Key takeaways
- All-in firmware under 888 KiB including ESP-IDF/FreeRTOS runtime, Wi-Fi, TLS, and cert bundle — the smallest AI personal assistant
- GPIO read/write control with guardrails turns any ESP32 into a natural-language-controlled IoT device
- Persistent memory across reboots with timezone-aware scheduling (daily, periodic, one-shot)
- Supports Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, and Ollama — no cloud lock-in
FAQ
What is zclaw?
zclaw is a personal AI assistant written in C that runs on ESP32 microcontrollers with an all-in firmware budget of 888 KiB. It supports Telegram chat, GPIO control, cron scheduling, custom tools, and persistent memory.
What hardware does zclaw run on?
ESP32-C3, ESP32-S3, and ESP32-C6. The recommended starter board is the Seeed XIAO ESP32-C3 (~$5).
How much does zclaw cost?
Free and open-source. You need an ESP32 board (~$5-15) and an LLM API key (or local Ollama).
Who competes with zclaw?
MimiClaw (also ESP32, C), PicoClaw (Go, edge hardware), and NullClaw (Zig, smallest x86 footprint).
Executive Summary
zclaw is a personal AI assistant written in pure C that runs on ESP32 microcontrollers with a strict all-in firmware budget of 888 KiB. It brings natural language AI to the cheapest possible hardware — a $5 ESP32 board — with GPIO control, timezone-aware scheduling, persistent memory, and Telegram integration. [1]
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | tnm |
| Language | C |
| License | Open Source |
| GitHub Stars | 1,197 |
| Firmware Size | ≤ 888 KiB (all-in) |
Product Overview
zclaw targets the absolute minimum viable AI assistant: a microcontroller with Wi-Fi, an LLM API key, and natural language control over physical hardware. The 888 KiB budget includes everything — zclaw logic, ESP-IDF/FreeRTOS runtime, Wi-Fi/networking, TLS/crypto, and certificate bundles. [1]
Key Capabilities
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Telegram Chat | Chat via Telegram or hosted web relay |
| GPIO Control | Read/write with guardrails, bulk gpio_read_all |
| Scheduling | Timezone-aware daily, periodic, and one-shot tasks |
| Custom Tools | Built-in + user-defined tools via natural language |
| Persistent Memory | Survives reboots, stored in flash |
| Personas | Neutral, friendly, technical, or witty |
| Multi-Provider | Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Ollama |
| Encrypted Credentials | Secure flash mode for NVS storage |
Hardware
Tested on ESP32-C3, ESP32-S3, and ESP32-C6. Recommended starter: Seeed XIAO ESP32-C3 (~$5). [2]
Strengths
- Smallest AI assistant — 888 KiB all-in firmware, runs on $5 hardware
- Physical world control — GPIO read/write enables real IoT automation via natural language
- No cloud lock-in — Supports Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, and local Ollama
- Persistent memory — Context survives reboots, unlike most microcontroller projects
- One-line install — Bootstrap script handles ESP-IDF setup
- Active community — 1,197 stars, well-documented with dedicated docs site
Cautions
- ESP32 only — No x86, ARM server, or general Linux support
- Requires LLM API — The ESP32 can't run models locally (Ollama needs a separate host)
- Limited channels — Telegram and web relay only; no Discord, Slack, or WhatsApp
- C codebase — Higher barrier to contribution than TypeScript/Python alternatives
- Rate limits — Default 100/hour, 1000/day (configurable at compile time)
Pricing & Licensing
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Full firmware, open license |
Hardware cost: ~$5-15 for an ESP32 board. Hidden costs: LLM API usage.
Competitive Positioning
| Competitor | Differentiation |
|---|---|
| MimiClaw | MimiClaw also targets ESP32 in C but focuses on ESP32-S3 with WebSocket; zclaw has stricter size budget and GPIO focus |
| PicoClaw | PicoClaw runs Go on edge Linux; zclaw runs bare-metal C on microcontrollers |
| NullClaw | NullClaw is smallest x86 binary (678 KB); zclaw is smallest microcontroller firmware (888 KiB) |
Bottom Line
zclaw pushes the personal AI assistant to its absolute minimum: a $5 microcontroller running 888 KiB of firmware that can chat via Telegram, control GPIO pins, schedule tasks, and remember context across reboots. It's the proof that AI assistants don't need gigabytes — or even megabytes.
Recommended for: Hardware hackers, IoT enthusiasts, and anyone who wants an AI assistant on the cheapest possible device.
Not recommended for: Users wanting multi-channel support, rich integrations, or a general-purpose personal agent.
Research by Ry Walker Research • methodology