head to head · open source
OpenClaw vs screenpipe
OpenClaw has 389,982 GitHub stars, 81,978 forks, 6,671 open issues and last shipped yesterday. screenpipe has 21,609 stars, 2,203 forks, 36 open issues and last shipped yesterday. OpenClaw leads on adoption by 1,705% (389,982 vs 21,609 stars). OpenClaw is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; screenpipe is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. OpenClaw has attracted 21% as many forks as stars, screenpipe 10%. OpenClaw was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ai), 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 | screenpipe | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 390K | ★ 22K |
| License | Custom / other | Custom / other |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 82K | ⑂ 2.2K |
| 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 screenpipe if
- You want the screenpipe feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and screenpipe 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 screenpipe
Screenpipe is a source available Rust application that continuously records a computer's screen and audio, then turns that local history into searchable context for AI agents. It lives in the AI and machine learning ecosystem, covering local first memory, computer vision, audio recording, and agent interfaces.
read the full screenpipe overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is OpenClaw or screenpipe more popular?
OpenClaw has 389,982 GitHub stars and screenpipe has 21,609. OpenClaw has the larger community by that measure.
Are OpenClaw and screenpipe free?
Neither OpenClaw nor screenpipe declares a licence in this registry, so check each project's own repository before relying on either for a commercial use. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between OpenClaw and screenpipe ?
OpenClaw is written in TypeScript and screenpipe 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 screenpipe ?
Choose OpenClaw if you want the larger community (389,982 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose screenpipe if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.