Clawdbot vs Moltbot: The Complete Migration Story & Comparison
In October 2024, the popular self-hosted AI assistant Clawdbot was officially renamed to Moltbot. This change was driven by a trademark dispute with Anthropic (creators of Claude), but it also marks a new chapter in the project’s evolution.
What Happened? The Rename Timeline
Section titled “What Happened? The Rename Timeline”Clawdbot Launch
Clawdbot gains popularity as a local-first alternative to cloud AI agents.
Trademark Notice
Anthropic raises concerns about the similarity between “Clawdbot” and “Claude”.
Reborn as Moltbot
Project renamed to Moltbot. “Molt” signifies growth and shedding the old shell.
Key Differences: Clawdbot vs Moltbot
Section titled “Key Differences: Clawdbot vs Moltbot”| Feature | Clawdbot (Legacy) | Moltbot (Current) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Deprecated | Active Development |
| Docker Image | clawdbot/clawdbot | moltbot/moltbot |
| Config File | clawdbot.config.yaml | moltbot.config.yaml |
| MCP Support | Basic | Advanced (v2.0) |
| Security | Standard | Sandboxing Enhanced |
What Should Users Do?
Section titled “What Should Users Do?”If you are still running Clawdbot, it is highly recommended to migrate to Moltbot to receive the latest security updates and features.
- Backup your data and configuration.
- Pull the new Docker image:
docker pull moltbot/moltbot:latest. - Rename your configuration files (optional but recommended).
- Restart your container.
Check out our Installation Guide for a fresh setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Section titled “Frequently Asked Questions”- Why “Moltbot”?
- The name is inspired by how crustaceans like lobsters “molt” — they shed their restrictive shells to grow larger and stronger. It symbolizes the project shedding its legal restrictions to expand freely.
- Does it still work with Claude?
- Yes! Moltbot is model-agnostic. It works perfectly with Anthropic’s Claude, OpenAI’s GPT-4, and local LLMs via Ollama.