PicoClaw (sipeed/picoclaw) is an ultra-lightweight OpenClaw variant developed by Sipeed (an embedded hardware company) targeting $10 hardware with under 10 MB RAM.
Written in Go, PicoClaw uses less than 10 MB of RAM — 99% smaller than OpenClaw — and runs as a single binary that boots in under 1 second on a 0.6 GHz single-core processor. It hit 12,000 stars in its first week after releasing February 9, 2026.
Supported platforms include Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, embedded devices, x86_64, ARM64, RISC-V, and MIPS. Build targets include `make build-pi-zero`, `make build-linux-arm`, and `make build-linux-arm64`. Designed by Sipeed (RISC-V hardware maker); the AI agent reportedly drove the entire Go migration. Official website: picoclaw.net
Recommended Hardware
Running this on a Raspberry Pi? Here’s what you’ll need:
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2W — The minimum viable hardware. Quad-core 1GHz, 512MB RAM, ~$15. Runs PicoClaw comfortably under 10 MB RAM usage.
- Raspberry Pi 5 — For heavier workloads or multiple services. 4-core Cortex-A76, up to 8GB RAM.
- MicroSD Card (32GB+) — A fast, reliable card is essential for stable long-term operation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much RAM does PicoClaw use?
PicoClaw uses under 10 MB of RAM — that’s 99% less than OpenClaw’s ~390 MB footprint. This is what makes it viable on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W with only 512 MB total RAM. It’s written in Go and compiled to a single static binary, which avoids the memory overhead of a Node.js runtime.
What hardware can PicoClaw run on?
PicoClaw was specifically designed for $10 embedded hardware. It supports Raspberry Pi Zero 2W, Raspberry Pi 5, x86_64, ARM64, RISC-V, and MIPS architectures. The minimum viable target is a 0.6 GHz single-core processor — PicoClaw boots in under 1 second even on that. Sipeed, the developer, is a RISC-V hardware maker, so RISC-V support is first-class.
Is PicoClaw different from PiClaw (rcarmo)?
Yes — these are entirely different projects with similar names. PicoClaw (sipeed/picoclaw) is a Go-based ultra-lightweight implementation targeting embedded hardware. PiClaw (rcarmo) is a Bun/TypeScript self-hosted agent sandbox with a web UI. Neither is affiliated with the other. ClawTrackr tracks both — see the PiClaw (rcarmo) page.
Can I run PicoClaw on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2W?
Yes — that’s actually the primary target. The Raspberry Pi Zero 2W has a quad-core 1GHz ARM CPU and 512 MB RAM, and PicoClaw runs comfortably within those constraints using under 10 MB of RAM. Use make build-pi-zero to get the optimized binary. See our Raspberry Pi embedded guide for setup instructions.