6 open-source Grok Bot alternatives in 2026 (free to run)

The best open-source Grok Bot alternatives in 2026 are Rakazo, for the closest match with web, desktop and phone apps; MausBot (OpenMausBot), for a Grok Bot-style chat app on your own Claude or Codex login; OpenBot, for developers on the desktop; and OpenClaw, Hermes Agent and NanoClaw, for one always-on assistant in your messaging apps. All are free to download, but you still pay for AI models and, if you want agents running while your computer is off, a server.

Disclosure: KutrimBots publishes this blog. KutrimBots is a hosted service, not open source, so it isn't ranked in the list; it appears at the end for readers who'd rather not self-host. Facts come from each project's GitHub repository and website, as of October 29, 2026.

Why look for an open-source Grok Bot alternative?

Grok Bot, xAI's "team of always-on agents", launched in beta on August 11, 2026. It's polished, but it comes with trade-offs that open-source projects set out to fix:

• One model family. Grok Bot has no model picker.
• One shared computer. All of a user's Bots share one cloud computer, browser and logins, and xAI's docs say separate Bots aren't a security boundary.
• A subscription. Since October 12, new customers get it through The X Subscription, from $30 a month.
• US computers, no on-premises option, according to xAI's documentation.

Within weeks of launch, several open projects copied the idea: a roster of agents you chat with, each with memory, tools and a computer, running on hardware and models you choose.

The 6 alternatives at a glance

Stars and licenses are as shown on GitHub on October 29, 2026.

1. Rakazo: the closest match

Rakazo describes itself as an "open-source Grok Bot alternative. Choose your own model and sandbox." It's in beta and has the broadest set of apps of any project here: web, an Electron desktop app, an iPhone app on the App Store and an Android download.

• Persistent bots with their own conversations, memory, routines and history.
• Computers: shared "Team Computers" and isolated "Private computers", with browser, terminal, file and desktop access, on Docker, E2B, Daytona, Boat and other providers.
• Teamwork: bots can delegate to other bots or short-lived subagents.
• Voice: speak to a bot or call it, with your own voice provider key.
• Apps: Composio or Pipedream Connect, plus MCP and OpenAPI tools.

Setup: one Docker Compose installer on your machine. For bots that stay on, run the same installer on a VPS, put HTTPS in front of it and connect from the apps.

Watch out for: it's beta software, and an always-on setup means looking after a server.

2. MausBot (OpenMausBot): your own subscriptions, Grok Bot's shape

MausBot, formerly OpenMausBot, keeps Grok Bot's idea of AI as a messaging app: a sidebar of bots you chat with like contacts. Each bot runs on the claude, codex or grok tool already signed in on your computer, so it uses your existing subscription.

• Free desktop app for Mac, Windows and Ubuntu, with Android and iPhone companion builds shared on its Discord.
• A cloud Linux desktop per bot (through Boat, paid after a trial), a local VM or your own computer.
• 500+ apps through Composio, schedules, webhooks, voice and shareable team templates.
• MausBot Cloud for always-on bots, from $15 a month (AI not included on Starter).

Watch out for: new desktop bots start at "Full access" with no confirmation cards, so switch them to "Ask for approval" before connecting email or payments. Our KutrimBots vs OpenMausBot comparison covers it in detail.

3. OpenBot: for developers on the desktop

OpenBot (openbot.run) is a local-first desktop workspace where each agent runs on a coding tool such as Codex, Claude Code, Grok CLI, Gemini, Cursor or Cline, or on a local model. Agents get their own workspace, message queues, shared channels, a built-in browser and optional computer control.

• Free for personal use; phone apps for iPhone and Android connect to OpenBot on a computer.
• Always on through your own server, Docker or an OpenBot hosted server from €50 a month (Starter is sold out).

Watch out for: two things. The license is PolyForm Noncommercial, so business use needs a paid license per person (€10 a month, free until December 1, 2026). And the development preview runs agents with full access and no per-action approvals. See KutrimBots vs OpenBot.

4. OpenClaw: one assistant in every messaging app

OpenClaw is the best-known open-source personal agent, with about 393,000 GitHub stars and an MIT license. It's "an open-source AI assistant that runs on your own computer", and you talk to it on Discord, iMessage, Slack, Teams, Telegram, WhatsApp and 20+ other apps. ClawHub, its skill marketplace, adds thousands of community skills.

It's different from Grok Bot in shape: one assistant that reaches you everywhere, rather than a roster of bots you chat with. OpenClaw says it has "no paid tier, hosted service, or token".

Watch out for: its README notes that tools "run on the host for the main session unless you configure sandboxing", and community skills are code you didn't write. OpenClaw scans ClawHub skills with VirusTotal and publishes security advisories regularly.

5. Hermes Agent: an agent that learns

Hermes Agent, from Nous Research, is MIT-licensed with about 258,000 stars. Its pitch is "the self-improving AI agent":

• persistent memory that it curates itself;
• skills it writes after complex tasks and improves with use;
• a built-in scheduler that can deliver results to any connected app;
• Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Signal, email and the command line;
• six terminal backends, from your own computer to Docker, SSH and cloud sandboxes.

There's a desktop app for Mac and Windows, and Nous Portal sells model credits from $20 a month if you don't want your own provider key.

Watch out for: it's one agent rather than a team of chat contacts, and always-on use still means a machine that stays on.

6. NanoClaw: containers first

NanoClaw calls itself "a lightweight alternative to OpenClaw that runs in containers for security". Each agent runs in its own Linux container with file isolation, and credentials sit behind a gateway so "agents never hold raw API keys". It connects to more than a dozen channels, each added with a single command.

Watch out for: you need Docker, Node.js and pnpm, and there's no hosted option.

Where Grok Bot is still better

Open source isn't automatically better. Grok Bot still leads in a few areas:

• No setup. A managed cloud computer and native apps work on day one.
• Teach once. Grok Bot can learn a workflow when you show it and save it as a routine.
• Polish. Group chats of two to six Bots, voice, Slack and X Chat, from one company with support.
• Predictable access. One subscription instead of a server, a model key and a sandbox provider.

If none of those matter to you, an open-source project gives you more control for less money.

What does a "free" Grok Bot alternative really cost?

The software is free; running it isn't. An example scenario with list prices as of October 29, 2026, for agents that keep working while your laptop is closed:

For a technical person with light use, that can still be cheaper than Grok Bot. For a business, the hidden cost is the time and the risk of a misconfigured agent with access to email and money. Our guide to what an AI agent costs breaks down the pricing models.

If you'd rather not self-host: KutrimBots

KutrimBots isn't open source. It's for people who like the idea of a team of always-on agents but want it run for them, with business tools inside. You get:

• Agents in the cloud, with AI usage included: $20, $49 or $89 a month for up to 5, 20 or 50 agents, after a 7-day, $1 trial.
• Approvals by default before anything that sends, posts, pays or deletes.
• A Security Vault, so agents use passwords without seeing them.
• Built-in tools: CRM & Leads, Email Inbox with an address for each agent, a website Chat Widget, Bookings, Invoices, Support Desk and more.
• No servers, CLIs or keys to manage. See what KutrimBots is or KutrimBots vs Grok Bot.

How to choose

1. Want the closest open-source Grok Bot with phone apps? Rakazo.
2. Already pay for Claude or ChatGPT and want a chat app of bots? MausBot.
3. Mostly coding, and only for personal projects? OpenBot.
4. Want one assistant in WhatsApp, Telegram or Slack? OpenClaw, or Hermes Agent if you want it to learn.
5. Security is the priority and you know Docker? NanoClaw.
6. Running a business and don't want to self-host? A hosted platform such as KutrimBots.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free Grok Bot alternative?

Yes. Rakazo, MausBot, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent and NanoClaw are free and open source, and OpenBot is free for personal use. You still pay for the AI model and, for always-on agents, a server.

What is the best open-source Grok Bot alternative?

For most people, Rakazo is the closest overall match because it has web, desktop and phone apps and lets you choose any model and sandbox. MausBot is the closest in look and feel if you already pay for Claude, ChatGPT or Grok.

Can I use Claude instead of Grok in a Grok Bot alternative?

Yes. MausBot and OpenBot run on Claude Code if it's installed and signed in on your computer, and Rakazo, OpenClaw, Hermes Agent and NanoClaw let you bring a Claude or other API key.

Is OpenMausBot open source?

Yes. OpenMausBot, now called MausBot, is licensed under Apache-2.0, which allows commercial use. OpenBot's code is public too, but its PolyForm Noncommercial license needs a paid license for business use.

Are self-hosted AI agents safe?

They can be, if you limit their access. Several of these projects default to broad permissions, so turn on approvals, run agents in containers or separate accounts, and keep passwords out of chats. Our guide are AI agents safe? has a checklist.

Sources

• Rakazo (GitHub, elie222/rakazo)
• OpenMausBot README (GitHub)
• MausBot pricing
• OpenBot README (GitHub)
• OpenBot pricing
• OpenClaw (GitHub)
• OpenClaw and VirusTotal scanning of ClawHub skills
• Hermes Agent (GitHub, NousResearch)
• NanoClaw (GitHub)
• Grok Bot security (xAI docs)
• Boat pricing