Question 1

What is Moltbot?

Accepted Answer

Moltbot (formerly Clawdbot) is an open-source, self-hosted AI assistant that you can run on your own hardware. It connects to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord, and can use various AI models including Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, or free local models via Ollama.

Question 2

Why did Clawdbot change its name to Moltbot?

Accepted Answer

Anthropic, the company behind Claude AI, requested the name change due to trademark concerns - 'Clawd' was too similar to 'Claude'. Creator Peter Steinberger chose 'Moltbot' because molting is what lobsters do to grow, fitting the project's evolution.

Question 3

Is Moltbot affiliated with Anthropic or OpenAI?

Accepted Answer

No. Moltbot is an independent open-source project. It can use AI models from various providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Ollama), but has no official affiliation with any of them.

Question 4

Is there a Moltbot cryptocurrency token?

Accepted Answer

NO. There is no official Moltbot or Clawdbot cryptocurrency. Any token claiming to be associated with the project is a SCAM. The $CLAWD token that briefly appeared was created by scammers during the rebrand chaos.

Question 5

Is Moltbot free?

Accepted Answer

Moltbot itself is 100% free and open source. However, if you use cloud AI providers (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini), you'll pay for API usage. You can run completely free by using Ollama with local models.

Question 6

How much does it cost to run Moltbot?

Accepted Answer

Costs vary by usage. Light users (10 messages/day) might spend $1-5/month. Heavy users (100+ messages/day) could spend $20-50/month. Using Ollama with local models costs $0 for AI, just your electricity.

Question 7

What's the cheapest way to run Moltbot?

Accepted Answer

Use Ollama with local models like Llama 3.1 or Mistral. You need a computer with at least 8GB RAM (16GB recommended). A Mac Mini M2 is popular for always-on setups.

Question 8

What hardware do I need to run Moltbot?

Accepted Answer

For API-only mode: Any computer with 2GB+ RAM. For local AI (Ollama): 8GB RAM minimum, 16GB+ recommended. Popular choices include Mac Mini, Raspberry Pi 5 (API only), or a $5 VPS.

Question 9

Can I run Moltbot on a Raspberry Pi?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but only with API-based models (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini). The Pi doesn't have enough RAM to run local AI models. A Raspberry Pi 4/5 with 4GB+ RAM works well.

Question 10

How do I install Moltbot?

Accepted Answer

The easiest way is using the one-line installer: curl -fsSL https://molt.bot/install | bash. This works on macOS and Linux. For Windows, use Docker or WSL. Check our installation guides for detailed steps.

Question 11

Can I run Moltbot in Docker?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Docker is a great option for easy deployment. Use: docker run -d -p 3000:3000 -e ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key moltbot/moltbot:latest. We also provide docker-compose files.

Question 12

Is Moltbot safe to use?

Accepted Answer

Moltbot is as safe as you configure it. Since it's self-hosted, you control your data. Main risks include: exposed dashboards (enable authentication!), API key leaks (use environment variables), and overly permissive agent settings. Follow our security guide.

Question 13

Can Moltbot access my files?

Accepted Answer

Only if you enable file system access. By default, Moltbot runs in a sandboxed environment. You can configure which directories it can access in the config file.

Question 14

Is my conversation data private?

Accepted Answer

Your conversations are stored locally on your server. They're not sent to Moltbot's developers. However, messages are sent to your chosen AI provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.) for processing.

Question 15

How do I secure my Moltbot installation?

Accepted Answer

1) Enable authentication, 2) Use a firewall to block external access, 3) Store API keys as environment variables, 4) Run in sandbox mode, 5) Use VPN or SSH for remote access. See our security checklist.

Question 16

What can Moltbot do?

Accepted Answer

Moltbot can: respond to messages on WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord, execute code, browse the web, manage your calendar, send emails, search the web, manage files, and much more through customizable 'skills'.

Question 17

What are Moltbot skills?

Accepted Answer

Skills are modular capabilities you can add to Moltbot. Examples include email management, calendar integration, web scraping, and custom automations. You can install community skills or create your own.

Question 18

Can Moltbot make phone calls?

Accepted Answer

Yes! There's a voice call plugin that lets Moltbot make phone calls on your behalf. It uses text-to-speech and can handle simple call scenarios.

Question 19

Does Moltbot remember previous conversations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Moltbot has persistent memory that stores context across conversations. It can remember facts about you, previous requests, and ongoing projects.

Question 20

Which AI models can Moltbot use?

Accepted Answer

Moltbot supports: Anthropic (Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Haiku, Opus), OpenAI (GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo), Google (Gemini 1.5 Pro, Flash), and local models via Ollama (Llama, Mistral, Phi, etc.).

Question 21

What's the best AI model for Moltbot?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your needs. Claude 3.5 Sonnet offers the best balance of quality and cost. GPT-4o is great for coding. For free local use, Llama 3.1 8B is excellent. Haiku/GPT-4o-mini are good for simple tasks at lower cost.

Question 22

Can I use multiple AI models?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can configure different models for different tasks. For example, use Haiku for quick queries and Sonnet for complex reasoning.

Question 23

What is Ollama?

Accepted Answer

Ollama is a tool that lets you run AI models locally on your own hardware. It's completely free to use and supports models like Llama, Mistral, and Phi. Combined with Moltbot, you get a free AI assistant.

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