How is Meido different from OpenClaw?
OpenClaw and Meido both run on your computer and meet you in chat apps. OpenClaw is an open-source assistant: one Gateway, on a laptop or shared by configuration, with state, memory, and credentials on your hardware. Meido is one continuous chat on your machine, with personas, an Obsidian vault, and schedules that post back into that chat.
| OpenClaw | Meido | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Your computer | Your computer |
| What it is for | An assistant that acts through the channels and apps you connect | One continuous chat, with personas, a vault, and schedules |
| How you talk to it | Chat apps and native apps, through a Gateway. The README lists Discord, iMessage, Slack, Teams, Telegram, WhatsApp, and others. | The local web desk first. Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, and WeCom are optional. |
| How roles are split | One Gateway can run several agents. Each has its own workspace, state directory, and session store. The workspace is the default folder, not a hard sandbox, unless sandboxing is on. | One persona: its own engine, folder, memory, skills, and path list |
| Notes | Plain Markdown in the agent workspace. The default path is ~/.openclaw/workspace. | An Obsidian vault of Markdown SOPs and notes |
| Source | Open source, MIT, at github.com/openclaw/openclaw | Public source at github.com/kenpyfin/meido. The license is personal, non-commercial use. |
How Meido does this
- The desk is the first door. Install, run
meido start, and open 127.0.0.1:10961. Chat apps are added later if you want them. See Channels. - A persona is the role boundary. Engine, memory file, secrets, and paths outside the workspace belong to that persona. See Personas and Permissions.
- Notes live in the vault you already edit. The Obsidian vault stays Markdown. Schedules re-enter the same chat. See Vault and Schedules.
Questions
Do I have to pick one machine model?
Both run on your computer. Meido can still send a turn to Classic, Cursor, Gemini, or a local model. OpenClaw’s README says models and agent harnesses, including Claude, Codex, and local models, are plugins you can swap.
Which chat apps overlap?
Telegram, Discord, and WhatsApp appear on both public lists. Meido also documents WeCom. OpenClaw documents a longer list, including iMessage, Slack, and Teams. This page links to that list instead of copying it.
Is who funds either project part of this comparison?
No. This page compares where each agent runs, how you reach it, and where notes and roles live.