head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs u-claw
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars, 81,995 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped today. u-claw has 1,754 stars, 417 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped 11 days ago. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 22,137% (390,029 vs 1,754 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; u-claw is written in JavaScript under MIT. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, u-claw 24%. OpenClaw was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (openclaw), 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 | u-claw | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Custom / other | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-07 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 417 |
| 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 u-claw if
- You want the u-claw feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and u-claw 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 u-claw
U Claw（虾盘） 把 AI 工作空间装进 U 盘：插上任意电脑，配置、记忆和工具都跟着走。 下载便携版 · 完整教程 · 从源码制作 · 企业服务 · English [!IMPORTANT] 这不是 U 盘制作工具。这个仓库就是 U 盘的文件骨架：运行一次 setup.sh 补齐运行时，再把整个 portable/ 拷到盘里即可。 三步开始 📺 图文教程：docs/快速上手.md（含真实界面截图，5 步从插 U 盘到开始对话） 1. 从 Releases 下载 Windows 便携版，解压到 U 盘后双击 Windows Start.bat 。 2. 或克隆仓库，在 portable/ 运行 bash setup.sh ，下载 Node.js 与 OpenClaw。 3. 首次启动在本地配置模型 Key；配置只保存在 U 盘的 data/.openclaw/openclaw.json 。 平台支持：Windows ✅（免部署完整包）· macOS ✅ · 可启动 Linux U盘 ✅ —— 详见下方平台支持表。 [!TIP] 👑 同作者新品：U King · AI 装机管家 一键装好 Claude Code / Codex / OpenClaw / Hermes 四大 AI 神器，驱动自动配好——一个 Key 直用 Claude、GPT、DeepSeek、Kimi 等 24+ 全球模型，免翻墙。绿色版仅几 MB…
read the full u-claw overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenClaw or u-claw more popular?
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars and u-claw has 1,754. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and u-claw free?
Both are open source. OpenClaw has no licence declared in this registry, and u-claw is licensed under MIT. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and u-claw?
OpenClaw is written in TypeScript and u-claw in JavaScript. 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 u-claw?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (390,029 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose u-claw if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.