Key takeaways
- World's first AI assistant on a $5 microcontroller — pure C, no OS, 0.5W power
- Local-first memory survives reboots, stored on flash — no cloud dependency
- Runs 24/7 on USB power with Telegram control — true always-on assistant
FAQ
What is MimiClaw?
An AI assistant that runs on a $5 ESP32-S3 chip. No Linux, no Node.js — just pure C, USB power, and Telegram control.
How much does MimiClaw cost?
~$10 for hardware (ESP32-S3 board). Claude or OpenAI API costs for LLM.
Who competes with MimiClaw?
PicoClaw (Go, RISC-V), NullClaw (Zig, minimal), BabyClaw (VPS + Telegram).
Executive Summary
MimiClaw is the most extreme OpenClaw alternative: it runs on a $5 ESP32-S3 microcontroller. No Linux. No Node.js. No VPS. Just pure C firmware, 0.5W power consumption, and Telegram control. Plug it into USB power, connect to WiFi, and talk to it — it handles tasks and remembers everything on local flash storage.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Language | C |
| License | MIT |
| GitHub Stars | 2.8K ★ |
| Hardware | ESP32-S3 (~$10) |
| Power | 0.5W USB |
Key Capabilities
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| $5 hardware | ESP32-S3 with 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM |
| No OS | Pure C firmware, no Linux/RTOS |
| USB powered | 0.5W, runs 24/7 on any USB port |
| Telegram control | Message it from anywhere |
| Local memory | SOUL.md, USER.md, MEMORY.md on flash |
| Multi-provider | Anthropic Claude or OpenAI GPT |
| Tool calling | ReAct agent loop with web search, cron |
| Cron scheduler | AI can create its own scheduled tasks |
| Heartbeat | Autonomous task checking from HEARTBEAT.md |
Memory Files
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| SOUL.md | Bot personality |
| USER.md | Your info and preferences |
| MEMORY.md | Long-term memory |
| HEARTBEAT.md | Autonomous task list |
| cron.json | Scheduled jobs (AI-created) |
| 2026-02-21.md | Daily notes |
Tools
- web_search — Brave Search API
- get_current_time — Sync system clock
- cron_add/list/remove — AI manages its own schedule
Strengths
- Cheapest hardware — $5-10 for the entire device
- Lowest power — 0.5W, runs continuously on USB
- True portability — Thumb-sized, pocket-friendly
- Local-first — All data on device flash
- Self-scheduling — AI creates its own cron jobs
- Heartbeat autonomy — Proactively acts on task list
Cautions
- Limited compute — ESP32-S3 is a microcontroller, not a computer
- C expertise needed — Flashing firmware requires ESP-IDF knowledge
- Telegram-only — No other messaging channels
- WiFi required — No offline LLM capability
- No sandboxing — Limited security isolation
Bottom Line
MimiClaw is the ultimate minimalist statement: your AI assistant can run on $5 hardware drawing half a watt. It's not for everyone — flashing ESP32 firmware requires technical skill — but for tinkerers who want the smallest, cheapest, most power-efficient option, MimiClaw is remarkable.
Recommended for: Hardware tinkerers who want the cheapest, smallest, most power-efficient AI assistant possible.
Not recommended for: Users who want easy setup, multiple channels, or enterprise features.
Research by Ry Walker Research • methodology
Sources