{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "nanoclaw", "name": "NanoClaw", "vendor": "NanoCo, Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://nanoclaw.dev", "kind": "harness", "category": "personal-assistants", "summary": "Open-source personal assistant that the owner runs on their own machine. It answers on messaging apps, runs each agent session in a Docker container, keeps Markdown memory on disk and runs scheduled tasks.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/nanoclaw", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/nanoclaw.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/nanoclaw.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/nanoclaw.json", "repo": "https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw", "license": "MIT", "transports": [], "packages": [], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No account is needed to run it. Owners and admins are rows in a local `user_roles` table, and strangers are handled by each chat's `unknown_sender_policy` (https://docs.nanoclaw.dev/concepts/security). Model and service credentials are registered with a credential gateway on the host, OneCLI Agent Vault by default, which adds them to outbound HTTPS requests. Containers receive placeholders such as `onecli-managed` (https://docs.nanoclaw.dev/operate/credentials). Channel tokens stay in the host's `.env`. An optional free NanoClaw account, used for a prebuilt agent image and a managed Slack app, keeps its token in `~/.config/nanoclaw/account.json` with mode 0600 (https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw/blob/main/README.md).", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free under the MIT licence, with nothing on sale. The optional NanoClaw account, the Echo image and the managed Slack app are free of charge per the terms of 31 July 2026 (https://nanoclaw.dev/terms). The owner pays the model provider through a Claude subscription, an API key or another provider, and any service a channel or tool uses, such as Dial. Since 2.4.0 Claude groups default to Opus 5.5 (checked 2026-10-12).", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-12).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 30929, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-12" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.nanoclaw.dev", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.nanoclaw.dev/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "assistant.proactive", "assistant.messaging", "assistant.memory", "assistant.self-hosted", "agent.mcp-client", "assistant.accounts" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "local", "free", "no-card", "docker", "llms-txt" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-09", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 68.3, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 229, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 986, "categoryRank": 2, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 70, "maintenance": 78, "payments": 60, "reliability": 78, "schema": 82, "security": 74, "transparency": 65 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-12" }, "negative": -5, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-10-09. Release 2026.10.0 fixed four symlink flaws through which a manipulated agent could make the host read, write or delete files outside its folders, plus an admin-command bypass, a cross-group read through `ncl` and a command injection in Mattermost setup. Fixed and described in the changelog within the week, but the advisories it links (GHSA-frvf-5rf5-89fq and seven others) were not public on 12 October 2026. -5. https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md" ], "verdict": "Each session runs in an unprivileged Docker container and API keys stay in a credential gateway on the host, so a manipulated agent cannot read them. Inside the container the agent runs with permission prompts off, network egress is open by default, and it can message any chat it is wired to without approval.", "bestFor": "A technical owner who wants an assistant on their own machine, reachable from chat apps, with container isolation and scheduled tasks, and who is willing to keep a fork.", "strengths": [ "Each session runs in a non-root Docker container with all capabilities dropped, and the project root and `.env` are never mounted", "API keys sit in a credential gateway on the host, which adds them to outbound requests, so the container holds only placeholders", "Installing packages, adding an MCP server and admitting a new chat each wait for an admin's approval, and no reachable approver means denial", "Memory is plain Markdown under `groups/\u003cfolder\u003e/memory/`, which the owner can read, edit or delete on the host", "The security page states what the design does not stop, including messages to wired chats and spending through granted credentials" ], "weaknesses": [ "The Claude provider runs with `permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions'`, so shell, file and web tools run inside the container with no prompt", "Egress lockdown is off by default, so a container can reach the internet directly unless `NANOCLAW_EGRESS_LOCKDOWN=true` is set", "The 2026.10.0 changelog links eight advisories on the repository, and on 12 October 2026 the advisories page listed none and one linked advisory returned 404", "Setup sends events to PostHog unless `NANOCLAW_NO_DIAGNOSTICS=1` is set, and the privacy policy does not mention them", "The docs say trunk has no Gmail or Google Calendar integration, while the GitHub repository description still names Gmail", "294 open issues and 750 open pull requests on 12 October 2026, and 10 of the 12 newest open issues had no reply" ], "agentNotes": [ "Install with `git clone` and `bash nanoclaw.sh`. There is no registry package, and setup needs Docker, Node 22 or later and a Claude or Codex credential", "Set `NANOCLAW_EGRESS_LOCKDOWN=true` before giving an agent credentials or an audience of strangers. The default leaves egress open", "Put chats with different audiences in separate agent groups. Every session of a group shares one read-write workspace and memory tree", "Turn on per-request approval for a secret in the gateway when its use should wait for a person. It is off unless configured", "On OneCLI installs, move the gateway to 1.42.0 by the upgrade guide before updating to 2026.10.0. The updater stops until that is done" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 68.3 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 70, "maintenance": 78, "payments": 60, "reliability": 78, "schema": 82, "security": 74, "transparency": 77 }, "provenanceScore": 53 }, "connect": { "install": "git clone https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw.git nanoclaw-v2 \u0026\u0026 cd nanoclaw-v2 \u0026\u0026 bash nanoclaw.sh" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive", "tool": "https://letme.dev/nanoclaw" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "NanoCo, Inc.", "domain": "nanoclaw.dev", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/nanocoai/nanoclaw/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-12", "notes": [ "The terms and privacy policy at nanoclaw.dev name NanoCo, Inc. and Delaware law. Both say they cover the website and the optional account, not the software, so neither is linked and the MIT licence stands in.", "nanoclaw.dev/.well-known/security.txt returned 404 on 12 October 2026. The repository's SECURITY.md points to GitHub private vulnerability reporting.", "There is no hosted endpoint. The assistant runs on the owner's machine, and the optional account service is at portal.nanoclaw.dev, which we did not open.", "The registration date of nanoclaw.dev was not checked." ], "score": 53 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/nanoclaw.json" }, "answer": "NanoClaw scores 68.3 (B) on agent readiness against OpenClaw's 67.1 (B), and leads in 1 of 7 scored categories. OpenClaw leads on agent ergonomics and maintenance \u0026 community.", "b": { "slug": "openclaw", "name": "OpenClaw", "vendor": "OpenClaw Foundation", "vendorUrl": "https://openclaw.ai", "kind": "harness", "category": "personal-assistants", "summary": "Open-source personal AI assistant that runs as a Gateway on the owner's own computer and answers in WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, iMessage and other chat apps, with desktop and mobile apps. The OpenClaw Foundation maintains it under the MIT licence.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openclaw", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openclaw.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openclaw.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openclaw.json", "repo": "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw", "license": "MIT", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "openclaw" }, { "registry": "oci", "name": "ghcr.io/openclaw/openclaw" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "No OpenClaw account exists. The owner supplies model provider API keys or signs in with a ChatGPT or Claude subscription, and adds a bot token, QR pairing or OAuth grant for each channel and account. Clients reach the Gateway with a token or password (`gateway.auth.mode`), or through a trusted proxy, and paired devices hold their own tokens. Operator scopes (`operator.read`, `operator.write`, `operator.admin` and others) apply to paired clients, but a shared-secret bearer token on `POST /tools/invoke` gets full operator access whatever scopes the caller sends (https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/tools-invoke-http-api; https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/operator-scopes).", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free under the MIT licence, with no paid tier, hosted service or subscription. The owner pays the model provider for usage, or nothing with a local model, plus any search, speech or media API they configure (https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw; https://docs.openclaw.ai/reference/api-usage-costs).", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-12).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 391800, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-12" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.openclaw.ai", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.openclaw.ai/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "assistant.proactive", "assistant.messaging", "assistant.accounts", "assistant.memory", "assistant.self-hosted", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "self-hosted", "local", "free", "foundation", "llms-txt", "docker", "typescript" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-12", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 67.1, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 270, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 986, "categoryRank": 4, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 77, "maintenance": 86, "payments": 60, "reliability": 75, "schema": 84, "security": 74, "transparency": 68 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-12" }, "negative": -8, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-09-11. The project's security page and GitHub advisory list show 722 advisories published between 31 January and 11 September 2026, 14 critical, 249 high, 390 medium and 69 low, 39 with a CVE. The largest groups are Gateway auth and scopes (182) and exec, sandbox and approvals (160). The project says all 14 critical issues are fixed and disclosed and reports no known compromise of its infrastructure. Fixed and published, which decays the deduction, but the volume and the two areas affected bear directly on an assistant that holds its owner's accounts, -8. https://openclaw.ai/security; https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/security/advisories" ], "verdict": "Self-hosted under the MIT licence, with state, memory and credentials kept on the owner's machine and no paid tier. A fresh install runs tools on the host with full access, no approval prompt and no sandbox, and the project has published 722 security advisories since January 2026, 14 of them critical.", "bestFor": "A technical owner who wants an assistant on their own machine across many chat apps, with their choice of model and files they can read and delete.", "strengths": [ "State, memory and credentials stay under `~/.openclaw` on the owner's machine, and the project sells no hosted service or paid tier", "Memory is plain Markdown files in the workspace, and `openclaw memory forget` removes what a named session contributed", "Four session permission modes (`read-only`, `guarded`, `workspace`, `full`), exec approvals and an optional Docker or Podman tool sandbox", "Unknown direct-message senders get a pairing code by default and are ignored until the owner approves them", "Telemetry is documented field by field. Feature statistics are opt-in and `update.checkOnStart: false` stops every automatic request", "13 stable releases in the 90 days to 12 October 2026, with npm provenance attestations on the published package" ], "weaknesses": [ "Without configuration the default is full access. Host exec runs with no approval and sandboxing is off", "Agents with the message tool can send across conversations and channel providers by default, with no approval step for a send", "722 advisories published between 31 January and 11 September 2026, 14 critical and 249 high, per the project's own security page", "Credentials sit in files and SQLite databases under `~/.openclaw`, protected by file permissions unless the owner configures a secret provider", "The project's own maturity scorecard rates the product at 68 per cent, labelled Alpha", "The privacy policy covers the mobile apps, the Chrome extension and website analytics, and says it does not cover the Gateway" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set a session permission mode of `guarded` or `workspace`, or `tools.exec.mode`, before connecting mail. The default runs host commands without approval", "Turn on `agents.defaults.sandbox` for any agent that reads mail, web pages or attachments. Sandboxing is off by default", "Set `tools.message.crossContext.allowAcrossProviders` and `allowWithinProvider` to `false` to confine sends to the current conversation", "Route incoming mail to a restricted reader agent, as the IMAP and Gmail guides show, and deny `gateway`, `cron`, `sessions_spawn` and `sessions_send` for it", "Run `openclaw security audit` after setup, and treat the Gateway token as an owner credential. `POST /tools/invoke` accepts it with full operator access" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 67.1 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 77, "maintenance": 86, "payments": 60, "reliability": 75, "schema": 84, "security": 74, "transparency": 82 }, "provenanceScore": 53 }, "connect": { "install": "curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash # or: npm install -g openclaw@latest --allow-scripts=openclaw \u0026\u0026 openclaw onboard --install-daemon" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive", "tool": "https://letme.dev/openclaw" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "OpenClaw Foundation", "domain": "openclaw.ai", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-12", "notes": [ "The README and the `LICENSE` file name the OpenClaw Foundation, described as an independent 501(c)(3). Its site at www.openclaw.org gave no address, registration number, board or filings on the page we read.", "No terms of service were found for the software, so the MIT licence stands in.", "The privacy policy at openclaw.ai/privacy, effective 2 August 2026, covers the iOS and Android apps, the Chrome extension and website analytics, and says it does not cover the gateway, server or AI provider the owner connects. It is not linked here for that reason.", "openclaw.ai/.well-known/security.txt returned 404 on 12 October 2026. The repository has a SECURITY.md with private GitHub reporting and security@openclaw.ai.", "There is no hosted endpoint. A Gateway answers on its owner's own host. The daily update check goes to telemetry.openclaw.ai.", "The domain registration date was not looked up." ], "score": 53 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openclaw.json" }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Agent harness", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "NanoCo, Inc.", "b": "OpenClaw Foundation", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "None", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT", "b": "MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "yes", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-10-09", "b": "2026-10-12", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "31k stars", "b": "392k stars", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "NanoClaw scores 68.3 (B) on agent readiness against OpenClaw's 67.1 (B), and leads in 1 of 7 scored categories. OpenClaw leads on agent ergonomics and maintenance \u0026 community.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, NanoClaw or OpenClaw?" }, { "answer": "Yes. NanoClaw is open source (MIT). OpenClaw is open source (MIT).", "question": "Are NanoClaw and OpenClaw open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": null, "also": [ "No key needed to call it", "Free to start without a card" ], "goodFor": "A technical owner who wants an assistant on their own machine, reachable from chat apps, with container isolation and scheduled tasks, and who is willing to keep a fork.", "slug": "nanoclaw", "watchFor": "The Claude provider runs with `permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions'`, so shell, file and web tools run inside the container with no prompt" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Agent ergonomics, 77 against 70", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 86 against 78" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "A technical owner who wants an assistant on their own machine across many chat apps, with their choice of model and files they can read and delete.", "slug": "openclaw", "watchFor": "Without configuration the default is full access. Host exec runs with no approval and sandboxing is off" } ], "job": { "capability": "assistant.proactive", "name": "Assistant proactive" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "AstrBot vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "AstrBot vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "CowAgent vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "CowAgent vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "GAIA vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "GAIA vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Gemini Spark vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Gemini Spark vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Haven vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Haven vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Instinct vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Instinct vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "IronClaw vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "IronClaw vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Leon vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Leon vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Lindy vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Lindy vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "nanobot vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "nanobot vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openai-dots.json", "title": "NanoClaw vs Dots", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openai-dots" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-picoclaw.json", "title": "NanoClaw vs PicoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-picoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-poke.json", "title": "NanoClaw vs Poke", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-poke" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "NanoClaw vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zeroclaw.json", "title": "NanoClaw vs ZeroClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zeroclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "NanoClaw vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Dots vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-picoclaw.json", "title": "OpenClaw vs PicoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-picoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-poke.json", "title": "OpenClaw vs Poke", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-poke" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "OpenClaw vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zeroclaw.json", "title": "OpenClaw vs ZeroClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zeroclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "OpenClaw vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zo-computer" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 3, "edge": "nanoclaw", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "nanoclaw": 78, "openclaw": 75, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 2, "edge": "openclaw", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "nanoclaw": 82, "openclaw": 84, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 7, "edge": "openclaw", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "nanoclaw": 70, "openclaw": 77, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 0, "edge": "", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "nanoclaw": 74, "openclaw": 74, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 0, "edge": "", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "nanoclaw": 60, "openclaw": 60, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 8, "edge": "openclaw", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "nanoclaw": 78, "openclaw": 86, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 3, "edge": "openclaw", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "nanoclaw": 65, "openclaw": 68, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "NanoClaw scores 68.3 (B) on agent readiness against OpenClaw's 67.1 (B), and leads in 1 of 7 scored categories. OpenClaw leads on agent ergonomics and maintenance \u0026 community. Both do assistant proactive.", "verdicts": { "nanoclaw": "Each session runs in an unprivileged Docker container and API keys stay in a credential gateway on the host, so a manipulated agent cannot read them. Inside the container the agent runs with permission prompts off, network egress is open by default, and it can message any chat it is wired to without approval.", "openclaw": "Self-hosted under the MIT licence, with state, memory and credentials kept on the owner's machine and no paid tier. A fresh install runs tools on the host with full access, no approval prompt and no sandbox, and the project has published 722 security advisories since January 2026, 14 of them critical." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openclaw", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openclaw.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openclaw.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openclaw.min.md" }, "markdown": "NanoClaw scores 68.3 (B) on agent readiness against OpenClaw's 67.1 (B), and leads in 1 of 7 scored categories. OpenClaw leads on agent ergonomics and maintenance \u0026 community. Both do assistant proactive.\n\n- NanoClaw: grade B, 68.3/100, rank #229 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/nanoclaw.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/nanoclaw.json\n- OpenClaw: grade B, 67.1/100, rank #270 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/openclaw.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openclaw.json\n- Best AI personal assistants that act for one person: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/personal-assistants/index.md\n- All 190 assistants comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/personal-assistants/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### NanoClaw (B)\n\nGood for: A technical owner who wants an assistant on their own machine, reachable from chat apps, with container isolation and scheduled tasks, and who is willing to keep a fork.\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No key needed to call it\n- Free to start without a card\n\nWatch for: The Claude provider runs with `permissionMode: 'bypassPermissions'`, so shell, file and web tools run inside the container with no prompt\n\n### OpenClaw (B)\n\nGood for: A technical owner who wants an assistant on their own machine across many chat apps, with their choice of model and files they can read and delete.\n\nAhead on:\n- Agent ergonomics, 77 against 70\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 86 against 78\n\nWatch for: Without configuration the default is full access. Host exec runs with no approval and sandboxing is off\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | NanoClaw | OpenClaw | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 78 | 75 | NanoClaw +3 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 82 | 84 | OpenClaw +2 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 70 | 77 | OpenClaw +7 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 74 | 74 | even |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 78 | 86 | OpenClaw +8 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 65 | 68 | OpenClaw +3 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -5 | -8 | |\n| **Total** | | **68.3 · B** | **67.1 · B** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | NanoClaw | OpenClaw |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | NanoCo, Inc. | OpenClaw Foundation |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | None | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Free | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | MIT |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-10-09 | 2026-10-12 |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Customer content may train models | | |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | |\n| Popularity | 31k stars | 392k stars |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**NanoClaw.** Each session runs in an unprivileged Docker container and API keys stay in a credential gateway on the host, so a manipulated agent cannot read them. Inside the container the agent runs with permission prompts off, network egress is open by default, and it can message any chat it is wired to without approval.\n\n**OpenClaw.** Self-hosted under the MIT licence, with state, memory and credentials kept on the owner's machine and no paid tier. A fresh install runs tools on the host with full access, no approval prompt and no sandbox, and the project has published 722 security advisories since January 2026, 14 of them critical.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### NanoClaw\n\n1. Install with `git clone` and `bash nanoclaw.sh`. There is no registry package, and setup needs Docker, Node 22 or later and a Claude or Codex credential\n2. Set `NANOCLAW_EGRESS_LOCKDOWN=true` before giving an agent credentials or an audience of strangers. The default leaves egress open\n3. Put chats with different audiences in separate agent groups. Every session of a group shares one read-write workspace and memory tree\n4. Turn on per-request approval for a secret in the gateway when its use should wait for a person. It is off unless configured\n5. On OneCLI installs, move the gateway to 1.42.0 by the upgrade guide before updating to 2026.10.0. The updater stops until that is done\n\n### OpenClaw\n\n1. Set a session permission mode of `guarded` or `workspace`, or `tools.exec.mode`, before connecting mail. The default runs host commands without approval\n2. Turn on `agents.defaults.sandbox` for any agent that reads mail, web pages or attachments. Sandboxing is off by default\n3. Set `tools.message.crossContext.allowAcrossProviders` and `allowWithinProvider` to `false` to confine sends to the current conversation\n4. Route incoming mail to a restricted reader agent, as the IMAP and Gmail guides show, and deny `gateway`, `cron`, `sessions_spawn` and `sessions_send` for it\n5. Run `openclaw security audit` after setup, and treat the Gateway token as an owner credential. `POST /tools/invoke` accepts it with full operator access\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, NanoClaw or OpenClaw?\n\nNanoClaw scores 68.3 (B) on agent readiness against OpenClaw's 67.1 (B), and leads in 1 of 7 scored categories. OpenClaw leads on agent ergonomics and maintenance \u0026 community.\n\n### Are NanoClaw and OpenClaw open source?\n\nYes. NanoClaw is open source (MIT). OpenClaw is open source (MIT).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openclaw.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openclaw.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"nanoclaw\", \"b\": \"openclaw\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare nanoclaw openclaw`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/nanoclaw.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/openclaw.json\n\n## Other comparisons with NanoClaw or OpenClaw\n\n- [AstrBot vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [AstrBot vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [GAIA vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [GAIA vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Gemini Spark vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Gemini Spark vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Haven vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Haven vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Instinct vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Instinct vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [IronClaw vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [IronClaw vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Leon vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Leon vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Lindy vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Lindy vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [nanobot vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [nanobot vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [NanoClaw vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [NanoClaw vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-picoclaw.md)\n- [NanoClaw vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-poke.md)\n- [NanoClaw vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [NanoClaw vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [NanoClaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [Dots vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [OpenClaw vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-picoclaw.md)\n- [OpenClaw vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-poke.md)\n- [OpenClaw vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [OpenClaw vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [OpenClaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-zo-computer.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-12", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "NanoClaw vs OpenClaw", "url": "" } ], "description": "NanoClaw scores 68.3 (B) to OpenClaw's 67.1 (B) for assistant proactive. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "NanoClaw B 68.3", "OpenClaw B 67.1", "scores" ], "h1": "NanoClaw vs OpenClaw", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-nanoclaw-vs-openclaw.png", "path": "/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openclaw", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "NanoClaw vs OpenClaw for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-12", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-openclaw" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2550, "slim": 480 }, "version": 1 }