What Is Clawdbot Now Called? Moltbot Then OpenClaw
What Is Clawdbot Now Called?
Clawdbot is now called OpenClaw. The project renamed twice within the span of a week — first to Moltbot on January 26, 2026, after a trademark dispute with Anthropic, then to OpenClaw four days later when community reaction pushed a second change. The underlying software never changed; only the name did.
That rapid churn left a permanently split search landscape. "Clawdbot" still pulls 60,500 monthly searches, "moltbot" generates 27,100, and OpenClaw now leads with 165,000+.
Three names, one project — the fastest triple rebrand in open-source AI history.
What Is Clawdbot Now Called? The Three-Name Timeline
Clawdbot launched in November 2025 as an open-source AI agent. A trademark dispute forced a rename to Moltbot on January 26, 2026. Three days of community friction later, the project settled on OpenClaw — launched January 30, 2026, carrying all the stars, forks, and community that Clawdbot had built.
Austrian developer Peter Steinberger moved through both changes quickly. Not under pressure, but pragmatically — open-source projects that tangle with well-resourced AI lab trademarks tend to lose, slowly and expensively. Moving fast kept the momentum intact.
By the time OpenClaw launched, the project had already accumulated 247,000+ GitHub stars. The rebranding added notoriety, not subtraction.
| Name | Active Period | Monthly Searches |
|---|---|---|
| Clawdbot | Nov 2025 – Jan 26, 2026 | 60,500 |
| Moltbot | Jan 26–30, 2026 | 27,100 |
| OpenClaw | Jan 30, 2026 – present | 165,000+ |
Key Takeaways
- Clawdbot (November 2025) is now called OpenClaw — the same open-source AI agent running inside WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and 20+ other messaging apps.
- The project renamed to Moltbot on January 26, 2026, after a trademark dispute with Anthropic, then renamed again to OpenClaw on January 30, 2026.
- All three names — Clawdbot, Moltbot, and OpenClaw — refer to the identical tool: 247,000+ GitHub stars, 100+ pre-built skills, zero feature change through either rename.
- "Clawdbot" still generates 60,500 monthly searches, meaning millions of people continue finding the tool under its original name.
- OpenClawHQ provides fully managed hosting for OpenClaw at $49/month flat — no server, no technical setup, no API keys required.
Contents
- What Is Clawdbot Now Called? The Three-Name Timeline
- Why Was Clawdbot Renamed to Moltbot?
- What Is Clawdbot Now Called, and Why Did the Names Keep Changing?
- What Happened to Moltbot After Three Days?
- Is OpenClaw the Same as Clawdbot?
- Where Do I Find Historical Content About Clawdbot and Moltbot?
- Why Does OpenClawHQ Make OpenClaw So Accessible?
Why Was Clawdbot Renamed to Moltbot?
Clawdbot was renamed to Moltbot because Anthropic raised a trademark concern over the word "Clawd" — too close to their brand. Developer Peter Steinberger chose to move fast rather than contest it. The name Moltbot referenced the lobster mascot "molting" its shell, and the rename went live within 24 hours of the decision.
Anthropic hadn't filed formal legal action. But for an open-source project riding a viral wave, a potential conflict with one of the most well-resourced AI companies in the world isn't worth contesting. Steinberger made the practical call, moved quickly, and the GitHub repository reflected the change within a day.
For the full origin story — including how Clawdbot grew from zero to 60,500 monthly searches in under three months — the Clawdbot history and what it became covers the complete timeline.
What Is Clawdbot Now Called, and Why Did the Names Keep Changing?
Two rebrands in four days is unusual even for fast-moving open-source projects. The first rename (Clawdbot → Moltbot) was an external trigger: trademark pressure. The second (Moltbot → OpenClaw) was internal: community feedback and the developer's own instinct that a permanent, conflict-free name was worth finding quickly.
Steinberger had already drafted candidate names while navigating the Anthropic concern. When Moltbot landed poorly with parts of the community — some found it harder to search, others felt it lacked the project's identity — he switched without waiting. The result was a third name that has held since January 30, 2026.
What Happened to Moltbot After Three Days?
Moltbot lasted exactly 72 hours. Community reaction was split: some appreciated the molting metaphor, many found the name harder to search or remember. On January 30, 2026, the project became OpenClaw — a name with enough clarity and openness to serve as a permanent identity without corporate conflict.
The speed of the second rename surprised even close community watchers. Reddit's r/vibecoding community, which had spent months building Clawdbot documentation, barely had time to adapt to "Moltbot" before the repository changed again.
Worth knowing: The 72-hour Moltbot window still generates 27,100 monthly searches — more traffic than many focused SEO targets see after years of work. That's what happens when TechCrunch, Mashable, and Forbes all cover a rename on the same afternoon.
The Moltbot to OpenClaw complete history and migration guide documents this transition in full — including how community setups handled the repository rename.
Is OpenClaw the Same as Clawdbot?
Yes — completely. OpenClaw, Moltbot, and Clawdbot are the same project — the code, GitHub repository, community forks, and skills library are identical across all three names. No feature changed through either rename, and every Clawdbot or Moltbot tutorial you find online describes the current Open Claw AI software.
The lobster never changed — only the nameplate above it.
The confusion is understandable. Multiple names — indexed across GitHub, Reddit, YouTube, and major tech publications at different stages of the rename — are all still ranking. But there's no fork, no split product, no parallel version: one project, three names.
Some users search for "claw bot" — an informal variant that spread as the project went mainstream. Not an official name, but it leads to the same tool.
Where Do I Find Historical Content About Clawdbot and Moltbot?
Historical Clawdbot and Moltbot content lives primarily on the GitHub repository (github.com/openclaw/openclaw, which preserves the full commit history from the Clawdbot era), Reddit's r/vibecoding community, YouTube tutorials from each naming window, and mainstream tech coverage published by TechCrunch, Mashable, Forbes, and CNBC in January and February 2026.
GitHub is the definitive source. The repository URL updated with each rename, but GitHub automatically redirects old links — every naming-era URL reaches the same repo. The commit log shows continuous build history from day one.
Forum posts and YouTube tutorials still using "clawdbot" or "moltbot" in their titles were written under those names and often haven't been updated. That's fine. They describe the current product accurately — under its historical name.
Why Does OpenClawHQ Make OpenClaw So Accessible?
Same open-source engine. The managed layer is what changed.
OpenClaw's viral naming drama sent millions of curious people to the GitHub page. Most hit the same wall: running OpenClaw requires Node.js 24, CLI configuration, a dedicated server running 24/7, channel authentication, and ongoing maintenance. For the non-technical business owner who heard about Clawdbot from a newsletter or YouTube video, that setup is the end of the road.
OpenClawHQ closes that gap. Sign up, choose your messaging platform — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, or others — and your private OpenClaw instance is live within minutes. Fully managed, fully configured. One flat price: $49/month with unlimited usage and no separate API fees.
Whether you searched "clawdbot," "moltbot," or "openclaw," the tool is the same. Getting it running without the setup complexity is what OpenClawHQ is for.
Get Started with OpenClaw — No Setup Required
OpenClaw has 247,000+ GitHub stars and is the same project regardless of which name brought you here. The remaining challenge is getting it running — and OpenClawHQ handles that entirely. No server, no command line, no API keys.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are OpenClaw and Clawdbot the same?
Yes — OpenClaw and Clawdbot are the same open-source AI agent. The project launched as Clawdbot in November 2025, renamed to Moltbot on January 26, 2026 after a trademark dispute, then became OpenClaw on January 30, 2026. Code, features, GitHub repository, and community are identical — only the name evolved.
Why did Clawdbot change its name to Moltbot?
Anthropic raised a trademark concern over the word "Clawd" in Clawdbot — close enough to their brand. Developer Peter Steinberger moved quickly and renamed the project Moltbot on January 26, 2026, choosing a name that referenced the lobster mascot molting its shell. Community pushback drove a second rename just 72 hours later.
What is the new name for Moltbot?
Moltbot was renamed OpenClaw on January 30, 2026 — three days after the Moltbot rebrand. OpenClaw is the current permanent name. All three names — Clawdbot, Moltbot, OpenClaw — point to the same project, which now draws 165,000+ monthly searches and has 247,000+ GitHub stars.
What is OpenClawHQ?
OpenClawHQ provides fully managed hosting for OpenClaw, so non-technical users and business owners get their own private, fully configured instance live within minutes. Running OpenClaw yourself requires a dedicated server, Node.js setup, and ongoing maintenance. OpenClawHQ handles all of that for $49 per month flat — unlimited usage, no separate API fees.