NanoClaw is a lightweight, secure alternative to OpenClaw that runs AI agents in isolated Linux containers. Built on Anthropic’s Claude Agent SDK, it emphasizes OS-level security through container isolation (Apple Containers on macOS, Docker on Linux) rather than application-level permissions. It was the first personal AI assistant to support Agent Swarms—teams of specialized agents that collaborate on complex tasks.
- 🐳 Container Isolation - Each agent runs in an isolated Linux container (Apple Container or Docker)
- 🔐 Safe Bash Execution - Shell commands run inside containers, not on the host system
- 🐝 Agent Swarms - Teams of specialized agents collaborate on complex tasks (early personal AI with this feature)
- 🧠 Per-Group Memory - Isolated CLAUDE.md memory, filesystem, and container per group/chat
- 💬 Messaging Integration - WhatsApp (built-in), Telegram, Slack, Discord, Signal via skills
- ⏰ Scheduled Tasks - Recurring jobs that run Claude and message you back
- 🧩 Skills System - Extend functionality via Claude Code skills (e.g.,
/add-telegram)
- ✨ AI-Native Setup - Claude Code guides setup—no installation wizards or config files
- Running agent workflows with OS-level runtime isolation
- Multi-tenant agent platforms requiring strict user separation
- Security-conscious deployments where agents touch sensitive data
- Coordinating specialized agents to collaborate on complex tasks via Agent Swarms
- Self-hosted personal AI assistant with full codebase auditability (~3,900 LOC)
| Component |
Technology |
| Language |
TypeScript 95.0%, Python 3.0%, Shell 1.1%, Other 0.9% |
| Runtime |
Node.js 20+ |
| Database |
SQLite |
| Container Runtime |
Apple Container (macOS) or Docker (Linux/WSL2) |
| AI Framework |
Anthropic Claude Agent SDK |
| WhatsApp Library |
Baileys |
| Testing |
Vitest |
Architecture Stats:
- ~15 core source files (additional files in skills-engine/, setup/, .claude/skills/)
- ~2,500-3,900 lines of code (~500 core orchestrator, ~2,000+ with skills engine)
- Minimal dependencies
- 0 config files
- ~8 minutes to understand core codebase
- Actively maintained with growing community
- GitHub: 24.7k+ stars, 7.5k+ forks, 56 contributors
- Creators: Gavriel Cohen & Lazer Cohen (Qwibit → NanoCo)
- Launched: Early February 2026
- Docker Integration: March 2026 - Docker Sandboxes integration announced
- Website: https://nanoclaw.dev
¶ History and References
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