# PicoClaw Compact Go agent with a web interface and support for small computers. Canonical profile: https://ki-agentenkompass.de/en/agents/picoclaw/ Editor: [Michael Meierhoff](https://ki-agentenkompass.de/en/about/) Sources reviewed: 2026-10-16 Basis: provider documentation. Examples are editorial suggestions, not hands-on product tests. ## Overview PicoClaw is listed as a separate product profile. - Provider: Sipeed - Product family: PicoClaw - Profile type: Self-hosted personal agent - Environment: Own computer or server - Connections: Tools and channels according to configuration - Setup: Download a matching release; configure a model provider and chat channel. - Pricing model: Open source; model and operating costs are separate. ## Key features ### Browser setup The launcher opens a web interface for configuration and chat. Source: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ### Connect MCP External MCP tools extend capabilities. Source: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ### Provide images Send images to compatible multimodal models. Source: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ### Route models Rules route requests to different models. Source: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ### Use small computers Releases support different processor architectures. Source: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ## Example workflows ### Set up a small computer - Your input: A supported computer and model access. - Possible result: An initial chat through the configured gateway. - What to check: Check content, permissions and actions taken. ### Analyze an image - Your input: A non-sensitive image and a compatible model. - Possible result: An image description for your review. - What to check: Record time spent, corrections and costs. ## Requirements and limits ### Setup Requirement: Configure the model, channels and permissions yourself. Source: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ### German in everyday use Not yet confirmed: End-to-end German interaction and output quality have not been tested here. Source: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ### Reliability Not yet confirmed: Success rates for specific workflows have not been measured here. Source: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ## A good fit if … - you want to run an agent as a single Go binary on small ARM, RISC-V or MIPS machines - you want to use your own model keys or local models through Ollama or vLLM - you want to reach it through Telegram, Discord, Slack or another of the 19-plus chat channels ## Less suitable if … - you need a production-ready setup; the README warns against use before version 1.0 - you need organisation-level administrator approval; the reviewed pages describe none Editorial assessment based on provider documentation. Not a product test. ## Usable AI models Open choice You add providers with your own key to the model list, plus OpenRouter, LiteLLM or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint via api_base. Models run locally through Ollama, LM Studio or vLLM. - Model families named: OpenAI (GPT), Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini), DeepSeek, Alibaba (Qwen), Moonshot (Kimi), MiniMax, Z.ai (GLM), Mistral · Other models can be connected freely - Model choice: You choose - Your own API key: Yes - Router or custom endpoint: Yes - Local models: Yes Documented · Sources accessed on: 2026-11-05 - [PicoClaw: Providers & Models](https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/providers.md) - [PicoClaw: README](https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw) ## Europe & regional availability Installation instructions and model prerequisites reviewed. The assessment covers the local operating path described; complete country and feature availability of all connected services remains open. Reviewed scope: Local software and documented self-hosting; external services assessed separately Reviewed on: 2026-10-19 ### Self-hosting with own model access With requirements PicoClaw offers local binaries and Docker operation. The documented startup configures an LLM API key and optionally a chat channel; check their country availability separately. Region covered: Europe: own computer or server; model services are country-specific Documented reason: Technical assessment based on installation and provider selection. These sources do not establish a legal cause for regional restrictions. Official source: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sipeed/picoclaw/main/README.md ## Accounts & permissions Based on provider documentation. Permissions depend on the account, integration and organization policies. Review the permissions actually requested before use. Configuration covered: Self-run PicoClaw instance (Go binary) with your own model keys and chat channels Sources reviewed: 2026-11-05 ### Account used Documented: You enter model access as API keys, which are loaded from a .security.yml file kept apart from the main configuration. The Telegram channel uses a bot token, and some channels such as WhatsApp and Weixin can be paired by QR scan. A few model providers use OAuth instead. Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/configuration.md Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ### Admin approval Open in reviewed sources: The reviewed pages mention no organisation or administrator approval. The configuration page shows a list of allowed user IDs (allow_from) for Telegram but describes no access rules for other channels. Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/configuration.md ### Data access & team sharing Documented: Commands and file access of the exec tool are limited to the workspace by default (restrict_to_workspace is on by default). Conversations are stored under sessions/ and long-term memory under memory/. session.dimensions controls how much memory chats, users and threads share. Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/configuration.md ## Prices and included usage Pricing checked: 2026-10-16 Open source; model and operating costs are separate. Total cost depends on access, usage and configuration. Pricing details: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ## Operation & oversight Based on public provider documentation. Assessments are editorial inferences from the stated properties. Actual time requirements and reliability have not been measured. Deployment covered: Self-run gateway on your own machine or server Sources reviewed: 2026-11-05 ### Files and working state Documented: The workspace (default ~/.picoclaw/workspace) holds sessions, memory, state, cron and skills. Scheduled jobs are stored in /cron/jobs.json. Changes to the files AGENT.md, SOUL.md, USER.md and MEMORY.md are detected at runtime, so no restart is needed. Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/configuration.md Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/reference/cron.md ### Sign-ins Open in reviewed sources: The reviewed pages do not say how long bot tokens or model keys stay valid or what happens when they expire. That depends on the respective provider. Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ### Starting further runs Documented: Further runs start from a chat message, a cron job or the heartbeat. The cron tool supports one-off, interval and cron-expression schedules; the command line supports recurring jobs only. By default the heartbeat reads HEARTBEAT.md every 30 minutes (configurable) and can be switched off. Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/reference/cron.md Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/configuration.md ### Human intervention Documented with conditions: Cron jobs with shell commands are gated: remote channels need an allowlist (empty by default), and with allow_command set to false a command job runs only with command_confirm. The reviewed pages describe no general approval of every action; the README mentions approval hooks in the hook system. Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/reference/cron.md Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/configuration.md ### Detecting errors Open in reviewed sources: You set verbosity through gateway.log_level (default warn). When command execution is disabled, existing cron commands report an error when they fire. The pages give no overall error overview; the troubleshooting page covers only two model errors. Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/operations/troubleshooting.md Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/reference/cron.md Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/configuration.md ### Resuming after failures Open in reviewed sources: Cron jobs and sessions are files in the workspace; one-off jobs are deleted after running, recurring ones remain. The reviewed pages do not describe retries, catching up on missed runs or resuming after a restart. Command jobs have a timeout (default five minutes). Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/reference/cron.md Evidence: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/operations/troubleshooting.md ### Editorial assessment You run and maintain PicoClaw yourself; state lives in files, while failure handling and recovery are barely documented. The README advises against production use before version 1.0. ## Memory and conversation continuity Scope: Workspace memory in current source code Sources accessed: 2026-11-04 A long-term file and daily notes provide file-based context. ### Storage and scope Documented: The workspace contains memory/MEMORY.md and daily notes under memory/YYYYMM/YYYYMMDD.md; writes are atomic. - [MemoryStore implementation](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sipeed/picoclaw/main/pkg/agent/memory.go) ### Selection and timing Partly documented: The code provides writing and appending; specific automatic fact selection and its triggers are not defined there. - [MemoryStore implementation](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sipeed/picoclaw/main/pkg/agent/memory.go) ### Inspect, edit and delete Documented: Local memory files can be read, edited and deleted; workspace-file changes are considered on subsequent requests. - [MemoryStore implementation](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sipeed/picoclaw/main/pkg/agent/memory.go) - [Configuration guide](https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/configuration.md) ### Agent and channel boundaries Partly documented: MemoryStore binds to the configured workspace. Fine-grained user and channel separation of memory is not described in the module. - [MemoryStore implementation](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sipeed/picoclaw/main/pkg/agent/memory.go) ### Retrieval Documented: GetMemoryContext combines the long-term file with daily notes from the last three days; it contains no vector retrieval. - [MemoryStore implementation](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sipeed/picoclaw/main/pkg/agent/memory.go) ### Session reset and compaction Partly documented: Memory files are separate from saved sessions. Reset and compaction consequences for memory are unspecified in the inspected sources. - [MemoryStore implementation](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sipeed/picoclaw/main/pkg/agent/memory.go) - [Configuration guide](https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw/blob/main/docs/guides/configuration.md) ## Context Configure the model, channels and permissions yourself. Provider sources reviewed; examples are editorial. No hands-on tests. ## Open points Requirements and limits, not yet confirmed: - German in everyday use - Reliability ## Sources - https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw ## Provider Publishes PicoClaw and the linked product information. - Operator: Sipeed - Organization: Open-source project - Website: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw - Reviewed: 2026-10-16 - Provider source: https://github.com/sipeed/picoclaw [Sources and method](https://ki-agentenkompass.de/en/sources/)