head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs Khoj
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars, 81,995 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped today. Khoj has 37,399 stars, 2,484 forks, 148 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 943% (390,029 vs 37,399 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Khoj is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, Khoj 7%. OpenClaw was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ai, assistant), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | Khoj | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 37K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-08-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 2.5K |
| 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 Khoj if
- You want the Khoj feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Khoj 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 Khoj
Khoj is a self hostable, open source AI second brain written in Python that turns any local or online large language model into a personal research, automation, and agent platform for individuals, small teams, and enterprises that want their documents and queries kept under their own control.
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenClaw or Khoj more popular?
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars and Khoj has 37,399. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and Khoj free?
Both are open source. OpenClaw has no licence declared in this registry, and Khoj is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and Khoj?
OpenClaw is written in TypeScript and Khoj in Python. 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 Khoj?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (390,029 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Khoj if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.