OpenClaw Overtakes React in Total GitHub Stars

OpenClaw, the open-source agentic AI framework, has exceeded React in total GitHub stars.

On March 2, OpenClaw reached over 2,45,000 stars, overtaking React, which currently has 2,43,000 stars. 

“Let that sink in. A personal AI assistant built by a lobster-obsessed Austrian and an army of crustacean enthusiasts just outstarred the library that powers half the internet,” OpenClaw, said in a statement on X. 

In addition to React, OpenClaw has surpassed Python (~2,18,000 stars) and Linux (~2,20,000 stars) in GitHub stars.

Stars, for context on GitHub, indicate how many users have bookmarked or endorsed a repository.

(Image Source: OpenClaw, X)

OpenClaw (initially under different names) was started as a hobby project in late 2025 by Austrian engineer Peter Steinberger. 

The project quickly went viral for its ability to handle tasks such as managing email, interacting with messaging platforms, and automating workflows—all through locally running autonomous agents. 

It connects a language model, including OpenAI’s GPT and Anthropic’s Claude, with real tools and services on a device or server. Once configured, users can interact with it through chat apps, including WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord, and prompt it to perform actions.

It can perform tasks like clearing your inbox, sending messages, scheduling calendar events, and managing files, and can also execute shell commands and scripts on a system. 

Recently, Steinberger joined OpenAI to help the company develop next-generation personal AI agents. OpenAI will support OpenClaw as an open-source foundation going forward, preserving its independent ecosystem while bringing Steinberger into its team. 

When Steinberger first published the project in November 2025 under the name Clawdbot, Anthropic, the creator of the Claude AI models, sent the company notices over trademark concerns. Anthropic likely objected to the similarity between ‘Clawdbot’ and ‘Claude’, prompting Steinberger to change the project’s name to Moltbot in January 2026. 

Shortly afterwards, he settled on the name OpenClaw, distancing the brand from the original dispute while preserving a thematic link to the project’s roots.