head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs wisp-science
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars, 81,995 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped today. wisp-science has 1,150 stars, 118 forks, 10 open issues and last shipped today. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 33,816% (390,029 vs 1,150 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; wisp-science is written in Rust under AGPL-3.0. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, wisp-science 10%. 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 | wisp-science | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 1.1K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 118 |
| 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 wisp-science if
- You want the wisp-science feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and wisp-science 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 wisp-science
Wisp Science The open source, local first AI research workbench. WISP — Workspace for Intelligent Scientific Practice English · 简体中文 · Website · Releases Search the literature, run Python and R, query 80 scientific databases, and keep the trail — figures, runs, decisions, and drafts — in one project. Your data, conversations, and credentials stay on your machines. Bring your own model. Keep your science. What you can do An agent that does the work Bring OpenAI compatible or Anthropic models, or drive Codex / Claude Code over ACP. The agent reads and writes project files, runs shell, and loads reusable Skills ( SK…
read the full wisp-science overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenClaw or wisp-science more popular?
OpenClaw has 390,029 GitHub stars and wisp-science has 1,150. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and wisp-science free?
Both are open source. OpenClaw has no licence declared in this registry, and wisp-science is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and wisp-science?
OpenClaw is written in TypeScript and wisp-science in Rust. 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 wisp-science?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (390,029 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose wisp-science if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.