The world of artificial intelligence is moving at a breakneck pace, and every few months, a new tool emerges that captures the collective imagination of the tech community. In early 2026, that tool is Clawdbot—now officially known as Moltbot. Developed by Peter Steinberger, the renowned software engineer behind PSPDFKit, this project has gone viral for promising something tech giants have struggled to deliver: a truly proactive, local-first AI assistant with "hands" and a memory that doesn't expire.
If you have seen the surge in searches for "clawdbot ai" or noticed Mac Minis selling out in tech hubs, you are witnessing the birth of the "Agentic AI" era. This article will provide a comprehensive deep dive into what Clawdbot is, how it works, its recent rebranding to Moltbot, and how you can set it up to transform your digital life.
What is Clawdbot AI? Understanding the Viral Phenomenon
At its core, Clawdbot (or Moltbot) is an open-source, self-hosted personal AI assistant. Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, which exist primarily as web-based chatbots that wait for you to prompt them, Clawdbot is designed to be an agent. It lives on your hardware—be it a dedicated Mac Mini, a Linux server, or your daily laptop—and possesses deep access to your computer’s file system, terminal, and browser.
The project gained massive traction on GitHub and Reddit because it solves the "forgetfulness" problem of modern AI. While a standard session with Claude or GPT-4o loses context once the window is closed, Clawdbot records every interaction in local Markdown files, building a permanent, searchable memory of your preferences, projects, and past conversations. This has led many to describe it as a real-world "JARVIS," the digital assistant from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Vision of Peter Steinberger
Peter Steinberger, who recently came out of retirement to build this tool, envisioned an assistant that doesn't just talk but acts. Steinberger’s philosophy centers on the idea that "Claude Code" (the agentic capabilities of the Claude model) should be integrated directly into our operating systems. By giving an LLM (Large Language Model) access to a shell and the ability to browse the web autonomously, Clawdbot can perform complex tasks like rebuilding a website, managing emails, or even organizing a user's calendar while they sleep.
Key Features: Why Everyone is Searching for "Clawdbot"
The excitement surrounding Clawdbot isn't just hype; it is driven by a unique set of features that distinguish it from mainstream AI applications. Here are the pillars of the Clawdbot experience:
1. Proactive Interaction: The AI That Messages You First
Traditional AI is reactive. You ask a question; it gives an answer. Clawdbot flips this script. Because it runs 24/7 on your hardware, it can be programmed to reach out to you. Users frequently set up "Morning Briefings" where Clawdbot scans their email, checks their calendar, and sends a summary to their phone via Telegram or WhatsApp at 7:00 AM. It can also be configured to alert you to stock price movements, weather warnings, or even when a specific person mentions you on social media.
2. Persistent Long-Term Memory
One of the most common queries is "how does Clawdbot remember things?" The answer lies in its local storage. Every interaction is saved as a Markdown "diary" file. When you ask Clawdbot, "What did we talk about regarding my project last week?" it doesn't hallucinate; it reads through its own local files to find the exact context. This memory system is private, meaning your life’s history isn't being used to train a corporate model—it stays under your roof.
3. Cross-Platform Unified Messaging
You don't need a special app to talk to Clawdbot. It functions through a "Gateway" architecture that connects to the messaging apps you already use. Whether you prefer WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Signal, or iMessage, you can "text" your AI assistant. The conversation history and memory are unified across all these platforms, allowing you to start a task on your desktop and get a status update on your phone while you're at the grocery store.
4. Deep System Access and "Skills"
Clawdbot has "hands." Given the right permissions, it can execute terminal commands, write and run Python scripts, and control a web browser. Through a marketplace called ClawdHub (now MoltHub), users can download "Skills" that allow the bot to interface with hundreds of services, from smart home devices (lighting and heating) to enterprise tools like GitHub and Slack.
The Big Rebrand: From Clawdbot to Moltbot
If you are looking for the "clawdbot github" repository today, you might find yourself redirected to Moltbot. On January 27, 2026, the project underwent a significant rebranding. This change was prompted by a trademark request from Anthropic, the creators of the Claude AI model. Anthropic requested that the project move away from a name so closely associated with their brand.
The team embraced the change with a biology-themed metaphor: just as lobsters molt their shells to grow larger and stronger, the software is "molting" into its next phase of evolution. While the name has changed to Moltbot (and the assistant is affectionately referred to as "Molty"), the core mission remains the same: building the best open-source, local-first AI agent in the world.
Is Clawdbot Free? A Breakdown of Pricing and Costs
A frequent search query is "clawdbot pricing." The answer is nuanced. The software itself is open-source and free under the MIT license. You can download the code from GitHub and run it without paying Peter Steinberger a cent. However, running a high-performance AI assistant 24/7 involves "bring-your-own-intelligence" costs.
Hardware Costs
To have an always-on assistant, you need hardware that doesn't go to sleep.
- Mac Mini: The "gold standard" for the community. A basic M2 or M4 Mac Mini provides enough power for the bot and stays quiet and energy-efficient.
- VPS (Virtual Private Server): You can host the Gateway on services like DigitalOcean, Hetzner, or Vultr for as little as $5 to $15 per month.
- Old Hardware: A Raspberry Pi 4 (with at least 2GB of RAM) or an old laptop can also do the trick, though browser automation may be slower.
API Usage Costs
Since Clawdbot is a "brainless" framework, you must connect it to an AI model provider. Most users choose Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet or OpenAI's GPT-4o. You pay these providers based on "tokens" (the amount of text processed).
- Light User: $5 - $10 / month
- Moderate User: $20 - $50 / month
- Heavy/Power User: $100+ / month (for users running complex autonomous loops)
The Local Alternative: Ollama
For those who want to avoid API costs entirely, Clawdbot supports Ollama. This allows you to run open-source models like Llama 3 or Mistral locally on your machine. While this is "free" in terms of tokens, it requires a powerful GPU and may not be as "smart" as the top-tier cloud models like Claude Opus 4.5.
How to Install and Use Clawdbot (Moltbot)
Setting up Clawdbot requires some comfort with the "Terminal" or "Command Prompt," which is why many users search for "clawdbot install windows" or "clawdbot github." Here is the general workflow for getting started.
Installation on Windows
Windows users can install the bot using PowerShell. Open PowerShell as an administrator and run the official installation script:
iwr -useb [https://molt.bot/install.ps1](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://molt.bot/install.ps1) | iex
This script will check for dependencies like Node.js and help you configure your initial settings.
Installation on macOS and Linux
For Apple and Linux users, a simple curl command is used:
curl -fsSL [https://molt.bot/install.sh](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://molt.bot/install.sh) | bash
Once installed, you can run moltbot onboard to start the setup wizard, which will guide you through adding your API keys and connecting your messaging apps.
Setting Up the Telegram Gateway
The most popular way to use the bot is via Telegram. You will need to create a bot through Telegram's "BotFather," obtain an API token, and input it into the Moltbot configuration. After a quick pairing process, you can start chatting with your personal assistant immediately.
Security and Privacy: The "Local-First" Debate
With deep system access comes great responsibility. One of the trending concerns on Reddit and tech news sites like The Register involves the security of running such a powerful tool. Since Clawdbot can read your files and run terminal commands, a misconfigured setup could potentially expose your computer to the internet.
The Benefits of Privacy
Because the bot runs locally, your data doesn't "leak" into a giant corporate database for training purposes. Your memories, diary files, and personal credentials stay on your hardware. For many, this is the primary reason to choose Clawdbot over cloud-only alternatives.
The Risks of Agentic AI
Security researchers have warned that if a user leaves the Moltbot "Gateway" port open to the public web without a password, an attacker could theoretically send commands to the bot to steal files or install malware. The project has since hardened its security, introducing mandatory pairing codes and encouraging users to run the bot in "Sandbox" mode (using Docker) when interacting with untrusted sources or group chats.
Real-World Use Cases for Clawdbot/Moltbot
What are people actually doing with this tool? The "Showcase" page on the official website highlights some incredible applications:
Personal Productivity
Users are using the bot to "summarize my unread emails from my boss and draft a reply based on my calendar availability for Thursday." Because the bot has access to the browser, it can even go to a website, find a flight, and ask you, "I found a flight for $300 that fits your schedule, should I book it?"
Home Automation
By connecting Moltbot to Home Assistant, users are controlling their homes via natural language. "Molty, I'm coming home in 20 minutes, turn on the heater and the porch light." The bot calculates the timing and executes the command exactly when needed.
Developer Workflows
Developers use the bot to monitor their GitHub repositories. If a new issue is opened, Moltbot can analyze the code, suggest a fix, and send the diff to the developer via Slack for approval.
Clawdbot vs. The Alternatives
How does Moltbot stack up against other AI tools?
- Siri / Apple Intelligence: While Apple is catching up, Siri lacks the proactive, 24/7 nature of Moltbot and doesn't offer the same level of shell/terminal control.
- ChatGPT Plus: Great for chatting, but it doesn't "live" on your computer and can't autonomously manage your local files or run scripts without manual uploads.
- n8n / Zapier: These are excellent for automation but lack the conversational "soul" and persistent memory that makes Moltbot feel like a partner rather than a script.
Conclusion: Is Clawdbot (Moltbot) Right for You?
Clawdbot represents the frontier of personal computing. It is a "nerdy" project that requires some technical patience to set up, but the rewards are a level of digital assistance that was science fiction just two years ago. If you value privacy, want an assistant that actually does things rather than just talking, and don't mind spending a few dollars a month on API tokens, then Moltbot is likely the tool you've been waiting for.
As the "molting" process continues, we can expect the community to build even more skills, making the dream of a 24/7, local, and truly intelligent assistant a reality for everyone. Whether you call it Clawdbot, Moltbot, or just "Molty," one thing is clear: the age of the AI agent has arrived.