ClawdBot vs MoltBot vs OpenClaw: Are They the Same Thing?

Are ClawdBot, MoltBot, and OpenClaw the Same?

Yes. ClawdBot, MoltBot, and OpenClaw are three names for the same open-source AI agent platform. They share the same codebase, the same Git history, the same creator, and the same community. If you have been using any of these names, you have been using the same software.

The project was renamed twice in quick succession during January 2026. The naming confusion has been a source of frustration for the community, with searches for "ClawdBot" leading to outdated documentation and "MoltBot" being nearly impossible to find without knowing the exact spelling.

As of March 2026, OpenClaw is the current and final name. All official documentation, Docker images, GitHub repositories, and community channels now use the OpenClaw name. The previous names are effectively deprecated — they still appear in old blog posts, forum threads, and cached search results, but they all refer to the same project.

What Is the Complete Timeline?

Here is the exact timeline of the project's naming history:

November 2025 — ClawdBot launches. Peter Steinberger publishes the first version of ClawdBot on GitHub. It is an open-source AI agent platform that connects to messaging platforms (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp) and uses AI models to have conversations, execute tasks, and run skills. The name "ClawdBot" is a play on "Claude" (Anthropic's AI model) with a lobster claw theme.

Early January 2026 — ClawdBot renamed to MoltBot. The "Clawd" part of the name was too similar to "Claude," causing confusion. People assumed ClawdBot was an official Anthropic product or was exclusively tied to Claude models (it supports multiple providers). The rename to MoltBot kept the lobster theme — "molt" refers to a lobster shedding its shell — but was intended to distance the project from the Claude brand.

January 30, 2026 — MoltBot renamed to OpenClaw. The MoltBot name lasted less than a month. It was considered too obscure (most people do not know what "molt" means in this context), hard to spell, and difficult to search for. The final rename to OpenClaw kept the lobster claw heritage while adding "Open" to clearly signal that this is an open-source project. The name has stuck since then.

February 2026 onwards — OpenClaw 3.22 and beyond. The 3.22 release was the first major version under the OpenClaw name. It removed all legacy CLAWDBOT_ and MOLTBOT_ environment variable prefixes, completing the naming transition at the code level.

Who Created the Project?

OpenClaw was created by Peter Steinberger, an Austrian software engineer previously best known for founding PSPDFKit, a widely-used PDF SDK for mobile and web applications. PSPDFKit was eventually acquired, and Steinberger turned his attention to the AI agent space.

Steinberger's background in building developer tools and SDKs is evident in OpenClaw's architecture. The project emphasizes clean APIs, pluggable components, and a rich plugin ecosystem — hallmarks of someone who has spent years building tools that other developers build on top of.

The project is open-source under the MIT license, with Steinberger as the primary maintainer and a growing team of core contributors. The GitHub repository has attracted thousands of contributors, and the project's plugin ecosystem (ClawHub) hosts over 13,000 community-built skills.

Steinberger remains active in the community, participating in GitHub discussions, reviewing pull requests, and announcing major releases. The project has no formal company behind it — it is a community-driven open-source project with Steinberger as the benevolent dictator.

Why Did the Renames Happen?

Each rename addressed specific problems:

ClawdBot → MoltBot: Brand confusion. The "Clawd" spelling was a deliberate play on "Claude," but this backfired. New users consistently assumed the project was affiliated with Anthropic, was a Claude-specific tool, or required a Claude API key. None of this was true — ClawdBot supported multiple AI providers from the start. The confusion was bad for both the project and for Anthropic, which did not want its brand associated with a third-party tool.

MoltBot → OpenClaw: Clarity and discoverability. "MoltBot" solved the Claude confusion but created new problems. The name was hard to spell (is it Molt? Moult? Moltbot?), hard to search for (generic results about molting animals), and did not convey what the project was about. Feedback from the community was clear: the name needed to be more descriptive and easier to find.

"OpenClaw" was chosen through a community vote. It keeps the lobster claw heritage that early adopters associated with the project, while "Open" clearly communicates the open-source nature. The name is distinctive, searchable, and descriptive enough that you can guess what kind of project it is.

Steinberger has stated publicly that OpenClaw is the final name. No further renames are planned.

What Changed with Each Rename?

Renames in open-source projects are not just cosmetic — they ripple through code, configuration, documentation, and infrastructure. Here is what changed:

ClawdBot → MoltBot (January 2026):

• GitHub repository renamed
• Docker Hub image published under moltbot/moltbot
• Environment variables added MOLTBOT_ prefix as an alias (old CLAWDBOT_ still worked)
• NPM package renamed
• Documentation URLs changed
• Skool community URL kept both names in the slug for continuity

MoltBot → OpenClaw (January 30, 2026):

• GitHub repository renamed again to openclaw/openclaw
• Docker Hub image published under openclaw/openclaw
• New environment variable format — no prefix, just descriptive names (e.g., TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN instead of MOLTBOT_TELEGRAM_TOKEN)
• Website moved to openclaw.dev
• ClawHub marketplace renamed (kept the "Claw" connection)
• Legacy variable support maintained for backward compatibility

OpenClaw 3.22 (February 2026) — The cleanup release:

• All CLAWDBOT_ and MOLTBOT_ environment variable prefixes removed
• Legacy Docker images (clawdbot/clawdbot, moltbot/moltbot) stopped receiving updates
• Internal code references fully migrated to OpenClaw naming
• Configuration file format updated

The 3.22 release was the hard cutoff. After this version, old environment variable names no longer work and the old Docker images are effectively abandoned.

How Do You Migrate from Legacy Names?

If you are still running ClawdBot or MoltBot, here is how to migrate to OpenClaw:

Step 1: Update the Docker image.

# OLD
image: clawdbot/clawdbot:latest
# or
image: moltbot/moltbot:latest

# NEW
image: openclaw/openclaw:latest

Step 2: Rename environment variables.

# OLD
CLAWDBOT_TELEGRAM_TOKEN=...
MOLTBOT_MODEL_PRIMARY=...
CB_GATEWAY_BIND=...

# NEW
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=...
MODEL_PRIMARY=...
GATEWAY_BIND=...

Step 3: Update any external references.

• Bookmarks to documentation
• CI/CD pipelines that reference old image names
• Monitoring or health check URLs
• Reverse proxy configurations

Step 4: Pull and restart.

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

OpenClaw 3.22+ automatically detects and migrates data from the old format. Your sessions, memory, skills, and conversation history are preserved. The migration happens once on first startup and is logged so you can verify it completed successfully.

If you encounter issues during migration, the OpenClaw community on Skool is the best place to get help. Many members have been through the migration and can assist with specific issues.