Moltbot is Now OpenClaw: Migration Guide (2026)

If you have been searching for Moltbot and landed here, here is the short version: Moltbot is now OpenClaw. Same core project, new name, expanded scope.

This page covers everything you need to know about the transition — what changed, why, and what it means going forward.

What was Moltbot?

Moltbot was an open-source AI agent framework that gained significant traction in late 2025. It let developers build autonomous assistants that could use tools, execute code, browse the web, and manage files.

The project started as a community fork of earlier agent experiments and quickly grew into one of the most popular open-source agent tools on GitHub. At its peak, Moltbot had tens of thousands of GitHub stars and an active Discord community.

Why the rebrand?

The rebrand from Moltbot to OpenClaw happened for several reasons:

1. Trademark clarity

The Moltbot name had potential trademark conflicts in several jurisdictions. Rebranding proactively avoided legal complications as the project scaled.

2. Reflecting the project's scope

"Moltbot" suggested a single bot. The project had evolved far beyond that — it was a full agent framework with tool registries, memory systems, plugin architectures, and multi-model support. "OpenClaw" better communicates the project's actual scope: an open framework for building agents that can grasp and manipulate their environment.

3. Unifying the community

Before the rebrand, the project had several community forks under different names (including Clawdbot). Converging on a single name unified the community and consolidated documentation, issues, and contributions.

4. Foundation governance

The rebrand coincided with the project moving to a foundation governance model, ensuring long-term community ownership and neutral stewardship.

What actually changed?

Same core, new branding

The underlying technology is the same. If you had a working Moltbot setup, the code, architecture, and capabilities have not changed. The rebrand is primarily about naming, packaging, and governance.

Specific changes

What stayed the same

• Agent loop architecture
• Tool registry and plugin system
• Memory system
• Supported models (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Ollama)
• Configuration format (YAML, same keys)
• All existing plugins remain compatible

How to migrate from Moltbot to OpenClaw

If you have an existing Moltbot installation, migration is straightforward:

Step 1: Uninstall Moltbot

npm uninstall -g moltbot

Step 2: Install OpenClaw

npm install -g openclaw

Step 3: Migrate your config

# Copy your existing config
cp -r ~/.moltbot/ ~/.openclaw/
 
# Rename the config file if needed
mv ~/.openclaw/moltbot.yaml ~/.openclaw/config.yaml

Step 4: Update any scripts

If you have shell scripts or CI/CD pipelines that reference moltbot, update them to use openclaw:

# Before
moltbot run "your task"
 
# After
openclaw run "your task"

Step 5: Verify

openclaw --version
openclaw run "Hello, confirm you are working"

For Docker users

If you were using the Moltbot Docker image:

# Before
docker pull moltbot/moltbot:latest
 
# After
docker pull openclaw/openclaw:latest

Update your Docker Compose files accordingly:

# Before
services:
  agent:
    image: moltbot/moltbot:latest
 
# After
services:
  agent:
    image: openclaw/openclaw:latest

Will Moltbot still work?

The moltbot npm package has been deprecated and redirects to openclaw. The old GitHub repository redirects to the new one. The moltbot CLI will continue to work for a transition period but will print a deprecation warning.

The team recommends migrating to OpenClaw as soon as convenient. No new features or security patches will ship under the Moltbot name.

What comes next for OpenClaw

The rebrand is not just cosmetic. It comes with a roadmap:

1. Improved security model — Finer-grained permissions and better sandboxing
2. Plugin marketplace — A centralized registry for discovering and sharing tools
3. Team features — Shared agent configurations and collaborative workflows
4. Better memory — More sophisticated long-term memory and knowledge management
5. Cloud hosting — Optional managed hosting for running agents without local infrastructure

Beyond OpenClaw: building your own

Whether you were using Moltbot or are just discovering OpenClaw, the same fundamental question applies: are you using an agent for yourself, or building a product for others?

OpenClaw (and Moltbot before it) is designed for developers running agents locally. It does not provide:

• A web interface for end users
• Authentication or user management
• Billing and subscription handling
• Database architecture for user data
• Deployment and hosting infrastructure

If your goal is to build an AI-powered product — something that your users interact with through a polished interface, sign up for, and pay to use — you need more than an agent framework.

Frequently asked questions

Is Moltbot discontinued?

The Moltbot npm package is deprecated and redirects to OpenClaw. The GitHub repository also redirects. No new features or security patches will ship under the Moltbot name. Migrate to OpenClaw to stay current.

Can I still install Moltbot?

Running npm install -g moltbot will install a deprecated stub that prints a migration notice. Use npm install -g openclaw instead. Your existing config and plugins are fully compatible.

What happened to Moltbot's community?

The Moltbot Discord, GitHub discussions, and contributor base merged into OpenClaw. Most active Moltbot maintainers now contribute to the OpenClaw project. The community is larger and more active under the unified name.

Is OpenClaw better than Moltbot?

They are the same codebase. OpenClaw has received all updates since the rebrand — improved security, a larger plugin ecosystem, better documentation, and foundation governance. There is no reason to stay on the deprecated Moltbot package.

How long will the Moltbot redirect last?

The npm redirect and GitHub redirect are permanent. The Moltbot CLI will continue to print deprecation warnings indefinitely, but the team recommends migrating promptly to ensure you receive security updates.

Further reading

• What is OpenClaw? — Full overview of the framework, architecture, and capabilities
• How to Install OpenClaw — Fresh installation guide for the new package
• OpenClaw Security & Privacy — Security considerations for the framework
• Clawdbot is now OpenClaw — The other legacy name migration
• OpenClaw Alternatives — Compare your options