# Del vs ZeroClaw

> ZeroClaw scores 70.2 (BB) to Del's 20.6 (F) for assistants reached by message. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-zeroclaw
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-zeroclaw.md (~3,350 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-zeroclaw.min.md (~630 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-zeroclaw.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-13

ZeroClaw scores 70.2 (BB) on agent readiness against Del's 20.6 (F), and leads in every scored category. Both do assistants reached by message.

- Del: grade F, 20.6/100, rank #991 of 1010. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/del.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/del.json
- ZeroClaw: grade BB, 70.2/100, rank #161 of 1010. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/zeroclaw.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/zeroclaw.json
- Best AI personal assistants that act for one person: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/personal-assistants/index.md
- All 834 assistants comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/personal-assistants/index.md

## Which one, for what

### Del (F)

Good for: People who want tasks, notes, reminders and Gmail handled by text on the channel they already use.

Also in its favour:
- No incidents deducted, where ZeroClaw loses 3 points for them

Watch for: No API, MCP server or A2A endpoint for an outside agent.

### ZeroClaw (BB)

Good for: One person who wants an assistant on their own hardware that answers on Telegram, Discord, Matrix or email, asks before it writes or runs commands, and works with a local model.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 74 against 25
- Schema & documentation, 82 against 10
- Agent ergonomics, 72 against 0
- Security & auth, 76 against 0
- Payments & pricing, 60 against 30
- Maintenance & community, 80 against 60
- Transparency & trust, 64 against 57

Also in its favour:
- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better
- No key needed to call it
- Open source

Watch for: The docs state that command execution is not audited. `[security.audit]` records certificate events only, and tool receipts are opt-in and not durable


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Del | ZeroClaw | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 25 | 74 | ZeroClaw +49 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 10 | 82 | ZeroClaw +72 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 0 | 72 | ZeroClaw +72 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 0 | 76 | ZeroClaw +76 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 30 | 60 | ZeroClaw +30 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 60 | 80 | ZeroClaw +20 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 57 | 64 | ZeroClaw +7 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -3 | |
| **Total** | | **20.6 · F** | **70.2 · BB** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Del | ZeroClaw |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Platform | Agent harness |
| Vendor | Human Interface, Inc. | ZeroClaw Labs |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports |  |  |
| Auth | OAuth or key | None |
| Pricing | Paid | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | Closed service under Del's Terms of Service (Human Interface, Inc., a Delaware corporation, last updated 5 August 2026). | MIT OR Apache-2.0 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-10-07 | 2026-09-05 |
| Terms last updated |  | no document linked |
| Privacy policy last updated |  | no document linked |
| Customer content may train models |  |  |
| Terms restrict automated access |  |  |
| Terms restrict benchmarking |  |  |
| Terms or service can change without notice |  |  |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver |  |  |
| Popularity | none | 33k stars |

## Verdicts

**Del.** Del is a hosted texting assistant and task workspace across iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, Discord and Slack, with a near-daily public changelog and a card-free 14-day trial. No outside agent can call it, no status page or security contact was found, and recent updates let some email actions skip approval.

**ZeroClaw.** Supervised autonomy is the default, so tools outside a short read-only list wait for the owner's approval, and secrets are encrypted in the config file. The docs state that command execution is not written to an audit log, and the project publishes no privacy policy or terms.

## Before you call either

### Del

1. Don't plan to call Del from another agent. It answers only the owner's messaging threads and web workspace.
2. Tell the owner web browsing tasks are limited to five a month on Standard and unlimited on Pro.

### ZeroClaw

1. Keep `[risk_profiles.<alias>] level = "supervised"`. `full` runs every tool not listed in `always_ask`, and the YOLO preset removes the sandbox and path rules too
2. Add sending and account tools such as `send_via`, `google_workspace` and `http_request` to `always_ask` so a session-level Always grant cannot skip the prompt
3. List senders in `[peer_groups.<name>] external_peers`. `["*"]` accepts anyone on that channel
4. Set `[web_fetch].allowed_domains` and `[http_request].allowed_domains`. Fetches run unprompted and the OS sandbox does not block egress
5. Run one-shot tasks with `zeroclaw agent -a <alias> -m "<task>"`. A cron or webhook turn has no prompt, so shell calls fall to the command policy

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Del or ZeroClaw?

ZeroClaw scores 70.2 (BB) on agent readiness against Del's 20.6 (F), and leads in every scored category.

### Are Del and ZeroClaw open source?

No open-source release is listed for Del. ZeroClaw is open source (MIT OR Apache-2.0).


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-zeroclaw.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-zeroclaw.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "del", "b": "zeroclaw"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare del zeroclaw`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/del.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/zeroclaw.json

## Other comparisons with Del or ZeroClaw

- [asaply vs Del](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/asaply-vs-del.md)
- [asaply vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/asaply-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Asmi vs Del](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/asmi-vs-del.md)
- [Asmi vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/asmi-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [AstrBot vs Del](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-del.md)
- [Boba vs Del](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/boba-vs-del.md)
- [Boba vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/boba-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Boski vs Del](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/boski-vs-del.md)
- [Brea vs Del](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/brea-vs-del.md)
- [Brea vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/brea-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Caddy vs Del](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/caddy-app-vs-del.md)
- [CowAgent vs Del](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-del.md)
- [Del vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-folk-nozomio.md)
- [Del vs GAIA](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-gaia.md)
- [Del vs Grok Bot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-grok-bot.md)
- [Del vs Haven](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-haven.md)
- [Del vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-hermes-agent.md)
- [Del vs HireAlpha](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-hirealpha.md)
- [Del vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-instinct.md)
- [Del vs IronClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-ironclaw.md)
- [Del vs Lindy](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-lindy.md)
- [Del vs nanobot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-nanobot.md)
- [Del vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-nanoclaw.md)
- [Del vs Natura tinyNature](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-natura.md)
- [Del vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-openai-dots.md)
- [Del vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-openclaw.md)
- [Del vs OpenInstinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-openinstinct.md)
- [Del vs Orbits](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-orbits.md)
- [Del vs Orchid](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-orchid-ai.md)
- [Del vs Pally](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-pally.md)
- [Del vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-picoclaw.md)
- [Del vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-poke.md)
- [Del vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-qwenpaw.md)
- [Del vs szn](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-szn.md)
- [Del vs Tab](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-tab-bot.md)
- [Del vs Tomo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-tomo.md)
- [Del vs Town](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-town.md)
- [Del vs Zapia](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-zapia.md)
- [Del vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-zo-computer.md)
- [HireAlpha vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hirealpha-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [OpenInstinct vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openinstinct-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Orbits vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/orbits-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Orchid vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/orchid-ai-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [szn vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/szn-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Tab vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/tab-bot-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Zapia vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/zapia-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [AstrBot vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Boski vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/boski-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Caddy vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/caddy-app-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [CowAgent vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [folk vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [GAIA vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Gemini Spark vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Grok Bot vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Haven vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Hermes Agent vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Instinct vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [IronClaw vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Leon vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Lindy vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [nanobot vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [NanoClaw vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Dots vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [OpenClaw vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [PicoClaw vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/picoclaw-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Poke vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/poke-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [QwenPaw vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Town vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/town-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [ZeroClaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/zeroclaw-vs-zo-computer.md)
- [Del vs Gemini Spark](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-gemini-spark.md)
- [Del vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-leon.md)
- [Del vs Wajo (Fo)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-wajo.md)
- [Natura tinyNature vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/natura-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Pally vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/pally-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Tomo vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/tomo-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Wajo (Fo) vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/wajo-vs-zeroclaw.md)
- [Del vs Talorys](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-talorys.md)
- [Talorys vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/talorys-vs-zeroclaw.md)

## Disclosure

- Del competes with LocalGhost, which Anchor Terminal's founder builds. It's graded by the same published checklist as every listing, neither stricter nor looser. Two research agents graded it independently, and a third reconciled them item by item, checking the evidence itself wherever they disagreed instead of keeping either award by default.