Clawdbot: The Complete Guide to the Viral Open-Source AI Assistant 2026

In early 2026, an open-source project took the tech world by storm: Clawdbot (also known as Moltbot). With over 69,000 GitHub stars in just weeks, viral Twitter threads, and YouTube tutorials, this self-hosted AI assistant is the fastest-growing AI tool of the year. In this guide, we explain what Clawdbot can do, how to set it up, and what people actually use it for.

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What Is Clawdbot?

Clawdbot is an open-source, self-hosted personal AI assistant created by Peter Steinberger (@steipete), the founder of PSPDFKit. The community describes it as "Claude with hands" – an AI that doesn't just chat but actually executes tasks.

Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, which live in a browser tab, Clawdbot runs on your own hardware and integrates with messaging apps you already use:

The key difference: Clawdbot has full system access to your computer. It can execute terminal commands, manage files, control the browser, and even operate smart home devices.

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The 6 Core Features of Clawdbot

1. Persistent Memory

While ChatGPT and Claude start fresh with every session, Clawdbot remembers everything – your preferences, past conversations, project details, and personal information. This memory persists across all platforms and sessions.

Example: Tell Clawdbot once that you prefer tea over coffee in the morning. Weeks later, it automatically accounts for this in your morning briefing.

2. Proactive Communication

Most AI assistants wait for your input. Clawdbot reaches out on its own:

• Morning briefings at 7:00 AM with email summary, calendar overview, and to-do list
• Stock price alerts when a specific threshold is reached
• Weather warnings for extreme conditions
• Custom triggers for anything you can define

3. Full Computer Access

Clawdbot isn't confined to a chat window. It has root access to your system:

• Execute terminal commands
• Write and run scripts
• Create, edit, and manage files
• Control browsers and navigate websites
• Operate smart home devices via Home Assistant

4. Multi-Platform Integration

One assistant available across all your channels – with the same memory and capabilities. Whether you message via WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or iMessage: Clawdbot recognizes you and continues the conversation seamlessly.

5. Skills System (Extensible Like Plugins)

Skills are modular extensions defined through Markdown or TypeScript. The community has already built over 100 skills:

• Web search and browser automation
• Email and calendar integration
• GitHub integration and code execution
• Smart home control
• File management and analysis

Skills are shared via the ClawdHub registry and can be automatically downloaded.

6. Voice and Visual Mode

• Voice Wake Mode: Always-on speech recognition
• Talk Mode Overlay: Continuous voice conversation
• Live Canvas: Agent-driven visual workspace
• Browser Control: Automated Chrome/Chromium control
• Screen recording and camera capture

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Installation: 4 Ways to Your Own AI Assistant

Method 1: Mac Mini (Recommended for Beginners)

Method 2: VPS (Virtual Private Server)

Method 3: Old Computer / Raspberry Pi

Method 4: Docker (Cross-Platform)

Quick-Start Installation

# Installation via npm
npm install -g moltbot@latest
moltbot onboard --install-daemon

# Or via the official installation script
curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash

Requirement: Node.js version 22 or higher.

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Costs: What Clawdbot Really Costs

Clawdbot is open-source and free – you only pay for the AI model access and optionally for hardware.

Option 1: Use Your Existing AI Subscription (Recommended)

If you already pay for an AI subscription, you can use OAuth authentication to connect Clawdbot directly – no separate API key needed:

This is the easiest and cheapest way to get started – if you already have a Claude or ChatGPT subscription, your total additional cost is just the hardware/hosting.

Option 2: Use API Keys (Pay-per-Use)

For more control over costs or to use multiple models:

Option 3: Free Local Models

Run AI models locally with zero ongoing costs:

Total Cost Overview

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10 Practical Use Case Examples

1. Automated Morning Briefing

Every morning at 7:00 AM, Clawdbot sends a summary via WhatsApp or Telegram:

• Unread emails by priority
• Today's calendar appointments
• Current weather conditions
• Open to-do items

2. Email Management

Clawdbot reads, categorizes, and responds to emails automatically. It can:

• Filter spam and highlight important emails
• Draft replies
• Process calendar invitations automatically

3. Trading and Financial Analysis

A YouTube tutorial shows how one user deploys Clawdbot for crypto trading:

• BTC trade execution via Capital.com
• Technical analysis and take-profit calculations
• 24/7 market monitoring

4. Development Assistant

For developers, Clawdbot is especially powerful:

• Read, analyze, and modify code
• Perform Git operations
• Manage Docker containers (one user monitors 27 containers across 3 machines)
• Run automated tests

5. Twitter/X Monitoring

An advanced community use case:

• Monitor specific Twitter accounts for high-engagement posts
• Define alert thresholds
• Create automatic summaries of trending topics

6. Smart Home Control

Integration with Home Assistant enables:

• Control Philips Hue lighting
• Monitor temperature and environmental values
• Trigger automations via chat commands

7. Content Creation

Clawdbot can automate complete content workflows:

• Draft blog articles
• Create and publish social media posts
• Generate YouTube thumbnails
• Create and deploy landing pages (via Netlify)

8. File Management and Organization

A simple but powerful example: Clawdbot automatically organizes files – sorts downloads, renames, archives old documents.

9. n8n Workflow Integration

Clawdbot integrates seamlessly with n8n via the Model Context Protocol (MCP):

• Trigger automated workflows via chat
• Create complex automations without code
• Webhook-based triggers for external events

10. Multi-Agent Workflows

Advanced users create separate sessions that collaborate:

• One agent for emails, one for calendar, one for code
• Agents communicate via cross-session messaging
• Specialized task distribution for complex projects

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Mac Mini as Your AI Command Center

When Clawdbot runs on a dedicated Mac Mini (or any always-on machine), it unlocks a completely different category of use cases. Instead of a chat assistant, it becomes your personal AI infrastructure – a tireless digital worker with full access to a real computer.

Always-On Personal AI Server

Unlike a laptop that sleeps or a phone with limited capabilities, a Mac Mini running 24/7 means your AI assistant is always reachable, always working. Schedule tasks for 3 AM, receive alerts at midnight, or let it process large files overnight.

AI-Powered Home Security

Connect your HomeKit cameras or Home Assistant setup and let Clawdbot monitor your home:

• Anomaly detection: Alert you when unusual activity is detected
• Package delivery notifications: Detect when packages arrive at your door
• Pet monitoring: Track your pet's activity and receive alerts for unusual behavior
• Smart doorbell integration: Analyze visitors and notify you with context

Personal File Intelligence

With full disk access, Clawdbot becomes a personal search engine across all your data:

• Index and search across thousands of documents, PDFs, and notes
• Automatically organize downloads by category and project
• Find duplicate files and free up storage
• Extract text from images and scanned documents
• Build a personal knowledge base from your bookmarks, emails, and saved articles

Automated Media Management

Let Clawdbot manage your personal media library:

• Sort photos by date, location, and content (faces, landscapes, events)
• Organize music collections and create smart playlists
• Compress and archive old videos
• Auto-generate photo albums from trips and events
• Sync media across devices and backup to external drives

Family Shared Assistant

A Mac Mini-based Clawdbot can serve your entire household:

• Each family member connects via their preferred messaging app
• Shared grocery lists and meal planning
• Coordinated family calendar management
• Homework help for kids (with content filtering)
• Elderly family member check-ins and reminders

Network and Infrastructure Monitoring

Turn your Mac Mini into a home network operations center:

• Monitor all devices on your Wi-Fi network
• Detect unknown devices or intruders
• Track internet speed and uptime
• Automatically restart your router during outages
• Run speed tests and alert you to ISP issues

Personal Finance Automation

With access to your local files and scripts:

• Track expenses from bank CSV exports
• Categorize transactions automatically
• Generate monthly spending reports
• Monitor stock portfolios and crypto wallets
• Tax document preparation and organization

Development Operations Center

For developers, a dedicated Mac Mini becomes a personal CI/CD server:

• Run automated builds and tests on schedule
• Monitor GitHub repositories for issues and PRs
• Deploy side projects automatically
• Manage Docker containers across machines
• Run database backups and health checks

Automated Social Media Management

Schedule and manage your online presence:

• Draft and schedule posts across platforms
• Monitor engagement metrics and report trends
• Respond to routine DMs and comments
• Curate content based on your interests
• Track competitor accounts for changes

The Dedicated Machine Advantage

Running Clawdbot on a dedicated machine versus your daily driver has key benefits:

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Security: What You Need to Watch Out For

Clawdbot has full access to your system – this brings significant security risks:

Risks

• Root access allows changes to system files
• Sensitive data (passwords, photos, documents) is accessible
• Multiple gateways on the same host can create isolation weaknesses
• API keys for connected services could be compromised

Recommended Security Measures

1. Docker Sandboxing: Run Clawdbot in isolated containers
2. Dedicated Hardware: Use a separate computer or VPS
3. API Scoping: Restrict API tokens to minimum necessary permissions
4. Dedicated Number: Use a separate phone number for WhatsApp
5. Regular Audits: Run clawdbot doctor and clawdbot security audit regularly
6. DM Pairing: Unknown senders are blocked by default

Cloud Sandbox as an Alternative

Services like Zeabur offer one-click deployment in isolated cloud containers. Root access is restricted to the container – your personal data remains protected.

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Clawdbot vs. Alternatives

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What the Community Says

Reactions on Twitter/X and YouTube show the excitement:

On YouTube, a tutorial by Alex Finn about Clawdbot has already reached over 191,000 views and nearly 8,000 likes. Other YouTubers like Julian Goldie SEO, Bijan Bowen, and Syed Humair have published extensive setup guides.

On X/Twitter, Clawdbot went viral with thousands of posts. Peter Steinberger even had to clarify: there will never be a Clawdbot token – any token listing is a scam.

Important Note: The project was renamed to Moltbot after Anthropic raised concerns about the name similarity to "Claude." The official website remains accessible at clawd.bot.

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Who Is Clawdbot For?

Ideal for:

• Developers and technicians who want to build their own AI assistant
• Privacy enthusiasts who want full control over their data
• Automation fans who want to go beyond simple Q&A
• Home lab operators who want to manage their infrastructure via chat
• Power users looking for a real "Jarvis-style" assistant

Not recommended for:

• Users who want no technical setup
• People with concerns about full system access
• Those requiring guaranteed enterprise reliability
• Users preferring an immediately ready-to-use assistant

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Clawdbot: Conclusion: The Future of Personal AI Assistants

Clawdbot represents a fundamental shift: away from passive chat interfaces, toward active AI agents that run on your own hardware and complete real tasks. With over 69,000 GitHub stars, an active community, and a skills ecosystem that keeps growing, Clawdbot is the fastest-growing open-source AI project of early 2026.

Whether you want to use it as a development assistant, smart home controller, or personal productivity agent – Clawdbot gives you the tools to build your own AI assistant according to your vision.

Setup takes about an hour. The productivity gains can be unlimited.

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Clawdbot: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Clawdbot and ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a browser-based AI chat without system access. Clawdbot runs on your own hardware, has full computer access, and integrates with messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. It can execute tasks, not just answer questions.

Do I need programming skills to use Clawdbot?

Basic terminal knowledge is helpful but not strictly required. Installation uses an onboarding wizard that guides you through all steps. However, programming skills are beneficial for advanced customizations (custom skills, automations).

Is Clawdbot free?

The software is open-source and free. However, you pay for AI model API usage (~$20-100/month for Claude or GPT) and optionally for hardware or VPS hosting. With local models via Ollama, API costs can be reduced to zero.

Is Clawdbot secure?

Clawdbot has full system access, which carries security risks. Recommended measures: Docker sandboxing, dedicated hardware, restricted API tokens, and regular security audits. Cloud sandbox solutions like Zeabur provide additional isolation.

Why was Clawdbot renamed to Moltbot?

Anthropic raised concerns about the name similarity to "Claude." The project is now officially continued as Moltbot, though the domain clawd.bot remains active. The functionality remains identical.