OpenClaw Features
OpenClaw is a fully-featured AI assistant that runs on your infrastructure. Here’s what it can do.
Core Capabilities
Feature Comparison
| Feature | OpenClaw | ChatGPT | Typical browser AI app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted | Yes | No | No |
| Data privacy | Complete | Limited | Limited |
| Multi-platform | Web chat and Telegram today; Slack/Discord coming soon | Web, App | Web, App |
| Custom skills | Yes | Limited (GPTs) | Limited |
| API access | Direct | API separate | API separate |
| Per-seat pricing | No | Yes | Usually yes |
| Offline capable | Yes (local) | No | No |
Why Self-Hosted?
Privacy: Your conversations never leave your server. No training on your data, no third-party access.
Control: Customize behavior, add skills, integrate with your tools. You own the entire stack.
Cost: Pay only for API tokens. No per-seat fees, no subscription lock-in. Heavy users save significantly.
Reliability: Your deployment, monitoring, and recovery path are under your control.
Platform Support
OpenClaw works on:
- Web Interface: Any browser, mobile-friendly
- Telegram: Live now for external messaging
- Slack and Discord: Coming soon in the hosted public flow
- API: Integrate with your own applications
Skills & Extensions
Extend OpenClaw with skills for:
- Web search and browsing
- Calendar management
- Email integration
- Code analysis
- Document processing
- Custom workflows
See the Skills documentation for the full list.