What it does
NullClaw is the engine for a personal AI assistant that can act on its own. It is a single small program written in the Zig language, and its makers say it uses very little memory and starts almost instantly, so it fits on cheap single-board computers.
It connects to many AI providers and chat channels, can use tools, keep memory, run helper agents and handle voice. It includes safety features such as sandboxing and encrypted secrets.
A separate companion project offers a simpler setup screen, still in testing.
Who it's for
Tinkerers and developers who want a lightweight, self-hosted AI assistant, including on small devices.
Can I use it without coding?
With some setup. It can be installed as a ready-made program but is configured and run from the command line. New to this? Start here.
Can I run it?
- Cost
- Free, but needs an AI accountThe software is free, but it uses an online AI service (like OpenAI or Anthropic), which usually charges for use.
- Runs on
- Mac, Linux
- Computer
- An ordinary computer is fine
- Privacy
- Your choice: run it on your device or use an online service
- API key
- Needed. An API key is a password-like code from an online AI service. What's that?
Try it
- Install the ready-made NullClaw program using the package manager the README recommends, or build it from source.
- Follow the project's installation and configuration guides to connect an AI provider and a chat channel.
Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?
Before you install
- Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
- License (MIT): Very permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
- Keep your API key private. Never paste it into websites or share it, and set a spending limit with the AI service.
- More on staying safe