Guide · 4 open-source projects · sourced comparison
Open-source Grok Bot alternatives in 2026: MausBot, Rakazo, OpenClaw and Hermes compared
Last updated · by Thomas, editor · How we verify
No open-source project is a copy of Grok Bot. Grok Bot is a closed, hosted service. Four open-source projects come up most often as alternatives, and they split into two product shapes. Rakazo and MausBot copy Grok Bot's “team of bots, each with a computer” design. OpenClaw and Hermes Agent are personal assistants you message from the chat apps you already use.
The short answer
- Closest overall match to Grok Bot: Rakazo. In OpenTeam's Oct 26, 2026 hands-on test, it was “the closest all-round copy”. It has web, desktop, iPhone and Android apps and a computer for each bot.
- Running bots on Claude, Codex or Grok CLI subscriptions you already pay for: MausBot (repo: OpenMausBot). Each bot can use a different model, and it runs on Windows and Intel Macs (OpenTeam, Oct 26).
- One assistant you message from chat apps: OpenClaw or Hermes. Context.dev (Oct 18) recommends OpenClaw for an always-on, multi-channel assistant with tool rules enforced in code. It recommends Hermes for an agent that works in your real project folders and can run commands on remote machines. Upstash (Oct 9) picks OpenClaw if you want the most chat apps and Hermes if you want an assistant that learns your routines.
- Neither of the messaging assistants is “the safe one” (Context.dev). Run any of these four on a machine or account that isn't your personal one.
- You don't want to run a server: stay on a hosted product.
We did not install or benchmark these tools. Hands-on results below come from the named reviewers and users quoted in each section, with dates. Feature claims link to project docs, checked Nov 6, 2026. Looking for things to build on Grok Bot itself? See Grok Bot use cases.
Open-source Grok Bot alternatives at a glance
Licenses and features come from each project's repo and docs, checked Nov 6, 2026. Default approval settings and hands-on notes are attributed to the source that reported them. Settings change between releases, so confirm them in your own install.
| MausBot | Rakazo | OpenClaw | Hermes Agent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| License | Apache-2.0 (except a source-available enterprise/ folder) | Apache-2.0, beta | MIT | MIT |
| Shape | A chat app with a roster of bots | Self-hosted bot team (API, worker, Postgres, sandboxes) | Gateway daemon that stays running on one machine | CLI/desktop agent plus a messaging gateway |
| Models | A different model per bot, through the claude, codex or grok CLIs or an OpenAI-compatible API | Many providers, including local | Bring your own; about 77 provider routes (Context.dev) | Bring your own; switch with hermes model |
| Where work runs | Cloud desktop, local VM, or your own computer once you allow it | Local Docker, or E2B, Daytona and other sandbox providers | On the host unless you set up a sandbox | Local, Docker, SSH, Modal, Daytona and more |
| Approvals by default | New bots act without asking (“Just do it”), per OpenTeam | New spaces start in Ask mode, per OpenTeam citing Rakazo's docs | Unknown senders must pair first; no sandbox by default (Context.dev) | A second model reviews flagged commands; checks are skipped on container backends (Context.dev) |
| Apps / channels | macOS, Windows, Ubuntu, iOS | Web, desktop, iPhone, Android | 20+ chat apps, plus web, menu-bar and mobile companion apps | Telegram, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, Signal, email and more; desktop app |
| Paid option | MausBot Cloud, $15–$99/mo (verify live) | Self-host only in this review | None (Context.dev) | Optional Nous Portal plans from $20/mo and Hermes Cloud (Context.dev) |
| OpenTeam test (Oct 26) | Passed both tasks; about 6 min to set up | Passed both tasks; about 3 min to set up | Not in that test | Not in that test |
Scroll sideways on small screens. Star counts are left out on purpose: they measure attention, not quality.
Hosted vs open source, and personal agents vs coding agents
Hosted (Grok Bot, Meta Muse): you sign up, and the company runs the computer, chooses the model and stores your data. Grok Bot doesn't let you pick the model. Your bots also share one computer, so their files and logins aren't kept separate (Upstash, Oct 9). There is no self-hosted edition (OpenTeam).
Open source (the four below): you choose the model provider and keep the agent's data on a machine you control. In exchange, you look after that machine, its updates and its security. Your prompts still go to whichever model provider you use, and chat apps still see your messages (Upstash).
Within open source there are two shapes. Rakazo and MausBot are teams of named bots, each with a computer. They are the closest to Grok Bot's design. OpenClaw and Hermes are one assistant (or a few) that you reach through Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack and similar apps, with schedules and skills.
Coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex and OpenHands do a different job: writing and fixing code in a repo. Some personal-agent apps, MausBot included, can use a coding CLI as their engine, but a coding agent on its own isn't a personal assistant. For that comparison, see Claude Code vs Codex.
MausBot (OpenMausBot): bots on the CLIs you already pay for
MausBot is a chat app with a roster of AI bots. Each bot picks its own engine (the claude, codex or grok CLIs, or an OpenAI-compatible service) and can get a computer: a cloud desktop, a local VM, or your own machine once you opt in. App connections go through Composio, and local data lives in ~/.openmausbot.
Best for
- People who already pay for Claude or ChatGPT and want a different model for each bot (OpenTeam).
- Windows and Intel Mac users (OpenTeam).
- Heavy Grok Bot users who want cheap models for routine bots and expensive ones only when needed (Reddit migration post).
Watch out
- New bots act without asking. Switch them to “Ask me first” (OpenTeam). The project's own FAQ says approvals aren't a guarantee.
- On the free plan, bots work only while your computer is on. Cloud plans cost $15–$99 a month (OpenTeam; check current pricing).
- MausBot strips provider secrets from the CLIs it launches, so keep billing keys in a gateway or your environment, not in the chat app (Maniak).
- Users describe it as less polished than Grok Bot, with frequent updates (Reddit).
Reported results
OpenTeam · Raghav Pillai · Oct 26, 2026 · their hands-on test
- Installed the signed v0.1.127 Mac app. Including onboarding screens and switching every bot to the test model, setup took about six minutes.
- Returned three Austin events in about 24 seconds. OpenTeam called the bot-to-bot handoff “the smoothest we saw”: the lead bot opened the file itself before reporting back.
- Quirk: on a rerun in a new thread, the bot copied its earlier answer instead of searching again, so OpenTeam counted a run on a fresh bot.
Sebastian Maniak · OpenMausBot + agentgateway · Aug 15, 2026
- Sent the Codex engine through agentgateway, which holds the real API key and adds rate limits, guard rules and cost tracking. A bot called “Indigo” answered through the gateway.
- The Claude path failed with exit code 127 because the
claudeCLI wasn't installed. Lesson: install the engine you plan to use, and smoke-test it before relying on the chat UI.
Reddit · “Goodbye Grok Bot” · Aug–Sep 2026 · user report, unverified
- A long-time Grok Bot user moved to MausBot on their own server VM to control cost and choose a model per bot. They found the experience “very similar” but less polished, and said the iOS app worked well.
- In the same thread, another commenter called MausBot buggy and preferred Hermes. Other comments in a separate thread describe it as “fiddly”, with updates interrupting setup.
baeseokjae · OpenMausBot review · Sep 11, 2026 · based on the docs
- A useful pre-install read. As of that date it flagged an early-stage project, an unsigned Windows installer, host control disabled on Wayland, and a separate license for the
enterprise/folder.
Project docs · VPS launch check · Sep 7, 2026 · run by the maintainers
- On a blank Hetzner server they report a working chat, two scheduled routine runs, a browser screenshot, recovery after a reboot, and backup integrity checks. Because the maintainers ran it, it isn't independent.
Rakazo: the closest all-round copy
Rakazo is a full self-hosted stack: an API, a background worker, Postgres and sandboxes. Its bots are persistent, with memory and routines. Their computers run in local Docker or with a hosted sandbox provider such as E2B or Daytona. It ships web, desktop, iPhone and Android apps and works with many model providers.
Best for
- Anyone who wants Grok Bot's full design (named bots, a computer each, routines, apps) on their own hardware (OpenTeam).
- Phone apps on both iPhone and Android, and a choice of sandbox providers (OpenTeam).
- People who want to see their token usage rather than guess at it (r/foss comment).
Watch out
- You're running a service. A dead worker can fail without any error, and
docker compose down -vdeletes your data (botskills.sh, Aug 25). - It's in beta and changes fast, so it's a poor fit if you need a stable API (Hysen Labs). Pin a version.
- Its Docker images take about 8 GB. In OpenTeam's test, the key in the config file exposed only the default model, so they had to add the provider again in Settings.
- Check the approval mode in your own build. OpenTeam reports that the docs start new spaces in Ask mode.
Reported results
OpenTeam · Raghav Pillai · Oct 26, 2026 · their hands-on test
- Two-line quick start. The stack pulled and started in 71 seconds, and they were chatting about three minutes after the first command.
- Found three events in 14 seconds and noticed that an organizer's page disagreed with the ticket site on a date. Web search worked without an extra API key.
- Bot-to-bot handoff finished in 24 seconds. A live panel showed each bot's browser.
Reddit · r/foss launch thread · Sep 14, 2026 · user report
- A user ran the web, iPhone (TestFlight) and macOS clients. They were weighing a switch from Grok Bot because they couldn't see their token usage. They called Rakazo “brilliant” and reported bugs. They didn't share task-level results.
botskills.sh · Rakazo self-hosting guide · Aug 25, 2026 · a walkthrough of the repo
- Covers health checks, routine scheduling, surviving a reboot and backups. Installing is easy; the real cost is keeping the API, worker, database and sandbox healthy. Its notes on default settings describe the August repo, not today's build.
Hysen Labs · Rakazo project note · synced Nov 6, 2026 · AI-assisted editorial
- Points to minor versions released days apart. Running bots persistently means paying for a VPS and a sandbox, plus your time maintaining them.
We found no detailed independent account of Rakazo doing business tasks over weeks. Public evidence is stronger on operations than on long-term results.
OpenClaw: one always-on assistant across your chat apps
OpenClaw is a gateway you install on a Mac mini, a home server or a VPS, and it stays running there. It connects your model, your tools and a large set of chat apps: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, iMessage, Signal, Teams and more. It runs skills from ClawHub and scheduled jobs. Since v2026.8.1 it also writes new skills for itself by default, without changing skills you wrote yourself (Context.dev, Oct 18). It has no paid tier.
Best for
- A household or team assistant that people reach from many chat apps (Context.dev).
- Strict, auditable control over tools: permission modes, approvals bound to exact commands, and memory that records where each item came from (Context.dev).
- Owning the whole setup with your own model and a large community of skills (Upstash).
Watch out
- Tools run directly on the host until you configure a sandbox, so use a machine that isn't your personal one (Context.dev; Upstash).
- It has a longer public record of vulnerabilities, including CVEs fixed in 2026.1.29 and 2026.3.11. In February 2026, Koi Security found 341 malicious skills among 2,857 on ClawHub (Context.dev). Read every skill before you install it.
- Scheduled messages have failed to arrive in some versions (GitHub issues). Test delivery on the exact channel you'll use.
Reported results
Ankur Trapasiya · Letting my homelab do things on its own · Aug 29, 2026
- Started with OpenClaw on a Mac with Discord. Before he restricted who could message it, WhatsApp auto-replied to his contacts. Privacy settings also blocked the free models he wanted to use.
- He later moved his lasting set of scheduled jobs to Hermes (see below).
Adam Conway · XDA · OpenClaw vs Hermes · May 19, 2026 · historical for OpenClaw security
- Criticized OpenClaw's credential handling, a localhost websocket flaw and its review process as of May. The project has shipped many releases since. We haven't re-audited its current patch level, so treat this as background reading on threat models, not a verdict for today.
OpenClaw GitHub issues and user reports · 2026 · depends on version
- A recurring pattern: chat works, but scheduled messages to Telegram or WhatsApp don't arrive. Several of these issues were later closed as fixed. Pin a current release and test again after every upgrade.
Hermes Agent: an assistant that learns your routines
Hermes is a Python agent you can start from a terminal inside a project, open as a desktop app, or message through its gateway. Its shell commands can run locally, in Docker, over SSH, or on cloud sandboxes such as Modal and Daytona. It keeps two small capped memory files plus full-text search over past sessions. It writes its own skills and runs scheduled jobs that deliver results to your chat app (Context.dev; Upstash).
Best for
- A solo developer's agent that edits real repositories and runs heavy or risky commands away from the laptop (Context.dev).
- An assistant that turns repeated work into skills and switches models with one command (Upstash).
- Managed hosting without running your own server, through optional Hermes Cloud (Context.dev).
- Scheduled chores where most of the value is the scheduler and delivery, not the model (Ankur).
Watch out
- Its SECURITY.md says the operating system is the only real boundary against a hostile model. Dangerous-command checks are skipped on container backends (Context.dev).
- It needs a model with at least 64,000 tokens of context, which rules out some small local models (Context.dev).
- The install is large and needs a real machine. Its ecosystem is smaller than OpenClaw's (Upstash).
- Add your own Telegram user ID to the allow-list, or the bot ignores you (Chan).
Reported results
Ankur Trapasiya · homelab write-up · Aug 29, 2026
- Ended up with seven scheduled jobs: syncing calendars to Reminders, saving notes to git, two website watchers and a weekly learning summary. Six became plain scripts; only the weekly summary still uses a model.
- Setup took four days and included failures that reported nothing: a port clash that still reported success, a service that didn't restart after reboot, and a bug that had already been fixed upstream.
- The logs showed a forgotten backup provider still receiving 121 of 612 requests ($0.24) until he removed it.
Adam Conway · XDA · May 19, 2026
- Ran Hermes with a local Qwen model and few credentials, mainly over Telegram, and found it trustworthy enough to leave running. It produced a useful daily tech-news briefing.
- The agent moved its own config, memory and skills to a new Proxmox container. That mostly worked, but one scheduled job kept pointing at a wrong model name afterward.
Jonathan Chan · Hermes on Docker · May 29, 2026 · free setup section
- Ran Hermes in Docker on a NAS with OpenRouter, Telegram, and Gmail connected read-only through Composio, built live during a webinar.
- Fixed three problems along the way: a websocket bug, a missing OpenRouter auth header, and his own Telegram ID missing from the allow-list. He used Claude Code to read the logs.
RustyNotes · Hermes Docker + Telegram setup · how-to
- A Docker Compose setup with allow-listed Telegram users and scheduled jobs that deliver to Telegram (
--deliver telegram). Instructions only; no measured results.
Other projects named “openbot” and similar
“openbot” refers to several unrelated projects. regnull/openbot is a small, early MIT project that warns its shell commands run without a sandbox. OpenTeam's Oct 26 test also covered nightly-labs OpenBot, which is source-available under a noncommercial license, and CopilotKit OpenBot, which its own README calls “a template, not a product”. Both stopped at a required account sign-in. The same test covered Open Duet, which asks before every change, and OpenTeam, which gives each bot its own Linux desktop and is built by the publisher of that test. See their write-up for those.
Cost and control
All four projects are free software. What you actually pay for is model tokens, an always-on machine for unattended work, any paid tool APIs such as search, and your own time. Context.dev notes that model usage dominates the bill. The widely shared “$5 vs $20+ a month” hosting figures are estimates from sellers, not measurements. In one vendor-published run on the same tasks, Hermes used more tokens than OpenClaw (2.9M vs 2.1M) but cost slightly less. Treat that as a single run and measure your own tasks.
| Setup | You pay for | Typical failure |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted Grok Bot | Plan, plus usage on demand | Spend is hard to predict; no model choice |
| MausBot on a laptop | Your existing CLI subscriptions or API usage | Bots stop when the laptop sleeps |
| MausBot Cloud or a VPS | Model, plus a Cloud plan or VPS, plus optional computers | Two meters to watch |
| Rakazo self-hosted | Model, VPS and optional sandbox API | Changes in the beta; a worker that dies without errors |
| OpenClaw / Hermes on a VPS or NAS | Model and an always-on host (Hermes Cloud is optional) | Allow-list mistakes, messages that never arrive, risky skills |
Two cheap ways to gain control, from the write-ups above: route each bot to a cheap or a strong model depending on its job, and keep provider keys behind a gateway or provider dashboard you can audit (Maniak; Ankur).
Migration checklist
- Write down the job in one sentence: “named bots with computers”, “a Telegram assistant with schedules”, or “coding only”. The answer tells you which group to pick from.
- List the accounts it will touch (mail, calendar, bank, cloud) and decide which are read-only. Start every app connection read-only (Upstash; Chan).
- Pick an always-on machine that isn't your personal one, such as a VPS, a NAS or a Mac mini. A laptop is fine for trying it out (Upstash).
- Pin versions, especially for Rakazo's beta and OpenClaw's message-delivery fixes.
- Lock down who can message it on day one: pairing codes and allow-lists, including your own ID (Ankur; Chan).
- Smoke-test before you trust it: one chat turn, one scheduled job that actually delivers to your real channel, one reboot, and one backup restore.
- Turn on approvals for sending, buying and deleting, and check the default in your build. MausBot starts new bots on “Just do it” (OpenTeam).
- Check the logs for model usage after the first week, including forgotten backup providers (Ankur).
- Use scripts where there's one right answer. Save the model for tasks that need judgement (Ankur).
- Moving between OpenClaw and Hermes? Each one imports the other:
hermes claw migrate --dry-runoropenclaw migrate hermes --dry-run. Scheduled jobs are archived rather than imported, and WhatsApp has to be paired again (Context.dev). - Keep a way back: your old plan or a known-good compose file, until you've had a quiet week.
Which should you pick?
- The closest open-source version of Grok Bot, with apps on every platform: Rakazo (OpenTeam). Accept that it's beta and that you run the server.
- Bots on Claude, Codex or Grok CLI logins you already pay for, with a different model per bot: MausBot (OpenTeam). Turn on “Ask me first”, and add a gateway if you want to see spend (Maniak).
- A household or team assistant across many chat apps, with tight tool rules: OpenClaw (Context.dev; Upstash). Configure a sandbox and read every skill.
- An agent that works in your repos and learns your routines: Hermes (Context.dev; Upstash). Run it in a container or under a dedicated user.
- Unattended chores like reminders, saving notes and watching websites: Hermes or OpenClaw as a scheduler, with scripts doing most of the work (Ankur).
- Mostly coding: a coding agent instead. See Claude Code vs Codex.
- No setup and apps on every device: stay with Grok Bot or another hosted assistant (OpenTeam; Upstash).
- Already happy with one of these: stay. Switch only for a specific capability you're missing (Context.dev).
Whatever you choose, start with read-only tasks and widen access as you build trust. Any of these can send, buy or delete if you let it (Upstash).
FAQ
Is there an open-source Grok Bot?
No. Grok Bot is a closed, hosted service. Rakazo and MausBot are Apache-2.0 projects with the same “team of bots, each with a computer” design. OpenClaw and Hermes (MIT) are messaging-first personal assistants in a related category.
Can I self-host Grok Bot?
No. Its computers run in the vendor's cloud, and there is no self-hosted edition. Rakazo, MausBot (on a VPS), OpenClaw and Hermes all run on hardware you control.
Which alternative is easiest to install?
In OpenTeam's Oct 26 test, Rakazo was ready to chat about three minutes after the first command, using Docker. MausBot is a signed Mac app that opens in under a minute. With onboarding and model setup, OpenTeam's install took about six minutes. OpenClaw and Hermes each install with one command, but plan extra time for chat-app pairing and an always-on host.
Are they free?
All four are free to self-host; you pay your model provider and your host. MausBot sells optional Cloud plans (about $15–$99 a month), and Nous sells optional Portal plans and Hermes Cloud. OpenClaw has no paid tier.
Can I use my Claude or ChatGPT subscription instead of API keys?
MausBot is built around the claude, codex and grok CLIs, so it can use the subscriptions those CLIs sign in with. The others mostly expect API keys or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. A chat subscription doesn't come with unlimited API usage.
Do they work with local models?
According to their docs, all four can. Rakazo and MausBot accept OpenAI-compatible servers such as Ollama, and OpenClaw lists Ollama, LM Studio and vLLM among its providers. Hermes needs a model with at least 64,000 tokens of context.
Is OpenClaw or Hermes safer?
Neither is “the safe one” (Context.dev). OpenClaw has the longer public vulnerability record, and ClawHub has hosted malicious skills. Hermes has fewer advisories, but its own security policy says the operating system is the only real boundary. Run either one as a dedicated user, in a container or on a separate machine.
Are approval prompts enough?
No. MausBot's own FAQ says approvals aren't a guarantee, and defaults vary: MausBot's new bots act without asking, while Rakazo's docs start new spaces in Ask mode (both per OpenTeam). Scope each bot narrowly and keep sensitive accounts read-only.
Did Agent Cookbook test these tools?
No. This guide is built from project docs (checked Nov 6, 2026), three published comparison reviews and named independent write-ups. Every hands-on result above is credited to the person or site that reported it.
Sources and credit
Comparison reviews this guide follows. The structure (short answer first, one comparison table, best-for and watch-out per project, a “which should you pick” list, and an FAQ) and several of the conclusions come from these pages. The wording is ours.
- Raghav Pillai, OpenTeam (Oct 26, 2026): Open-source Grok Bot alternatives, tested on one Mac. Source of the hands-on setup times and task results for Rakazo and MausBot, the default approval settings, and the “closest all-round copy” and “bots on the CLIs you already use” verdicts. OpenTeam builds a competing product and says so.
- Yahia Bakour, Context.dev (Oct 18, 2026): OpenClaw vs Hermes Agent. Source of the architecture, memory, security record, cost and migration details and the job-matched picks for OpenClaw vs Hermes. Context.dev sells a web-data tool that plugs into both.
- Ali Tarık Şahin, Upstash (Oct 9, 2026): Grok Bot vs Muse vs OpenClaw vs Hermes. Source of the hosted vs open-source framing, the guidance on where to run each one, and the picks by job. Upstash sells Upstash Box as an always-on host.
Independent write-ups and user reports
- Ankur Trapasiya (Aug 29, 2026): Letting my homelab do things on its own
- Adam Conway, XDA (May 19, 2026): OpenClaw promised, Hermes delivers (historical for OpenClaw security)
- Sebastian Maniak (Aug 15, 2026): OpenMausBot + agentgateway
- Jonathan Chan (May 29, 2026): Hermes on Docker
- RustyNotes: Hermes Docker + Telegram setup
- baeseokjae (Sep 11, 2026): OpenMausBot review
- botskills.sh (Aug 25, 2026): Rakazo self-hosting guide
- Hysen Labs: Rakazo project note
- SSD Nodes (Nov 1, 2026): Best self-hosted AI agents (sells VPS hosting)
- Reddit: Goodbye Grok Bot · OpenMausBot launch thread · Rakazo on r/foss · Grok Bot alternatives thread
Project docs: OpenMausBot · Rakazo · OpenClaw · Hermes Agent
Method: we did not install, run or benchmark any of these tools. Licenses and features were checked against project repos and docs on Nov 6, 2026. Hands-on results belong to the people credited next to them. Prices and defaults change quickly, so check upstream before you commit a weekend. See how we verify, or browse all guides. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@mail.agentcookbook.dev.
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