Getting Started with OpenClaw: A Beginner’s Guide (2026)

Beginner’s guide to OpenClaw – choose and set up your first implementation.

New to OpenClaw? This guide walks you through choosing and setting up your first implementation.

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant gateway that connects to 50+ messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, and more.

Choose Your Implementation

Start here if you’re new:

  • OpenClaw (main) – Full features, biggest community
  • PicoClaw – Best for Raspberry Pi projects
  • ZeroClaw – Best performance

Quick Setup Steps

  1. Choose an implementation from our database
  2. Check system requirements
  3. Follow the GitHub installation guide
  4. Configure your first provider

Which Should You Choose?

Use OpenClaw if you want maximum platform support. Use ZeroClaw for best performance. Use PicoClaw for Raspberry Pi.