PicoClaw: Ultra-Efficient AI Assistant in Go

$10 Hardware · 10MB RAM · ms Boot · Let's Go, PicoClaw!

--- > **PicoClaw** is an independent open-source project initiated by [Sipeed](https://sipeed.com), written entirely in **Go** from scratch — not a fork of OpenClaw, NanoBot, or any other project. **PicoClaw** is an ultra-lightweight personal AI assistant inspired by [NanoBot](https://github.com/HKUDS/nanobot). It was rebuilt from the ground up in **Go** through a "self-bootstrapping" process — the AI Agent itself drove the architecture migration and code optimization. **Runs on $10 hardware with <10MB RAM** — that's 99% less memory than OpenClaw and 98% cheaper than a Mac mini!

> [!CAUTION] > **Security Notice** > > * **NO CRYPTO:** PicoClaw has **not** issued any official tokens or cryptocurrency. All claims on `pump.fun` or other trading platforms are **scams**. > * **OFFICIAL DOMAIN:** The **ONLY** official website is **[picoclaw.io](https://picoclaw.io)**, and company website is **[sipeed.com](https://sipeed.com)** > * **BEWARE:** Many `.ai/.org/.com/.net/...` domains have been registered by third parties. Do not trust them. > * **NOTE:** PicoClaw is in early rapid development. There may be unresolved security issues. Do not deploy to production before v1.0. > * **NOTE:** PicoClaw has recently merged many PRs. Recent builds may use 10-20MB RAM. Resource optimization is planned after feature stabilization. ## 📢 News 2026-03-17 🚀 **v0.2.3 Released!** System tray UI (Windows & Linux), sub-agent status query (`spawn_status`), experimental Gateway hot-reload, Cron security gating, and 2 security fixes. PicoClaw has reached **25K Stars**! 2026-03-09 🎉 **v0.2.1 — Biggest update yet!** MCP protocol support, 4 new channels (Matrix/IRC/WeCom/Discord Proxy), 3 new providers (Kimi/Minimax/Avian), vision pipeline, JSONL memory store, model routing. 2026-02-28 📦 **v0.2.0** released with Docker Compose and Web UI Launcher support. 2026-02-26 🎉 PicoClaw hits **20K Stars** in just 17 days! Channel auto-orchestration and capability interfaces are live.

Earlier news...

2026-02-16 🎉 PicoClaw breaks 12K Stars in one week! Community maintainer roles and [Roadmap](ROADMAP.md) officially launched. 2026-02-13 🎉 PicoClaw breaks 5000 Stars in 4 days! Project roadmap and developer groups in progress. 2026-02-09 🎉 **PicoClaw Released!** Built in 1 day to bring AI Agents to $10 hardware with <10MB RAM. Let's Go, PicoClaw!

## ✨ Features 🪶 **Ultra-lightweight**: Core memory footprint <10MB — 99% smaller than OpenClaw.* 💰 **Minimal cost**: Efficient enough to run on $10 hardware — 98% cheaper than a Mac mini. ⚡️ **Lightning-fast boot**: 400x faster startup. Boots in <1s even on a 0.6GHz single-core processor. 🌍 **Truly portable**: Single binary across RISC-V, ARM, MIPS, and x86 architectures. One binary, runs everywhere! 🤖 **AI-bootstrapped**: Pure Go native implementation — 95% of core code was generated by an Agent and fine-tuned through human-in-the-loop review. 🔌 **MCP support**: Native [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) integration — connect any MCP server to extend Agent capabilities. 👁️ **Vision pipeline**: Send images and files directly to the Agent — automatic base64 encoding for multimodal LLMs. 🧠 **Smart routing**: Rule-based model routing — simple queries go to lightweight models, saving API costs. _*Recent builds may use 10-20MB due to rapid PR merges. Resource optimization is planned. Boot speed comparison based on 0.8GHz single-core benchmarks (see table below)._

| | OpenClaw | NanoBot | **PicoClaw** | | ------------------------------ | ------------- | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | | **Language** | TypeScript | Python | **Go** | | **RAM** | >1GB | >100MB | **< 10MB*** | | **Boot time**
(0.8GHz core) | >500s | >30s | **<1s** | | **Cost** | Mac Mini $599 | Most Linux boards ~$50 | **Any Linux board**
**from $10** | PicoClaw

> **[Hardware Compatibility List](docs/hardware-compatibility.md)** — See all tested boards, from $5 RISC-V to Raspberry Pi to Android phones. Your board not listed? Submit a PR!

## 🦾 Demonstration ### 🛠️ Standard Assistant Workflows

Full-Stack Engineer Mode	Logging & Planning	Web Search & Learning

Develop · Deploy · Scale	Schedule · Automate · Remember	Discover · Insights · Trends

### 🐜 Innovative Low-Footprint Deployment PicoClaw can be deployed on virtually any Linux device! - $9.9 [LicheeRV-Nano](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006519668532.html) E(Ethernet) or W(WiFi6) edition, for a minimal home assistant - $30~50 [NanoKVM](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007369816019.html), or $100 [NanoKVM-Pro](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005010048471263.html), for automated server operations - $50 [MaixCAM](https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008053333693.html) or $100 [MaixCAM2](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zepan/maixcam2-build-your-next-gen-4k-ai-camera), for smart surveillance 🌟 More Deployment Cases Await! ## 📦 Install ### Download from picoclaw.io (Recommended) Visit **[picoclaw.io](https://picoclaw.io)** — the official website auto-detects your platform and provides one-click download. No need to manually pick an architecture. ### Download precompiled binary Alternatively, download the binary for your platform from the [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/releases) page. ### Build from source (for development) ```bash git clone https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw.git cd picoclaw make deps # Build core binary make build # Build Web UI Launcher (required for WebUI mode) make build-launcher # Build for multiple platforms make build-all # Build for Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W (32-bit: make build-linux-arm; 64-bit: make build-linux-arm64) make build-pi-zero # Build and install make install ``` **Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W:** Use the binary that matches your OS: 32-bit Raspberry Pi OS -> `make build-linux-arm`; 64-bit -> `make build-linux-arm64`. Or run `make build-pi-zero` to build both. ## 🚀 Quick Start Guide ### 🌐 WebUI Launcher (Recommended for Desktop) The WebUI Launcher provides a browser-based interface for configuration and chat. This is the easiest way to get started — no command-line knowledge required. **Option 1: Double-click (Desktop)** After downloading from [picoclaw.io](https://picoclaw.io), double-click `picoclaw-launcher` (or `picoclaw-launcher.exe` on Windows). Your browser will open automatically at `http://localhost:18800`. **Option 2: Command line** ```bash picoclaw-launcher # Open http://localhost:18800 in your browser ``` > [!TIP] > **Remote access / Docker / VM:** Add the `-public` flag to listen on all interfaces: > ```bash > picoclaw-launcher -public > ```

WebUI Launcher

**Getting started:** Open the WebUI, then: **1)** Configure a Provider (add your LLM API key) -> **2)** Configure a Channel (e.g., Telegram) -> **3)** Start the Gateway -> **4)** Chat! For detailed WebUI documentation, see [docs.picoclaw.io](https://docs.picoclaw.io).

Docker (alternative)

```bash # 1. Clone this repo git clone https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw.git cd picoclaw # 2. First run — auto-generates docker/data/config.json then exits # (only triggers when both config.json and workspace/ are missing) docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --profile launcher up # The container prints "First-run setup complete." and stops. # 3. Set your API keys vim docker/data/config.json # 4. Start docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --profile launcher up -d # Open http://localhost:18800 ``` > **Docker / VM users:** The Gateway listens on `127.0.0.1` by default. Set `PICOCLAW_GATEWAY_HOST=0.0.0.0` or use the `-public` flag to make it accessible from the host. ```bash # Check logs docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml logs -f # Stop docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --profile launcher down # Update docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml pull docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --profile launcher up -d ```

### 💻 TUI Launcher (Recommended for Headless / SSH) The TUI (Terminal UI) Launcher provides a full-featured terminal interface for configuration and management. Ideal for servers, Raspberry Pi, and other headless environments. ```bash picoclaw-launcher-tui ```

TUI Launcher

**Getting started:** Use the TUI menus to: **1)** Configure a Provider -> **2)** Configure a Channel -> **3)** Start the Gateway -> **4)** Chat! For detailed TUI documentation, see [docs.picoclaw.io](https://docs.picoclaw.io). ### 📱 Android Give your decade-old phone a second life! Turn it into a smart AI Assistant with PicoClaw. **Option 1: Termux (available now)** 1. Install [Termux](https://github.com/termux/termux-app) (download from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/termux/termux-app/releases), or search in F-Droid / Google Play) 2. Run the following commands: ```bash # Download the latest release wget https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/releases/latest/download/picoclaw_Linux_arm64.tar.gz tar xzf picoclaw_Linux_arm64.tar.gz pkg install proot termux-chroot ./picoclaw onboard # chroot provides a standard Linux filesystem layout ``` Then follow the Terminal Launcher section below to complete configuration. PicoClaw on Termux

**Option 2: APK Install (coming soon)** A standalone Android APK with built-in WebUI is in development. Stay tuned!

Terminal Launcher (for resource-constrained environments)

For minimal environments where only the `picoclaw` core binary is available (no Launcher UI), you can configure everything via the command line and a JSON config file. **1. Initialize** ```bash picoclaw onboard ``` This creates `~/.picoclaw/config.json` and the workspace directory. **2. Configure** (`~/.picoclaw/config.json`) ```json { "agents": { "defaults": { "model_name": "gpt-5.4" } }, "model_list": [ { "model_name": "gpt-5.4", "model": "openai/gpt-5.4" // api_key is now loaded from .security.yml } ] } ``` > See `config/config.example.json` in the repo for a complete configuration template with all available options. > > Please note: config.example.json format is version 0, with sensitive codes in it, and will be auto migrated to version 1+, then, the config.json will only store insensitive data, the sensitive codes will be stored in .security.yml, if you need manually modify the codes, please see `docs/security_configuration.md` for more details. **3. Chat** ```bash # One-shot question picoclaw agent -m "What is 2+2?" # Interactive mode picoclaw agent # Start gateway for chat app integration picoclaw gateway ```

## 🔌 Providers (LLM) PicoClaw supports 30+ LLM providers through the `model_list` configuration. Use the `protocol/model` format: | Provider | Protocol | API Key | Notes | |----------|----------|---------|-------| | [OpenAI](https://platform.openai.com/api-keys) | `openai/` | Required | GPT-5.4, GPT-4o, o3, etc. | | [Anthropic](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/keys) | `anthropic/` | Required | Claude Opus 4.6, Sonnet 4.6, etc. | | [Google Gemini](https://aistudio.google.com/apikey) | `gemini/` | Required | Gemini 3 Flash, 2.5 Pro, etc. | | [OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai/keys) | `openrouter/` | Required | 200+ models, unified API | | [Zhipu (GLM)](https://open.bigmodel.cn/usercenter/proj-mgmt/apikeys) | `zhipu/` | Required | GLM-4.7, GLM-5, etc. | | [DeepSeek](https://platform.deepseek.com/api_keys) | `deepseek/` | Required | DeepSeek-V3, DeepSeek-R1 | | [Volcengine](https://console.volcengine.com) | `volcengine/` | Required | Doubao, Ark models | | [Qwen](https://dashscope.console.aliyun.com/apiKey) | `qwen/` | Required | Qwen3, Qwen-Max, etc. | | [Groq](https://console.groq.com/keys) | `groq/` | Required | Fast inference (Llama, Mixtral) | | [Moonshot (Kimi)](https://platform.moonshot.cn/console/api-keys) | `moonshot/` | Required | Kimi models | | [Minimax](https://platform.minimaxi.com/user-center/basic-information/interface-key) | `minimax/` | Required | MiniMax models | | [Mistral](https://console.mistral.ai/api-keys) | `mistral/` | Required | Mistral Large, Codestral | | [NVIDIA NIM](https://build.nvidia.com/) | `nvidia/` | Required | NVIDIA hosted models | | [Cerebras](https://cloud.cerebras.ai/) | `cerebras/` | Required | Fast inference | | [Novita AI](https://novita.ai/) | `novita/` | Required | Various open models | | [Ollama](https://ollama.com/) | `ollama/` | Not needed | Local models, self-hosted | | [vLLM](https://docs.vllm.ai/) | `vllm/` | Not needed | Local deployment, OpenAI-compatible | | [LiteLLM](https://docs.litellm.ai/) | `litellm/` | Varies | Proxy for 100+ providers | | [Azure OpenAI](https://portal.azure.com/) | `azure/` | Required | Enterprise Azure deployment | | [GitHub Copilot](https://github.com/features/copilot) | `github-copilot/` | OAuth | Device code login | | [Antigravity](https://console.cloud.google.com/) | `antigravity/` | OAuth | Google Cloud AI | | [AWS Bedrock](https://console.aws.amazon.com/bedrock)* | `bedrock/` | AWS credentials | Claude, Llama, Mistral on AWS | > \* AWS Bedrock requires build tag: `go build -tags bedrock`. Set `api_base` to a region name (e.g., `us-east-1`) for automatic endpoint resolution across all AWS partitions (aws, aws-cn, aws-us-gov). When using a full endpoint URL instead, you must also configure `AWS_REGION` via environment variable or AWS config/profile.

Local deployment (Ollama, vLLM, etc.)

**Ollama:** ```json { "model_list": [ { "model_name": "local-llama", "model": "ollama/llama3.1:8b", "api_base": "http://localhost:11434/v1" } ] } ``` **vLLM:** ```json { "model_list": [ { "model_name": "local-vllm", "model": "vllm/your-model", "api_base": "http://localhost:8000/v1" } ] } ``` For full provider configuration details, see [Providers & Models](docs/providers.md).

## 💬 Channels (Chat Apps) Talk to your PicoClaw through 17+ messaging platforms: | Channel | Setup | Protocol | Docs | |---------|-------|----------|------| | **Telegram** | Easy (bot token) | Long polling | [Guide](docs/channels/telegram/README.md) | | **Discord** | Easy (bot token + intents) | WebSocket | [Guide](docs/channels/discord/README.md) | | **WhatsApp** | Easy (QR scan or bridge URL) | Native / Bridge | [Guide](docs/chat-apps.md#whatsapp) | | **Weixin** | Easy (Native QR scan) | iLink API | [Guide](docs/chat-apps.md#weixin) | | **QQ** | Easy (AppID + AppSecret) | WebSocket | [Guide](docs/channels/qq/README.md) | | **Slack** | Easy (bot + app token) | Socket Mode | [Guide](docs/channels/slack/README.md) | | **Matrix** | Medium (homeserver + token) | Sync API | [Guide](docs/channels/matrix/README.md) | | **DingTalk** | Medium (client credentials) | Stream | [Guide](docs/channels/dingtalk/README.md) | | **Feishu / Lark** | Medium (App ID + Secret) | WebSocket/SDK | [Guide](docs/channels/feishu/README.md) | | **LINE** | Medium (credentials + webhook) | Webhook | [Guide](docs/channels/line/README.md) | | **WeCom Bot** | Medium (webhook URL) | Webhook | [Guide](docs/channels/wecom/wecom_bot/README.md) | | **WeCom App** | Medium (corp credentials) | Webhook | [Guide](docs/channels/wecom/wecom_app/README.md) | | **WeCom AI Bot** | Medium (token + AES key) | WebSocket / Webhook | [Guide](docs/channels/wecom/wecom_aibot/README.md) | | **IRC** | Medium (server + nick) | IRC protocol | [Guide](docs/chat-apps.md#irc) | | **OneBot** | Medium (WebSocket URL) | OneBot v11 | [Guide](docs/channels/onebot/README.md) | | **MaixCam** | Easy (enable) | TCP socket | [Guide](docs/channels/maixcam/README.md) | | **Pico** | Easy (enable) | Native protocol | Built-in | | **Pico Client** | Easy (WebSocket URL) | WebSocket | Built-in | > All webhook-based channels share a single Gateway HTTP server (`gateway.host`:`gateway.port`, default `127.0.0.1:18790`). Feishu uses WebSocket/SDK mode and does not use the shared HTTP server. For detailed channel setup instructions, see [Chat Apps Configuration](docs/chat-apps.md). ## 🔧 Tools ### 🔍 Web Search PicoClaw can search the web to provide up-to-date information. Configure in `tools.web`: | Search Engine | API Key | Free Tier | Link | |--------------|---------|-----------|------| | DuckDuckGo | Not needed | Unlimited | Built-in fallback | | [Baidu Search](https://cloud.baidu.com/doc/qianfan-api/s/Wmbq4z7e5) | Required | 1000 queries/day | AI-powered, China-optimized | | [Tavily](https://tavily.com) | Required | 1000 queries/month | Optimized for AI Agents | | [Brave Search](https://brave.com/search/api) | Required | 2000 queries/month | Fast and private | | [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai) | Required | Paid | AI-powered search | | [SearXNG](https://github.com/searxng/searxng) | Not needed | Self-hosted | Free metasearch engine | | [GLM Search](https://open.bigmodel.cn/) | Required | Varies | Zhipu web search | ### ⚙️ Other Tools PicoClaw includes built-in tools for file operations, code execution, scheduling, and more. See [Tools Configuration](docs/tools_configuration.md) for details. ## 🎯 Skills Skills are modular capabilities that extend your Agent. They are loaded from `SKILL.md` files in your workspace. **Install skills from ClawHub:** ```bash picoclaw skills search "web scraping" picoclaw skills install ``` **Configure ClawHub token** (optional, for higher rate limits): Add to your `config.json`: ```json { "tools": { "skills": { "registries": { "clawhub": { "auth_token": "your-clawhub-token" } } } } } ``` For more details, see [Tools Configuration - Skills](docs/tools_configuration.md#skills-tool). ## 🔗 MCP (Model Context Protocol) PicoClaw natively supports [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) — connect any MCP server to extend your Agent's capabilities with external tools and data sources. ```json { "tools": { "mcp": { "enabled": true, "servers": { "filesystem": { "enabled": true, "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/tmp"] } } } } } ``` For full MCP configuration (stdio, SSE, HTTP transports, Tool Discovery), see [Tools Configuration - MCP](docs/tools_configuration.md#mcp-tool). ##

Join the Agent Social Network Connect PicoClaw to the Agent Social Network simply by sending a single message via the CLI or any integrated Chat App. **Read `https://clawdchat.ai/skill.md` and follow the instructions to join [ClawdChat.ai](https://clawdchat.ai)** ## 🖥️ CLI Reference | Command | Description | | ------------------------- | -------------------------------- | | `picoclaw onboard` | Initialize config & workspace | | `picoclaw auth weixin` | Connect WeChat account via QR | | `picoclaw agent -m "..."` | Chat with the agent | | `picoclaw agent` | Interactive chat mode | | `picoclaw gateway` | Start the gateway | | `picoclaw status` | Show status | | `picoclaw version` | Show version info | | `picoclaw model` | View or switch the default model | | `picoclaw cron list` | List all scheduled jobs | | `picoclaw cron add ...` | Add a scheduled job | | `picoclaw cron disable` | Disable a scheduled job | | `picoclaw cron remove` | Remove a scheduled job | | `picoclaw skills list` | List installed skills | | `picoclaw skills install` | Install a skill | | `picoclaw migrate` | Migrate data from older versions | | `picoclaw auth login` | Authenticate with providers | ### ⏰ Scheduled Tasks / Reminders PicoClaw supports scheduled reminders and recurring tasks through the `cron` tool: * **One-time reminders**: "Remind me in 10 minutes" -> triggers once after 10min * **Recurring tasks**: "Remind me every 2 hours" -> triggers every 2 hours * **Cron expressions**: "Remind me at 9am daily" -> uses cron expression ## 📚 Documentation For detailed guides beyond this README: | Topic | Description | |-------|-------------| | [Docker & Quick Start](docs/docker.md) | Docker Compose setup, Launcher/Agent modes | | [Chat Apps](docs/chat-apps.md) | All 17+ channel setup guides | | [Configuration](docs/configuration.md) | Environment variables, workspace layout, security sandbox | | [Providers & Models](docs/providers.md) | 30+ LLM providers, model routing, model_list configuration | | [Spawn & Async Tasks](docs/spawn-tasks.md) | Quick tasks, long tasks with spawn, async sub-agent orchestration | | [Hooks](docs/hooks/README.md) | Event-driven hook system: observers, interceptors, approval hooks | | [Steering](docs/steering.md) | Inject messages into a running agent loop between tool calls | | [SubTurn](docs/subturn.md) | Subagent coordination, concurrency control, lifecycle | | [Troubleshooting](docs/troubleshooting.md) | Common issues and solutions | | [Tools Configuration](docs/tools_configuration.md) | Per-tool enable/disable, exec policies, MCP, Skills | | [Hardware Compatibility](docs/hardware-compatibility.md) | Tested boards, minimum requirements | ## 🤝 Contribute & Roadmap PRs welcome! The codebase is intentionally small and readable. See our [Community Roadmap](https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/issues/988) and [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines. Developer group building, join after your first merged PR! User Groups: Discord: WeChat: WeChat group QR code