head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs k-dense-byok
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars, 81,995 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped today. k-dense-byok has 1,235 stars, 151 forks, 7 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 31,481% (390,029 vs 1,235 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; k-dense-byok is written in TypeScript under MIT. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, k-dense-byok 12%. OpenClaw was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| OpenClaw | k-dense-byok | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-11 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 151 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick OpenClaw if
- You weight community size — 390K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick k-dense-byok if
- You want the k-dense-byok feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and k-dense-byok fits your workflow better
About OpenClaw
OpenClaw is an open source, self hosted AI assistant in the AI & Machine Learning / AI Interaction & Interfaces category that runs on hardware the user controls and meets them inside the messaging channels they already use, for individuals who want a personal assistant on a laptop and teams that want a shared deployment.
read the full OpenClaw overview →
About k-dense-byok
K Dense BYOK 🎥 Webinar recording: Getting Started with K Dense BYOK An online walkthrough of installing Kady and running your first research task, with live Q&A. 👉 Watch the recording on YouTube Your own AI research assistant, running on your computer, powered by the accounts and API keys you choose. K Dense BYOK (Bring Your Own Keys) is a free, open source app that gives you Kady — an AI research assistant for scientists in any field. Describe a task in plain language — analyze this dataset , review my manuscript , search the literature , build this figure — and Kady works through it in a complete research wor…
read the full k-dense-byok overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenClaw or k-dense-byok more popular?
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars and k-dense-byok has 1,235. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and k-dense-byok free?
Both are open source. OpenClaw has no licence declared in this registry, and k-dense-byok is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and k-dense-byok?
OpenClaw is written in TypeScript and k-dense-byok in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, OpenClaw or k-dense-byok?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (390,029 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose k-dense-byok if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.