Key takeaways
- Under 5MB RAM and sub-10ms startup — 99% less memory than OpenClaw
- Security-first: WASM sandbox, credential protection, prompt injection defense, 1,017 tests
- Single 8.8MB Rust binary with no runtime dependencies
- Built by Harvard, MIT, and Sundai.Club students
FAQ
How does ZeroClaw compare to OpenClaw on security?
ZeroClaw uses WASM sandboxing, encrypted credential storage, and prompt injection defense. OpenClaw relies on application-level allowlists. ZeroClaw's 1,017 tests vs OpenClaw's lighter test coverage.
What hardware can run ZeroClaw?
Any $10 ARM/RISC-V/x86 board. Under 5MB RAM, sub-10ms cold start on release builds.
Who built ZeroClaw?
Students and members from Harvard, MIT, and Sundai.Club communities.
Overview
ZeroClaw is a security-first Rust AI assistant built by students from Harvard, MIT, and the Sundai.Club community.[1] The project prioritizes security, efficiency, and portability — running on $10 hardware with under 5MB RAM while maintaining comprehensive security features.
With 16,000+ GitHub stars since launching February 13, 2026, ZeroClaw has become the go-to alternative for security-conscious deployments.
Key Stats
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| GitHub Stars | 16K+ |
| Language | Rust |
| Binary Size | 8.8MB |
| RAM Usage | Under 5MB |
| Startup | Under 10ms |
| Tests | 1,017 |
| Created | February 13, 2026 |
Benchmark vs Alternatives
| OpenClaw | NanoBot | PicoClaw | ZeroClaw | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | TypeScript | Python | Go | Rust |
| RAM | 1GB+ | 100MB+ | Under 10MB | Under 5MB |
| Startup (0.8GHz) | 500s+ | 30s+ | Under 1s | Under 10ms |
| Binary | ~28MB | N/A | ~8MB | ~8.8MB |
| Hardware Cost | $599 Mac | ~$50 SBC | $10 board | $10 board |
Installation
# Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
brew install zeroclaw
# Or build from source
git clone https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw.git
cd zeroclaw
cargo build --release --locked
cargo install --path . --force --locked
# Quick setup
zeroclaw onboard --api-key sk-... --provider openrouter
# Or interactive
zeroclaw onboard --interactive
# Chat
zeroclaw agent -m "Hello, ZeroClaw!"
# Start daemon
zeroclaw daemon
Pre-built binaries available for Linux (x86_64, aarch64, armv7), macOS (x86_64, aarch64), and Windows (x86_64).
Security Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| WASM Sandbox | Code execution isolated in WebAssembly |
| Credential Protection | Encrypted at rest with AES-256 |
| Prompt Injection Defense | Detection and filtering of injection attempts |
| Gateway Pairing | Secure device authentication |
| Explicit Allowlists | Whitelist-based access control |
| Workspace Scoping | Isolated workspaces per context |
Channel Support
| Platform | Status |
|---|---|
| CLI | ✅ |
| Telegram | ✅ |
| Discord | ✅ |
| Slack | ✅ |
| iMessage | ✅ |
| Matrix | ✅ |
| ✅ | |
| Webhook | ✅ |
Provider Support
- Ollama — Local models (22+ supported)
- OpenRouter — Access to all major models
- Anthropic — Claude direct
- OpenAI — Including Codex OAuth
- 22+ cloud providers — Comprehensive coverage
Architecture
User → Channel → ZeroClaw Daemon → WASM Sandbox → LLM Provider
↓
Memory (SQLite + FTS5 + Vector)
Trait-driven design — Core systems (providers, channels, tools, memory, tunnels) are Rust traits, making everything swappable.
Hybrid memory — SQLite with FTS5 full-text search plus vector cosine similarity for semantic retrieval.
Strengths
- Security-First — WASM sandbox, encryption, injection defense
- Extreme Efficiency — Under 5MB RAM, 10ms startup
- Rust Reliability — Memory safety, 1,017 tests
- Portable — Single binary across ARM, x86, RISC-V
- No Lock-In — OpenAI-compatible + pluggable custom endpoints
- Migration Path —
zeroclaw migrate openclawimports OpenClaw data - Active Community — Telegram, Discord, Reddit, Xiaohongshu
Weaknesses / Considerations
- Young Project — Launched February 13, 2026
- Impersonation Issues — Warning about fake domains/repos (zeroclaw.org)
- Rust Build Time — Compilation requires 2-4GB RAM
- Smaller Ecosystem — Fewer skills than OpenClaw
- Claude OAuth Warning — Anthropic's Feb 19 terms update restricts OAuth use
Who Built It
Students and members from Harvard, MIT, and the Sundai.Club community. The project has active communities in English, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, French, and Vietnamese.
Ideal User
- Security-conscious deployments requiring isolation and encryption
- Edge/embedded systems with under 10MB RAM available
- Production environments needing reliability (1,017 tests)
- Rust developers wanting to contribute or customize
- Privacy-focused individuals who need data to stay local
Bottom Line
ZeroClaw is what you run when OpenClaw's security model keeps you up at night. The WASM sandbox, credential encryption, and prompt injection defense address the main criticisms of OpenClaw's "everything runs with full host access" approach.
The efficiency numbers are remarkable — under 5MB RAM and 10ms startup means this runs on genuinely cheap hardware. The 1,017 tests suggest someone is taking reliability seriously.
The main caveat is age. Launched February 13, 2026, it's barely a week old. The impersonation warnings (fake domains, unauthorized forks) suggest rapid growth but also ecosystem confusion.
For security-critical deployments or edge hardware, ZeroClaw is currently the best option. For maximum features, stick with OpenClaw. For simplicity, try NanoBot.