Same brain, but it can actually do things
Anthropic's conversational AI assistant
Feature Comparison
| Feature | 🦞 OpenClaw | 🤖 Claude |
|---|---|---|
| Uses Claude AI | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works in WhatsApp/Telegram | ✓ | ✗ |
| Takes actions (email, calendar) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Persistent memory | Forever | Per-project |
| Runs locally (private) | ✓ | ✗ |
| File analysis | ✓ | ✓ |
| Long documents | ✓ | 200K tokens |
| Artifacts (code, docs) | Via tools | ✓ |
| Projects feature | Via memory | ✓ |
| Web interface | Optional | ✓ |
| Smart home control | ✓ | ✗ |
| API integrations | Any service | Limited |
Pricing
OpenClaw
Free + API costs (~$5-20/mo)
Open source, runs on your hardware. Only pay for AI API usage (~$5-20/mo typical).
Claude
$20/month (Pro)
Subscription or usage-based pricing.
What OpenClaw Can Do That Claude Can't
Say "update my website pricing to $49" and it actually does it — Claude can only tell you how
Get a WhatsApp message at 5pm reminding you about that thing — Claude can't reach you outside the browser
Your assistant remembers your mom's birthday, your allergies, and that you hate morning meetings — Claude forgets between projects
Control your entire digital life from one chat — Claude is limited to conversation
Your data stays on your machine — Claude.ai conversations go through Anthropic's servers
Who Should Use What?
Choose OpenClaw if you...
- ✓Want Claude's intelligence PLUS action-taking
- ✓Prefer messaging over browser tabs
- ✓Need persistent memory across everything
- ✓Want full control and privacy
- ✓Like to automate your digital life
Choose Claude if you...
- ✓Want a clean, polished web experience
- ✓Need Artifacts for code and documents
- ✓Prefer zero setup and maintenance
- ✓Use Projects for organized work
- ✓Want official Anthropic support
The Verdict
Claude.ai is brilliant for conversations and document work. OpenClaw gives you Claude's intelligence PLUS the ability to take real action, remember everything forever, and work from the apps you actually use.