Is OpenClaw really free?

Yes. The software is MIT-licensed with no paid version. Your only costs are the AI model you connect and the machine it runs on.

Can I use OpenClaw with Telegram?

Yes. Telegram is one of the built-in channels. Create a bot with BotFather, paste the token into OpenClaw's onboarding and pair your account. Our setup guide walks through it.

It can be, if you keep it updated, bind the gateway to loopback, require approval for shell commands and only install skills you trust. Most real incidents came from exposed gateways and outdated versions.

OpenClaw: the open-source personal AI agent you host yourself

Overview

OpenClaw is a single gateway process you run on a laptop, a home server or a small VPS. It becomes the bridge between your chat apps and an AI agent that can manage your inbox, calendar, files and flights. Memory, credentials and state stay on your hardware.

The project is MIT-licensed and stewarded by the OpenClaw Foundation, an independent non-profit. There is no paid tier, hosted service or token. OpenAI is a donor and employs its creator Peter Steinberger, but does not own or direct it. It has roughly 390,000 stars on GitHub.

Freedom comes with responsibility. Early versions were hit by a one-click remote-code-execution bug, tens of thousands of gateways were left exposed to the internet and malicious skills circulated. The project has since passed an external audit, but you are the security team.

Strengths

Free and open source, with no vendor account required
Use any model: Claude, GPT, Gemini or a local model
29 chat channels, including Telegram and WhatsApp
Works in countries where the big-lab agents are unavailable
Your data and memory never leave your machine unless you send them

Weak spots

You install, update and secure it yourself
Misconfigured gateways and third-party skills have caused real breaches
Model API costs can surprise you if the agent loops
No polished consumer onboarding

Best for

Developers, tinkerers and privacy-minded users, and anyone in a country the big agents skip.

Where you talk to it

WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Matrix, Zalo and more, plus native apps for macOS, iOS, Android, Windows and Linux.

What it costs

The software is free. You pay for the AI model (per token, or through an existing subscription) and for a server if you do not run it at home, typically $5 to $20 a month for a small VPS.

OpenClaw (self-hosted)

Free

No subscription. You pay for the model (per token or through an existing plan) and the machine it runs on.

All plans and prices

Where it works

Anywhere you can run Node.js. Model availability depends on your provider, and local models work fully offline.

Full country list

Safety controls

Loopback-only gateway by default, token auth, sandboxed non-main sessions, per-tool allow, ask and deny policies, and an openclaw security audit command.