nix-openclaw

What is nix-openclaw?

nix-openclaw is a Nix flake that installs and configures OpenClaw, an AI assistant gateway, declaratively through Home Manager. You describe the setup once in a local flake, run home-manager switch, and get the gateway running as a launchd service on macOS or a systemd user service on Linux, with the macOS app included on Mac. Runtime dependencies are bundled and pinned, so two machines using the same config get the same build, and Home Manager keeps earlier configuration generations. Messaging channels such as Telegram and Discord are configured in the same file, with secrets read from files or environment variables, and OpenClaw runtime plugins for Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, GitHub Copilot, Google Chat and Microsoft Teams are installed by Nix rather than the OpenClaw CLI. Tool plugins declare their command-line tools in Nix and are wired up on enable. It targets Apple Silicon macOS and x86_64 Linux and requires Nix with flakes enabled. The repository is free to use, and the project is not accepting pull requests, directing contributors to its Discord instead.

Use cases

• Install OpenClaw declaratively with Nix
• Run an OpenClaw gateway as a background service
• Connect OpenClaw to Telegram or Discord
• Reproduce the same agent setup on another machine
• Add OpenClaw runtime plugins through Nix
• Keep agent workspace files under version control

Who it's for

• Nix users
• Self-hosting developers
• DevOps engineers
• OpenClaw users

Why use nix-openclaw

• Everything is declared in one flake, so rebuilding a machine or sharing a setup gives the same result.
• Pinned dependencies and Home Manager generations make updates easier to reverse than a manual install.
• The gateway runs as a managed service on both macOS and Linux without hand-written service files.
• Plugins and their dependencies are built by Nix, which avoids runtime npm installs.
• A copy-and-paste prompt lets a coding agent do the setup for you.

nix-openclaw features

• Home Manager module for the OpenClaw gateway
• launchd service on macOS and systemd user service on Linux
• macOS app bundled on macOS
• Pinned packages and recorded configuration generations
• Runtime plugins installed from a runtimePlugins list, with exact npm and ClawHub sources
• Self-contained tool plugins that declare CLI tools in Nix
• Channel configuration for Telegram, Discord, Slack, WhatsApp, Google Chat and Microsoft Teams
• Agent-first flake template with explicit workspace bootstrap files
• Secrets read from files or environment variables

nix-openclaw integrations

• OpenClaw
• Nix
• Home Manager
• Telegram
• Discord
• Slack
• WhatsApp
• Google Chat
• Microsoft Teams
• GitHub Copilot
• Anthropic

How to get started with nix-openclaw

1. Install Nix with flakes enabled, and Home Manager if you do not already have it.
2. Create a local flake from the agent-first template with nix flake init, or ask a coding agent to do it.
3. Fill in your system, username, workspace bootstrap files and provider secrets such as a Telegram token and Anthropic key.
4. Run home-manager switch to build and start the gateway service.
5. Message your bot to confirm the gateway responds, and edit the flake and re-run switch for later changes.

nix-openclaw limitations

• Windows is out of scope for now
• Supports Apple Silicon macOS and x86_64 Linux only
• Requires Nix with flakes enabled and Home Manager
• OpenClaw plugin install and update commands are disabled in Nix mode, so changes go through your Nix config
• Pull requests are not being accepted and GitHub Issues are not actively monitored

nix-openclaw pricing

nix-openclaw is open source, so you can use and self-host it for free.

Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

nix-openclaw alternatives

The main nix-openclaw alternatives listed on Debuly are ClawHub, TiOLi AGENTIS, Future AGI, Herdr, Inference.ai and Runlayer. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

1. 

   ClawHub

   Public registry where you find, install and publish skills and plugins for the OpenClaw AI assistant, with a CLI and API.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agentsCoding
   Open sourceVisit ClawHub (official site)
2. 

   Future AGI

   Platform for tracing, evaluating, simulating and guarding LLM apps and AI agents, with a gateway, usage-based billing and a free tier.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit Future AGI (official site)
3. 

   Herdr

   Open-source terminal runtime that keeps many coding agents running in the background and lets you reattach from any machine.

   Developer platformsCodingAutomation and agents
   Open sourceVisit Herdr (official site)
4. 

   Inference.ai

   AI agent and model platform with always-on agent VMs, one-key access to many LLMs, and GPU compute at reduced rates.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   PaidVisit Inference.ai (official site)
5. 

   Runlayer

   Control plane for enterprise AI that governs MCP servers, skills and agents, with discovery of unsanctioned AI use.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   Contact salesVisit Runlayer (official site)
6. 

   TiOLi AGENTIS

   Infrastructure for AI agent commerce: agent profiles, escrow, wallets, memory and reputation, reachable by REST API and MCP.

   Developer platformsAutomation and agents
   FreemiumVisit TiOLi AGENTIS (official site)

nix-openclaw FAQ

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

Image credits

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