TL;DR
Moltbot (formerly ClawdBot) is a free, open-source AI assistant that runs on your own computer, integrates with WhatsApp and Telegram, and can control your entire digital life; all while keeping your data completely private.
Key highlights:
- Runs locally on Mac, Windows, Linux, or Raspberry Pi—not in the cloud
- Works through WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, iMessage, and more
- Full system access: files, browser, terminal commands
- Persistent memory that remembers you across all conversations
- Can write its own new skills when you ask for features it lacks
- Free and open-source – install at molt.bot
The intelligent personal assistant market is poised for explosive growth, projected to rise from $10.5 billion in 2024 to $25.34 billion by 2032 (CAGR ~12%). Following 2025’s “year of AI speed,” 2026 emerges as the “year of AI quality,” prioritizing reliability, reasoning, and reduced hallucinations. Open-source models now rival proprietary ones across key benchmarks, while advancing hardware enables practical, privacy-focused local AI inference; perfect timing for innovative self-hosted personal AI tools.
What Is Moltbot AI-Assitant?
Moltbot is an open-source AI assistant that controls your computer to complete tasks. Unlike ChatGPT or Claude, which only provide text responses, Moltbot takes action.
Think of it this way: traditional AI assistants tell you what to do. Moltbot does it for you.
The assistant runs on your desktop. It can open applications, send messages, browse websites, and manage files. All based on natural language commands you give it.
Key terms explained:
- Open-source: Code is publicly available for inspection and modification
- Self-hosted: Runs on your machine, not in the cloud
- Computer control: Direct interaction with your operating system
The technology builds on Claude’s foundation from Anthropic. But it adds a crucial layer—actual system access and task execution.
This hands-on approach makes Moltbot particularly useful for developers and technical professionals. You can automate repetitive coding tasks, manage workflows, and integrate with development tools.
How does Moltbot differ from other AI Assistants?
Moltbot takes a fundamentally different approach than Siri, Alexa, or ChatGPT. The difference starts with where your data lives.
The Local-First Philosophy
Traditional AI assistants send everything to the cloud. Your voice commands go to remote servers. Your data gets processed in someone else’s data center. Your privacy depends on corporate policies.
Moltbot flips this model completely.
The assistant works offline. Lost internet? Moltbot keeps running. Flight mode? No problem. Your productivity doesn’t depend on connectivity.
Everything runs on your computer. Your data stays on your machine. Your AI assistant works for you, not a corporation. This architectural choice changes everything
Why Moltbot matters in 2026?
1. Multi-Channel Integration: One Assistant, Every Platform
One of Moltbot’s most powerful capabilities is its multi-channel inbox that unifies communication across every messaging platform you use. You can interact with the same assistant, with the same context and memory, whether you’re messaging on WhatsApp during your commute, sending a Slack message from your laptop, or using iMessage on your iPhone.
The supported platforms include WhatsApp (via Baileys), Telegram (via grammY), Slack (via Bolt), Discord (via discord.js), Signal (via signal-cli), iMessage (via imsg), Microsoft Teams (via Bot Framework), and a WebChat interface.
2. Persistent Memory: An AI That Actually Remembers You
Unlike standard chatbots that treat each conversation as isolated, Moltbot implements persistent memory that allows it to remember you, your preferences, your context, and your goals across time. This memory system includes working memory for current tasks, episodic memory of past interactions, semantic memory of learned concepts, and procedural memory of how to execute recurring workflows.
Users describe this as game-changing. As one testimonial notes, “It remembers everything I tell her, and can actually do stuff”.
This persistent context means you don’t need to re-explain your preferences or provide background information repeatedly – the assistant builds a progressively deeper understanding of your needs, making interactions more natural and productive over time.
3. Proactive Intelligence: An Assistant That Reaches Out First
Perhaps the most striking difference between Moltbot and reactive chatbots is its proactive capability. Through scheduled cron jobs, webhook integrations, and “heartbeat” check-ins, Moltbot can initiate conversations and take actions autonomously.
This proactive behavior enables transformative use cases. Users configure Moltbot to provide daily briefings, check calendars and remind them when to leave for appointments based on traffic conditions, monitor health metrics from wearables like WHOOP and provide summaries, capture errors through Sentry webhooks and autonomously open pull requests with fixes, check in periodically asking “How can I help you today?”, and take pictures of beautiful skies automatically.
One user captures this perfectly: “Apparently @moltbot checks in during heartbeats!? A kinda awesome surprise! Love the proactive reaching out”.
4. Browser Control and Web Automation
Moltbot includes sophisticated browser control capabilities through a dedicated Chrome/Chromium instance managed via CDP (Chrome DevTools Protocol). This enables the assistant to browse the web autonomously, fill forms, extract data from websites, take snapshots of pages, perform actions like clicking and scrolling, and upload files through web interfaces.
Users leverage this for powerful automation. As one testimonial describes: “My @moltbot realised it needed an API key… it opened my browser… opened the Google Cloud Console… Configured oauth and provisioned a new token”. This level of web interaction transforms Moltbot from a chatbot into a true digital employee that can handle tasks requiring web navigation.
5. Full System Access: Terminal Commands and File Operations
Unlike sandboxed assistants, Moltbot can optionally be granted full system access, allowing it to read and write files across your filesystem, execute shell commands and scripts, install software and dependencies, manipulate system configurations, and control processes and services.
This capability is particularly valuable for developers. Users report Moltbot “autonomously running tests on my app and capturing errors through a sentry webhook then resolving them and opening PRs”. The system includes safety controls – you can configure Moltbot to run with limited permissions or require approval for sensitive operations – but the option for full access enables unprecedented automation.
6. Skills and Extensibility: Teaching Your Assistant New Tricks
Moltbot’s skills system allows you to extend its capabilities through community-developed or custom skills. Skills are essentially specialized workflows or tools that teach Moltbot how to interact with specific services, perform domain-specific tasks, or access proprietary systems.
The remarkable aspect is that Moltbot can write its own skills. Users describe asking Moltbot to build capabilities it lacks, and the assistant autonomously creates the required skill, tests it, and integrates it into its toolkit. “I wanted to automate some tasks from Todoist and clawd was able to create a skill for it on its own, all within a Telegram chat”. This self-improving capability is what many users point to when they say it “genuinely feels like early AGI”.
7. Voice Capabilities: Talk Mode and Wake Words
For macOS, iOS, and Android platforms, Moltbot supports Voice Wake and Talk Mode, enabling always-on speech interaction with your assistant. Using ElevenLabs integration, you can configure voice triggers, have natural spoken conversations, receive voice responses in various accents and languages, and control your computer hands-free.
One user shares: “My moltbot just called my phone and spoke to me with an aussie accent from elevenlabsio. This is ridiculous”. This voice capability brings Moltbot closer to the sci-fi vision of conversational AI assistants like Jarvis.
Moltbot vs. Traditional AI Assistants: A Comprehensive Comparison
| Feature | Moltbot | Siri | Google Assistant | Alexa | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment | Self-hosted on your hardware | Cloud-based (Apple servers) | Cloud-based (Google servers) | Cloud-based (Amazon servers) | Cloud-based (OpenAI servers) |
| Data Privacy | Complete local control | Data sent to Apple | Data sent to Google | Data sent to Amazon | Data sent to OpenAI |
| Platform Support | Mac, Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi | Apple devices only | Android, iOS, smart speakers | Amazon devices, some third-party | Web, mobile apps |
| Messaging Integration | WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, iMessage, Signal, Teams | iMessage (limited) | Google Messages | None | None |
| System Access | Full file system, terminal commands | Sandboxed, limited | Sandboxed, limited | None | None |
| Browser Control | Full browser automation | None | None | None | None |
| Persistent Memory | Cross-platform, permanent | Limited, device-specific | Limited, account-based | Limited, account-based | Session-based only |
| Proactive Behavior | Scheduled tasks, webhooks, heartbeats | Basic reminders | Basic routines | Basic routines | None |
| Customization | Open-source, fully hackable | Closed, no customization | Limited shortcuts | Limited routines | Prompt-based only |
| Skills/Extensions | Unlimited custom skills | Apple-approved only | Limited actions | Limited skills | Plugins (paid tier) |
| Cost | Free (open-source), pay for AI API | Free with Apple device | Free with Google account | Free with device | Free tier + $20/month Pro |
| Offline Capability | Full functionality with local models | Limited offline | Limited offline | Requires internet | Requires internet |
Technical Setup: Installing and Configuring Moltbot
System Requirements
Before installing Moltbot, ensure your system meets these requirements:
Hardware: Any Mac (Intel or Apple Silicon), Windows PC, Linux machine, or Raspberry Pi with at least 4GB RAM and 10GB free storage space.
Software: Node.js version 22 or higher (automatically installed by the setup wizard if missing), an operating system running macOS, Windows 10/11, or a modern Linux distribution, and terminal/command line access.
Optional but Recommended: Access to AI model APIs (Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, or local model servers like Ollama).
Installation Methods
Moltbot offers multiple installation approaches to accommodate different technical comfort levels:
Quick Install (Recommended for Most Users)
The one-liner installation script handles everything automatically:
This command installs Moltbot globally, sets up the Gateway daemon to run automatically (using launchd on macOS or systemd on Linux), and launches an interactive wizard to configure your first assistant.
Hackable Install
For developers who want to modify and extend Moltbot’s source code, clone the repository directly:
git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot.git
cd clawdbot
pnpm install
pnpm ui:build # auto-installs UI deps
pnpm build
pnpm clawdbot onboard --install-daemonThis approach gives you full access to the codebase and allows you to contribute back to the project.
Docker Installation
For containerized deployments, Moltbot supports Docker:
docker build -t clawdbot:local -f Dockerfile .
docker compose run --rm clawdbot-cli onboard
docker compose up -d clawdbot-gatewayThis method is particularly useful for cloud deployments or running multiple isolated instances.
Initial Configuration
After installation, the onboarding wizard guides you through essential configuration:
1. AI Model Selection: Choose your preferred AI backend—Claude Opus/Sonnet, GPT-5, local models via Ollama, or configure multiple models with failover support.
2. Messaging Platform Integration: Connect at least one communication channel. For WhatsApp, the wizard generates a QR code to pair your account. For Telegram, you’ll create a bot token through BotFather. Discord, Slack, and other platforms follow similar authentication flows.
3. Workspace Configuration: Specify where Moltbot should store its data, skills, and context (defaults to ~/clawd), and set memory and session preferences.
4. Permissions and Safety: Choose whether to enable full system access or sandbox the assistant, configure approval requirements for sensitive operations, and set file system access boundaries.
5. Skills Installation: Install bundled skills (email management, calendar integration, etc.), browse managed community skills, and configure API keys for third-party services you want to integrate.
Verifying Your Installation
After setup, verify everything is working:
# Check Gateway status
clawdbot status
# View active sessions
clawdbot sessions list
# Send a test message
clawdbot send "Hello! Are you there?"
You should receive a response through your configured messaging platform. If you run into issues, the built-in doctor command can diagnose problems:
clawdbot doctor
This command checks for common configuration issues, validates API credentials, tests network connectivity, and verifies daemon status.
Real-World Use Cases: How People Are Using Moltbot
For Developers: Autonomous Coding Assistant
Developers use Moltbot to automate workflows such as running tests, detecting errors, fixing bugs, opening pull requests, reviewing code, generating documentation, managing dependencies, and triggering CI/CD pipelines. It acts as a hands-on AI assistant that accelerates development and reduces repetitive work.
For Business Professionals: Digital Executive Assistant
Business users rely on Moltbot for email triage, drafting replies, scheduling meetings, organizing files, summarizing documents, managing travel, and tracking expenses. It functions as a practical AI personal assistant for daily productivity.
For Content Creators: Workflow Automation
Creators use Moltbot to schedule posts, monitor engagement, generate ideas, repurpose content, transcribe videos, and support SEO tasks like keyword research and meta creation. This helps streamline the entire content pipeline.
For Students and Educators: Learning Assistant
Students use Moltbot to track assignments, manage deadlines, organize materials, and plan study schedules. Educators use it for feedback, grading support, and content creation, making learning more efficient.
For Health & Smart Living: Personal Automation
Users connect Moltbot to wearables and smart devices to track health data, optimize routines, manage home automation, control devices, receive alerts, and automate daily environments through natural language commands.
Moltbot in the Broader AI Assistant Landscape
The Shift from Cloud to Edge AI
Moltbot reflects a growing move toward local-first (edge) AI, where users run models on their own devices instead of relying on the cloud. This improves privacy, reduces latency, and gives users full control over their data. Advances in open-source models (like Llama, Mistral, and DeepSeek) and consumer hardware are making this approach increasingly practical.
Open Source vs. Proprietary Assistants
Because Moltbot is open source, users can customize it, self-host it, and avoid vendor lock-in. This offers stronger data security, greater flexibility, and faster innovation driven by the community rather than corporate constraints.
Market Impact: Disrupting SaaS
Tools like Moltbot could challenge traditional SaaS models. Instead of paying for many separate subscriptions, users can deploy a single self-hosted assistant that handles automation across workflows. This could shift the market from fragmented SaaS tools toward unified, open-source AI infrastructure.
Challenges and Considerations
Technical Complexity
Moltbot is more powerful but also more complex than consumer assistants. Users need basic technical knowledge (API keys, permissions, integrations), though onboarding is improving as the community builds better tools and documentation.
Operational Responsibility
Self-hosting means users manage uptime, updates, backups, and troubleshooting. This offers control but requires more effort compared to fully managed cloud assistants.
Cost Considerations
Moltbot is free to use, but costs can come from APIs, hardware, and electricity. Self-hosting becomes more cost-effective as usage grows, while smaller users may find cloud options cheaper initially.
Security and Safety
Because Moltbot can access your system, strong safeguards are essential. Users must apply permissions, approvals, and monitoring to reduce risk, as security ultimately depends on proper configuration.
How to Get Started with Moltbot?
Week 1: Basic Setup and Familiarization
Begin with the quick install method and connect a single messaging platform (Telegram is recommended for beginners). Configure a cloud-based AI model (Claude or GPT-4) to avoid local infrastructure complexity initially. Send simple queries to understand how Moltbot responds and experiment with basic commands like /status, /new, and /help.
Week 2: Integration and Skills
Add additional messaging platforms to experience cross-platform continuity. Install bundled skills for services you already use (Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack). Experiment with browser control by asking Moltbot to search the web or fill forms. Configure your first cron job for a daily briefing or reminder.
Week 3: Customization and Automation
Create your first custom skill for a service specific to your needs. Configure proactive behaviors like heartbeat check-ins or webhook integrations. Experiment with system access by having Moltbot read files or execute simple commands. Set up multi-model failover for reliability.
Week 4: Advanced Workflows
Build complex, multi-step automations combining several skills. Integrate Moltbot with your development workflow if you’re a programmer. Explore voice capabilities if using macOS or mobile platforms. Join the community Discord to share your use cases and learn from other users.
Continuous Improvement
Moltbot grows with you. As you discover new use cases, you can teach your assistant new skills. As the community develops new capabilities, you can adopt them immediately. The open-source nature means every improvement benefits all users, creating a virtuous cycle of innovation.
Conclusion: The Personal AI Revolution Has Arrived
Moltbot marks a shift toward personal AI that is open, local, and user-controlled. Users describe it as a true leap forward, delivering practical automation for developers, professionals, and everyday workflows. It acts like a proactive teammate that remembers context, learns continuously, and saves significant time.
Ready to start your Moltbot journey? Visit clawd.bot to install and configure your own personal AI assistant today. Join thousands of users who have discovered what AI assistance truly means when it’s under your control.
Want to develop the skills to build the next generation of AI tools? Explore Metana’s AI & Machine Learning Bootcamp, Full Stack Software Engineering Bootcamp, or Vibe Coding Bootcamp to learn how to create, customize, and deploy AI-powered applications that solve real-world problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Moltbot?
Moltbot is an open-source AI assistant that controls your computer to execute tasks. It goes beyond text responses to actual system interaction.
Is Moltbot free?
Yes, Moltbot is completely open-source and free to use under the MIT license. However, you’ll incur costs for AI model APIs (if using Claude, GPT-4, etc.) and potentially hardware if you choose to run on dedicated infrastructure. Local model options like Ollama eliminate API costs entirely.
Can Moltbot control my computer?
Yes, Moltbot (formerly ClawdBot/Clawdbot) can control your computer, as it’s a self-hosted AI agent that runs locally on your machine (Mac, Linux, Windows via WSL/Docker) and has built-in tools for direct interaction.
Is it safe to let Moltbot control my computer?
It depends on your setup; start sandboxed (Docker isolation recommended), use elevated access toggles carefully, and review permissions. It’s powerful but risky if misconfigured (e.g., avoid public exposure). Official docs emphasize security features like authentication and tool policies.
Do I need a mac mini to run Moltbot?
No, you do not need a Mac Mini to run Moltbot (or ClawdBot). A Mac Mini is overkill, and the bot can run on a $5/month VPS (Virtual Private Server), a Raspberry Pi, or an old laptop. It is designed to work in a Docker container or any Linux/macOS environment.
How does Moltbot compare to ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is a cloud-based conversational AI accessed through OpenAI’s interface. Moltbot is a self-hosted personal assistant that integrates with your existing messaging apps, has persistent memory, can control your computer, and offers proactive capabilities ChatGPT lacks. Think of ChatGPT as a powerful chatbot; Moltbot as a digital employee.
Can non-technical users set up Moltbot?
While Moltbot requires some technical familiarity, the installation wizard simplifies the process significantly. Non-technical users report successfully setting it up, though they note a learning curve. The community provides extensive support through Discord and documentation.
What AI models does Moltbot support?
Moltbot supports Anthropic’s Claude models (Opus, Sonnet), OpenAI’s GPT models (GPT-4, GPT-5), local models via Ollama (Llama, Mistral, DeepSeek), and other providers through compatible APIs. You can configure multiple models with failover support.
Can Moltbot replace Siri or Google Assistant?
For many use cases, yes; and it offers significantly more capabilities. However, Moltbot requires initial setup and doesn’t integrate as seamlessly with some hardware devices (smart speakers, cars) where Siri and Google Assistant are embedded.
Can I contribute to Moltbot development?
Absolutely! Moltbot is open-source, and the community welcomes contributions. You can contribute code, create skills, improve documentation, or help other users. Check the GitHub repository for contribution guidelines.
