Head-to-head · profiles checked Oct 1, 2026
Pick Claude for a hosted assistant that works out of the box, and OpenClaw for open-source software you run yourself. OpenClaw is free but you bring and pay for your own AI models. Claude has a Free plan, Pro at $20/mo ($17/mo billed annually), Max from $100/mo and Team seats from $25/mo. OpenClaw lists no hosted tier.
We based this comparison on our OpenClaw profile verified 2026-10-01 and our Claude profile verified 2026-09-30, both built from official vendor pages; it uses no third-party benchmarks and no vendor paid for placement.
OpenClaw and Claude solve different problems. OpenClaw is free, open-source software that runs on your own machine and answers through chat apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, but you supply your own AI models and pay for them separately. Claude is a hosted assistant with a Free plan, Pro at $20/mo and team plans, and it handles documents, web search and file creation in its own apps. Pick OpenClaw if you are a developer or self-hoster who wants control; pick Claude if you want something that works without setup.
Based on our OpenClaw profile verified 2026-10-01 and Claude profile verified 2026-09-30, both built from official vendor pages; no benchmark was run.
Our own captures of each vendor's public pages. Click a frame for the full-size image.
If you only want the answer, this is the table. Everything below is the evidence from the two documented profiles.
| You want to | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Chat with an assistant without installing anything | Claude | Claude has a Free plan; OpenClaw requires installing and running it yourself |
| Summarize a long PDF | Claude | Claude documents PDFs up to 1000 pages in chat; OpenClaw lists no document features |
| Reach your assistant from WhatsApp or Telegram | OpenClaw | OpenClaw bridges one gateway to WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal and iMessage |
| Keep an assistant on your own machine | OpenClaw | OpenClaw runs the gateway on your machine, tailnet or server |
| Inspect or modify the source code | OpenClaw | OpenClaw provides the complete source code and public docs |
| Organize an email inbox or manage a calendar | OpenClaw | OpenClaw lists both as use cases, but you connect and authorize access yourself |
| Create documents, spreadsheets or slides from a prompt | Claude | Claude lists code execution, file creation, Slides and Docs |
| Search the web for recent events | Claude | Claude has web search on all plans; OpenClaw does not list it |
| Code in the terminal | Claude | Claude Code is included from Pro; OpenClaw does not list a coding agent |
| Run a team workspace with SSO | Claude | Claude Team and Enterprise offer SSO and admin controls; OpenClaw lists none |
| Plan | Tool | Price | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenClaw Open source (self-run) | OpenClaw | Free | No hosted tier; model and API costs are separate; Windows installer labeled beta |
| Claude Free | Claude | Free | Usage limits apply; Projects up to 5 |
| Claude Pro | Claude | $20/mo ($17/mo billed annually) | More usage than Free; usage limits apply |
| Claude Max 5x | Claude | $100/mo | 5x more usage than Pro |
| Claude Max 20x | Claude | $200/mo | 20x more usage than Pro |
| Claude Team (Standard seat) | Claude | $25/seat/mo ($20 billed annually) | More usage than Pro; 2-150 users |
| Claude Team (Premium seat) | Claude | $125/seat/mo ($100 billed annually) | 5x more usage than standard seats |
| Claude Enterprise | Claude | $20/seat/mo billed annually plus usage at API rates | Usage cost scales with model and task |
| Claude API (Platform) | Claude | Per 1M tokens, e.g. Sonnet 5.5 $2 input / $10 output | Rate limits per Console tier |
USD as published on each vendor's pricing page, checked Oct 1, 2026. Claude pricing in full
| OpenClaw | Claude | |
|---|---|---|
| Messages / rate limits | Not stated; model limits depend on your AI provider | Usage limits on every plan; session limits reset every five hours |
| Context / file size | Not stated | 1M tokens on newer models for paid plans; 500 MB per file in chat |
| Seats / team | Not stated; sharing an assistant with a team is listed as a use case | Team plan for 2-150 users; Enterprise via self-serve or sales |
| Feature | OpenClaw | Claude |
|---|---|---|
| Image generation | Not stated | No |
| File upload | Not stated | Yes |
| Web search | Not stated | Yes |
| Memory | Not stated | Yes |
| Chat app channels | Yes (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage) | Not stated |
| Agents / tools | Custom skills and plugins | Connectors, MCP, Claude Code |
| API | No hosted API | Yes, billed separately per token |
| Desktop apps | Yes (macOS 15+, Windows 10/11, Linux) | Yes |
| OpenClaw | Claude | |
|---|---|---|
| Training on your data | Not applicable to the app; depends on your chosen AI provider | Consumer plans may be used unless you opt out; Team and Enterprise not by default |
| Retention | Depends on your gateway; the policy does not cover it | Deleted chats removed from back-end within 30 days; incognito chats kept 30 days by default |
| Business controls | Permission-based access; no ad or analytics SDKs in mobile or extension builds | SSO, SCIM, audit logs, custom retention, IP allowlisting, BAA |
Taken from each vendor's published policy pages at the time of our check. Policies change; the source links are at the bottom.
Open-source personal AI assistant that runs on your own machine and is reached through chat apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Free stops at: No hosted tier or subscription per the site, Model and API costs are separate
Pricing US price unconfirmed
Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and multi-step work, with free and paid plans.
Free stops at: Usage limits apply, Projects: up to 5
Free · paid from $20/mo US · checked Sep 30
The OpenClaw software is free and open source, and its site has no pricing page. You still pay for the AI models you connect, because OpenClaw does not include them. Claude has a Free plan with limited usage, and Pro costs $20/mo.
Only partly. OpenClaw is an assistant you run yourself that connects to chat apps, and it needs a model from a provider. Claude is a hosted assistant and also a model provider with its own API. Some people may use both, but our profiles do not document that setup.
OpenClaw says data stays on your own machines, and retention depends on your gateway, which the policy does not cover. Claude consumer plans may use chats for training unless you opt out, while Team and Enterprise do not by default. Your chosen AI provider matters for OpenClaw.
Probably some. The site offers one-line and npm installers plus desktop apps, but our profile lists setup work for non-technical users as a drawback. The Windows installer is labeled beta, and each chat channel needs its own pairing.
Only official vendor pages. No third-party benchmarks, forum threads or press were used. How we review.
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