- Front page
- Compare
- Dots vs OpenClaw
Dots vs OpenClaw
The question is not which is cleverer but who keeps the machine running, patched and locked.
The real split here is who owns the plumbing. Dots is run by OpenAI: the cloud computer, the guardrails and the updates arrive together with a subscription that starts at $100 a month. OpenClaw is free to install, lives on equipment you own and works with whichever model you like, speaking through dozens of chat apps. That freedom has a flip side, because every security decision becomes yours. You pay either in money or in attention.
| Dots | OpenClaw | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The cheapest route is ChatGPT Pro at $100 a month, with Business Premium seats as the company alternative. | The software is free; the bills are for model usage and, if it lives away from home, a VPS at roughly $5 to $20 monthly. |
| Availability | Dots is missing from personal Pro plans in Britain, Switzerland and the EEA, and from places ChatGPT does not serve, such as mainland China and Russia. | OpenClaw goes wherever Node.js goes, though model providers decide for themselves which countries they serve. |
| Model | Dots is powered by GPT-6 Astra, a model OpenAI chooses for you. | OpenClaw takes your pick of GPT, Claude or Gemini, or a model kept entirely offline on your own machine. |
| Chat apps | Dots replies inside ChatGPT, Slack and Microsoft Teams, while a waitlist is open for iMessage and RCS. | OpenClaw offers 29 channels, Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal and Discord among them. |
| Security | Dots arrives fenced by OpenAI's policies, your Custom Rules, an automatic reviewer and a vault that keeps passwords from the model. | OpenClaw ships with cautious defaults such as a loopback-only gateway, but patching and exposure are your responsibility. |
| Setup effort | Dots takes about ten minutes in ChatGPT, with nothing to install. | OpenClaw takes around half an hour at a terminal, followed by ongoing maintenance. |
Pick Dots if a monthly fee appeals more than server upkeep and you would like the vendor to shoulder security. It is the calmer choice for anyone who has never opened a terminal.
Pick OpenClaw if owning the whole setup matters to you, along with choosing the model and reaching the agent through Telegram or WhatsApp. It is also the realistic route in countries where Dots is not sold.
Dots asks least of you and is the safer default for anyone unwilling to tend a server. OpenClaw costs less and bends further, but it is sensible only if you keep it current and never leave the gateway exposed.
The agents at a glance
| The agents at a glance | Dots | OpenClaw |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps working when you log off Carries on with long or scheduled tasks after you close the app. | Yes | Yes |
| Takes the initiative Suggests or starts useful work without being asked. | Yes | Partly |
| Its own computer in the cloud Runs on a machine the provider hosts, not on your laptop. | Yes | No |
| Lives in chat apps Reachable from messaging apps you already use. | Partly | Yes |
| Talks by voice You can speak to it and hear answers. | Yes | Partly |
| Buys things Can complete purchases or bookings for you. | Partly | Partly |
| Standing rules Has a place for instructions that apply to every task. | Yes | Yes |
| Choose the AI model Lets you decide which language model does the thinking. | No | Yes |
| Run it yourself Runs on a laptop, home server or rented machine that you control. | No | Yes |
| Free to start Has a free tier with the agent included. | No | Yes |
| Built for teams Sold on business plans with admin controls. | Yes | Partly |
A full dot means yes, a half dot means partly, an empty ring means no.
Questions readers ask
Is OpenClaw a free alternative to Dots?
The software is free and MIT-licensed, so you avoid the $100 monthly ChatGPT Pro fee. The model you plug in still has to be paid for, and so does a server if the agent does not live at home. In exchange you take on installation, updates and security yourself.
Can OpenClaw run on GPT models like Dots?
Yes. GPT is one of its options alongside Claude, Gemini and local models, and the provider bills you per token, or via a plan you are already paying for. Dots, by contrast, runs only on GPT-6 Astra, which OpenAI selects.
Which is safer, Dots or OpenClaw?
Out of the box, Dots, because OpenAI manages its guardrails, reviews sensitive actions and keeps passwords out of the model's sight. OpenClaw can be run safely, but only if you stay on current releases, bind the gateway to the local machine and keep skills to a minimum. Its worst incidents to date trace back to gateways left reachable online or to stale builds.