Letta vs OpenClaw

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosted ai options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureLettaOpenClaw
CategorySelf-Hosted AISelf-Hosted AI
LicenseApache-2.0free
LanguagePythonTypeScript
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM2,048 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcedocker, one-click
GitHub stars★ 24,149★ 385,509
First released20232022
ReplacesOpenAI Assistants

Why pick each one

Choose Letta if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Mature project with 24.1k GitHub stars
  • Written in Python
Letta details

Choose OpenClaw if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Mature project with 385.5k GitHub stars
OpenClaw details

Frequently asked questions

Is Letta or OpenClaw better?

OpenClaw is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Letta if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Letta and OpenClaw free and open-source?

Yes. Letta is licensed under Apache-2.0 and OpenClaw under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Letta and OpenClaw with Docker?

Letta: yes. OpenClaw: yes.

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