# Set Up OpenClaw in 5 Minutes

Pick your platform. Pick your chat app. We'll do the rest.

OpenClaw is the open-source AI agent with **247k+ GitHub stars** that actually does things — sends emails, controls your browser, manages files, runs shell commands — all from WhatsApp, Telegram, or Slack. It connects to Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, or local models via Ollama, and it runs entirely on your own machine.

The official docs are great but dense. This site gives you the fastest path to "Hello from OpenClaw" for your specific setup.

## Choose Your Platform

- [macOS Setup Guide](https://setupopenclawforme.com/guide/macos?from=home&goal=quickstart) — Full install with companion app, Voice Wake, and menu bar access
- [Linux / VPS Setup Guide](https://setupopenclawforme.com/guide/linux?from=home&goal=quickstart) — Systemd daemon, headless pairing, VPS security tips
- [Windows Setup Guide](https://setupopenclawforme.com/guide/windows?from=home&goal=quickstart) — WSL2-based setup (recommended over native Windows)

## Or Jump to What You Need

- [Which AI model should I use?](https://setupopenclawforme.com/models?from=home&setup=choosing) — OpenClaw is model-agnostic. We'll help you pick.
- [Best skills to install first](https://setupopenclawforme.com/skills?from=home&filter=essential) — 10 essential skills from ClawHub's 5,700+
- [Common setup problems](https://setupopenclawforme.com/troubleshooting?from=home&issue=general) — Quick fixes for Node, sharp, daemon, and pairing issues

## What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw (formerly Clawdbot/Moltbot) is a self-hosted personal AI assistant created by Peter Steinberger. It uses a gateway architecture — a single control plane running on `ws://127.0.0.1:18789` — that bridges your messaging apps to an AI model of your choice.

- **Messaging:** WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Signal, iMessage, Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, Matrix, IRC, and more
- **Models:** Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, DeepSeek, Llama, Ollama (local)
- **Capabilities:** Browser control, file management, shell commands, cron scheduling, voice wake, 5,700+ skills on ClawHub
- **Install:** `npm install -g openclaw@latest` or one-liner script
- **License:** MIT, fully open source

> **Quick start:** If you just want to get running immediately, pick your platform above. Each guide takes about 5 minutes and ends with a working "Hello from OpenClaw" message.