runtime; you point an LLM at a chat and the LLM talks back.
Not a customer-support helpdesk like Tidio / Intercom. No agent inbox, no ticketing, no transfer queues. OpenClaw is a personal/team AI, not a contact-center.
Not a fork of OpenClaw. OpenClaw Easy bundles the upstream OpenClaw runtime unchanged. Every feature and plug-in that works upstream works here.
Not a hosted SaaS. OpenClaw runs on your machine. There is no OpenClaw server you are billed by. (MyClaw.ai is a separate project that does host OpenClaw for you — see the comparison.)

Frequently asked questions

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is a free, open-source AI runtime that connects AI assistants (Claude / ChatGPT / Gemini / local Ollama models) to messaging apps (WhatsApp / Telegram / Slack / Discord / Feishu / LINE). It runs on your machine; the canonical project lives at openclaw.ai; the easiest desktop installer is OpenClaw Easy.

Is OpenClaw free?

Yes. Open-source, Apache-2.0 licensed. Free to download, install, and run forever. You bring your own AI API key (Claude / OpenAI / Gemini) or run completely free with local Ollama models.

How do I install OpenClaw?

For non-technical users: download OpenClaw Easy — a free signed installer for macOS and Windows that takes about 60 seconds. For developers: install the CLI directly from openclaw.ai.

Does OpenClaw work on Windows?

Yes. Windows 10 and 11, both via the OpenClaw Easy EV-signed EXE installer and via the native CLI. No WSL2 required.

Does OpenClaw work on Mac?

Yes. macOS 12+, both Intel and Apple Silicon. The OpenClaw Easy DMG is Apple-notarized.

Can I run OpenClaw without an API key?

Yes — install Ollama, pull a model (Llama 3, Qwen, Mistral, DeepSeek), and OpenClaw will route messages to the local model. Zero monthly cost, fully offline, fully private.

Is OpenClaw private?

Yes. Local-first by default. With a local Ollama model, messages never leave your device. With a hosted provider, messages go only to that provider — no OpenClaw cloud in the middle.

Which messaging apps does OpenClaw support?

WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Feishu, LINE built-in. Signal, Matrix, Microsoft Teams via community plug-ins.

What's the difference between OpenClaw and OpenClaw Easy?

OpenClaw is the underlying open-source AI runtime — CLI, Docker, or source build. OpenClaw Easy is a desktop app that bundles the OpenClaw runtime inside a one-click signed installer for macOS and Windows. Same technology, different package — see the full comparison.

Where to go next

Reading guides:

Or skip ahead and Download OpenClaw Easy free ›