Brigade vs OpenClaw

Two open-source, self-hosted AI agents. One ships the org chart, memory, and connectors built in.

Brigade and OpenClaw are both MIT-licensed AI assistants you self-host on your own machine. The difference is what comes managed. OpenClaw gives you the primitives and leaves memory, integrations, and security for you to wire up. Brigade ships a crew of agents on a real org chart, Tideline long-term memory, 1,000+ Composio connectors, and five layers of security out of the box.

Brigade vs OpenClaw, side by side

Brigade

OpenClaw

Memory

Tideline, managed memory graph

Plugin memory, opt-in

Goals & org chart

Goal-based agents on a real org chart

No org chart

Self-improving agents

Agents learn and improve, you approve

No

Connectors

1,000+ via Composio, managed

MCP + plugins, none managed

Security

Five layers, built-in

Built-in primitives, self-configured

Database & encryption

Switchable, encrypted (Convex)

DIY, no encryption at rest

Native channels

20+ chat apps, plus phone, watch, glasses & Quest

20+ chat apps, software only

Time to set up

One click

Terminal + WSL2 on Windows

Open source

MIT

MIT

Hosting

Self-host now, managed service soon

Self-hosted only

Pricing

Free, plus managed service (coming soon)

Free + DIY hosting + API costs

Where Brigade pulls ahead

Where OpenClaw is a good pick

OpenClaw is a strong pick if you want a minimal, terminal-first assistant and prefer to assemble memory and integrations yourself. It is lean, fully open source, and self-hosted only, with no managed layer to depend on.

Frequently asked

Are Brigade and OpenClaw both open source?

Yes. Both Brigade and OpenClaw are MIT licensed and free to self-host. The difference is what each ships managed: Brigade includes memory, connectors, and security layers, while OpenClaw provides the primitives for you to configure.

What does Brigade have that OpenClaw doesn't?

Brigade adds a real org chart with goal-based routing, Tideline managed long-term memory, 1,000+ Composio connectors, self-improvement under your approval, five built-in security layers, and a switchable encrypted database. OpenClaw leaves most of those for you to wire up.

Is Brigade or OpenClaw easier to set up?

Brigade is easier for most people: it launches in one click with nothing to host. OpenClaw is terminal-first and needs WSL2 on Windows. If you prefer assembling your own stack, OpenClaw's lean approach may suit you better.

Can I run both Brigade and OpenClaw locally?

Yes. Both are self-hosted and run on your own machine, and both are model-agnostic, so they can use local models through Ollama as well as hosted providers. Your data and credentials stay with you in either case.