# OpenClaw versus ZeroClaw — 11 October 2026

## Versions and environment

- Official latest-release API: OpenClaw v2026.10.1 (published 2026-10-10T23:54:03Z); ZeroClaw v0.8.5 (published 2026-09-05T07:31:19Z).
- Hardware/OS: Apple M3, 8 GB memory, macOS 26.6.2, arm64.
- OpenClaw: official npm package 2026.10.1, CLI reports `OpenClaw 2026.10.1 (e178c39)`. Installed in `/tmp/claw-comparison/openclaw` with a temporary Node 24.16.0 runtime. System Node 22.15.0 was not changed. The release declares `>=24.16.0 <25 || >=26.1.0`.
- npm package integrity: `sha512-C072/lxy83KP1nMCnJbipr4O+EtIR9XXbjzQFM+ol7VE5ci2MkKk5XTxfSG70jxpEVaGFeXcEmObHxR/ZHLdHw==`.
- ZeroClaw: official macOS arm64 archive, CLI reports `zeroclaw 0.8.5`. SHA-256: `7036f71b11e3dc8fd4de589b130b08faa792b9b2952e752d975c27bc572f7671`, matching the official release digest verified in the earlier installation check and rehashed for this task.
- Ollama 0.35.0 on `127.0.0.1:11435`, with a fresh temporary model store and `qwen2.5:0.5b` downloaded for this test.
- Gateways: OpenClaw on loopback 40318, ZeroClaw on loopback 40319. No system daemon installation or external messaging credentials.

## Real test and outcomes

Both configurations passed their respective validators. OpenClaw returned `Config valid` from `config validate`; ZeroClaw's `config migrate --json` returned valid true, error null, migrated false, schema_version 3.

Both real dashboards were opened in the browser. OpenClaw initially required its gateway token; we entered the temporary token and connected. ZeroClaw required pairing; we paired its browser. Neither authentication credential is included in the screenshots or repository.

Sent exactly this prompt using each dashboard's actual composer:

> Summarize this maintenance note in one sentence: Backup finished successfully. The dashboard is reachable. Telegram has not been tested. Do not use tools.

OpenClaw displayed:

> Backup has been successfully finished. The dashboard is reachable. Telegram has not been tested. Do not use tools.

ZeroClaw displayed:

> Backup completed successfully. Dashboard accessible. Telegram not tested.

Both preserved the three facts and returned real local model text. Neither obeyed the one-sentence constraint. OpenClaw also echoed the tool instruction. No output was edited for the article or screenshots.

This is a bounded setup/authentication/inference/UI test, not a model-quality, memory, speed or security benchmark. Same machine/model/prompt does not normalize system prompts, context, generation settings or API paths. OpenClaw used native Ollama; ZeroClaw used its compatible API with native_tools false. OpenClaw denied all tools; ZeroClaw used the existing readonly/time-only sample with no MCP servers. These were text-only turns.

## Reproduction fixtures

- `openclaw-2026.10.1.example.json`: test config with the temporary gateway secret replaced by `REPLACE_WITH_A_PRIVATE_TEST_TOKEN`. Generate a private token before use and adapt temporary paths.
- `zeroclaw-0.8.5.example.toml`: original test config before runtime pairing writes. Adapt the matching-release frontend path.

Use a fresh state/workspace for each run. For OpenClaw, set `OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR` and `OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH` to the new test locations. Start `openclaw gateway run` using a supported Node runtime. For ZeroClaw, run `zeroclaw --config-dir <test-directory> gateway start`. Both fixtures expect a local Ollama server and the named downloaded model on port 11435. Authenticate in the browser and submit the exact prompt above. Responses can vary.

## Screenshot provenance

The screenshots are unedited JPEG captures of the actual running dashboards, captured after each model turn finished, at the browser's default 1280 × 720 viewport. No generated mockup, replacement text, arrows, banners or decorative overlays were used. The result is visible directly, so annotations were unnecessary. Original app colors/icons remain part of the raw evidence.

- `public/guides/openclaw-vs-zeroclaw/openclaw-2026-10-1-chat-raw.jpg`
  - SHA-256 `fba6812d1d841182da87230d614db5397bea65ab7d558f192cfee0d970a44f03`
- `public/guides/openclaw-vs-zeroclaw/zeroclaw-0-8-5-chat-raw.jpg`
  - SHA-256 `45a48752e1b90f85383ace6d090a61575955d1e9f59bd64f108c720a5cb5e84d`
- `page-desktop.jpg` and `page-mobile.jpg`: local site layout review captures, separate from product-test evidence.

## Page verification and scope

Production build passed with 30 pages. Existing build settings skip type validation and warn about multiple lockfiles. Desktop width 1280 and mobile width 390 showed no horizontal page overflow. The mobile comparison table stayed within a scrollable region (358 px region, 640 px table). Both lazy-loaded product screenshots resolved to their full 1280 px source images, with full-size links and descriptive alt text. Section navigation and next-guide destinations were checked. Final production recheck includes the underlined grayscale source links and mobile swipe hint.

No Windows/Linux installation, channel delivery, plugin execution, tool execution, migration, companion app or adversarial security test was performed. Resource and speed claims were removed instead of presenting unequal one-off observations as benchmarks. No personal credentials or user conversations were used. Temporary test services were stopped after verification; temporary model files were removed. No commit, push or production deployment is included in this task.

## Primary sources

- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.10.1
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/v2026.10.1/README.md
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/v2026.10.1/package.json
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/v2026.10.1/docs/providers/ollama/configuration.md
- https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/v2026.10.1/docs/web/control-ui.md
- https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw/releases/tag/v0.8.5
- https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw/blob/v0.8.5/README.md
- https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw/blob/v0.8.5/Cargo.toml
- https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw/blob/v0.8.5/docs/book/src/tools/skill-bundles.md
- https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw/blob/v0.8.5/docs/book/src/security/overview.md