Current stable release: 2026.10.2, published 12 October 2026. Extended stable (the LTS line): 2026.8.35, published 2 October 2026. Here's what's in the latest version, how to check what you're running, and how to update without breaking a working setup.
What is the latest version of OpenClaw?
2026.10.2, published on 12 October 2026 and marked Latest on the project's release page.
If you see 2026.10.5-beta.1 on the release page, that's a pre-release. It isn't the current stable version.
| Channel | Version | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Stable | 2026.10.2 | Most people |
| Extended stable (LTS) | 2026.8.35 | Servers and teams that value quiet over new |
| Beta | Published ahead of stable | Testing and early feedback |
Quick note on the LTS line, because the numbering confuses people. Extended stable moved from the July line to the August line. 2026.8.33 came out on 29 September, then 2026.8.34 and 2026.8.35 both landed on 2 October. The project describes this line as OpenClaw from the end of August 2026 plus critical security, reliability and performance fixes. If you're on extended stable, 2026.8.35 is where you should be.
The version number doesn't always match the month, either. 2026.9.8 and 2026.9.9 were published in October.
How to check which version you're running
openclaw --version
If the Gateway is running but you want its full picture, including whether an update is waiting:
openclaw status --all
openclaw update status --json
Compare the result with 2026.10.2 above. Don't trust a version number you remember installing, because automatic updates may have moved you.
What's new in 2026.10.2
Straight from the project's release notes, this is a cleanup release. It mostly fixes what 2026.10.1 left rough:
- The first upgrade from 2026.10.1 now completes cleanly, and successful in-place updates no longer end in errors. Windows and private-Node update paths finish instead of stalling or rolling back.
- Doctor no longer stops on residual issues such as stale Gateway locks, memory reindex locks, and allowlists for removed channel accounts.
- OpenAI and Anthropic API-key routes now default to provider-native compaction.
- Secrets that cross a chunk boundary in long tool output are now masked.
- Anthropic prompt-cache prefixes stay identical across follow-ups, replays, Gateway restarts and subagent completions, so cached prefixes keep hitting.
- Control UI reconnects, model changes with large plugins, and catalog loading no longer freeze the Gateway or hang new sessions.
One behaviour change to know about: the compaction default moved to provider-native on OpenAI and Anthropic API-key routes. If you relied on the old default, check it after updating.
Earlier releases
- 2026.10.1 (10 October): installed-skill discovery without loading the whole skill library, MCP Apps beside chat, full backups to external storage or Cloudflare R2, and conversation snooze in the Control UI. 2,425 pull requests from 402 contributors.
- 2026.9.9 (8 October): GPT-6.1 Sol in the Codex model list, Claude Haiku 5.5 support, and recovery of an installation after a failed update.
- 2026.9.8 (3 October): failed-update repair keeps your allowed plugins, Windows updates retry when files are briefly locked, and helper-agent replies return once.
- 2026.9.7 (30 September): fewer pauses in long conversations, live replies that stream only new text, and OpenAI's Agents API plus Sign in with ChatGPT (Beta).
- 2026.9.6 (23 September): clearer managed-update outcomes, recovery of unfinished work after a restart, 30-day usage reporting, and support for Claude Opus 5.5, GPT-6 Sol and Luna, and Grok 4.7. Its original macOS build crashed at launch and was replaced with a rebuilt build on 24 September. The npm package was never affected.
How to update OpenClaw
openclaw update
Before you run it, do three things. Take a backup, because an update that goes wrong at 2am is much easier to undo with one. Note the version you're on now, so you know what to roll back to. And read the release notes for the versions you're skipping, since defaults sometimes change between releases.
That last point matters more than it sounds. The 2026.9.2 release turned on Swarm sub-agents by default and opened cross-agent session visibility by default, which changes what your agents can see and do without you editing a single config line. We wrote that release up in the 2026.9.2 breakdown, and the full procedure, including rollback, is in how to update OpenClaw.
After updating:
openclaw doctor --fix
openclaw gateway restart
Doctor migrates configuration that moved between versions and repairs common breakage. Run it before you start debugging anything by hand.
An update that prints "success" has only proven that the package installed. Whether your config still validates and the Gateway came back are separate questions, and openclaw doctor --fix answers both.
Which release channel should you be on?
Stable is right for most people. You get fixes quickly and the cadence is fast enough that bugs rarely live long.
Extended stable is for anyone running OpenClaw as infrastructure: a server, a team Gateway, anything where an unexpected behaviour change costs more than a missing feature. It's a maintenance line that receives security and reliability backports rather than new features. The trade is that you're deliberately months behind on capability.
Beta exists if you want to help catch problems before they reach stable. Don't run it on the Gateway your business depends on.
The honest framing: the project ships fast, and that's a feature and a cost at the same time. Between 30 September and 12 October alone there were five stable releases. If reading a changelog every few days isn't something you have time for, extended stable is the channel that respects that.
OpenClaw 2.0, and where it sits
People search for "OpenClaw 2.0" expecting it to be the latest version. It isn't, quite.
OpenClaw 2.0 is the marketing name for v2026.8.1, released at the end of August 2026 and listed in the docs as "v2026.8.1 (AKA OpenClaw 2.0)". It was the big one: a rebuilt web experience, much simpler onboarding that detects existing AI subscriptions and local models, stronger memory and session continuity, shared sessions, and automatic skill learning through Skill Workshop. It pulled in work from 933 developers across more than 16,000 pull requests.
Everything since, the 8.2, 9.x and 10.x releases, builds on that. So 2.0 is the current generation, and 2026.10.2 is the current version of it.
If the update breaks something
The most common outcomes, in rough order of frequency:
The Gateway won't start. Run openclaw doctor --fix, then openclaw gateway restart. If it still won't come up, the cause is usually an incomplete install, a config key that moved, or a supervisor entry pointing at the old install.
Settings or skills look reset. Newer releases preserve these through automatic updates, so if something is missing, check that the update actually completed with openclaw update status --json rather than assuming it wiped your setup.
An agent behaves differently. Check the release notes for changed defaults before you go looking for a bug in your own config. Swarm and session visibility are the two recent examples.
Our OpenClaw security checklist is worth a pass after any update that changes defaults, and if you want to understand what the Gateway is actually doing underneath all this, how OpenClaw works covers the architecture.
Do you need to update every time?
No, and chasing every release is a reasonable thing to opt out of. Update promptly for security fixes, update deliberately for features, and consider extended stable if the answer to "did anything change in this release?" is a question you don't want to ask every few days.
That cadence is exactly why managed hosting exists as a category. On BetterClaw, updates are staged and applied for you, so there's no changelog to read and no 2am Gateway that won't start. Plans start at $19 a month with your own model keys. Get started or see the full pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the latest version of OpenClaw?
OpenClaw 2026.10.2, published on 12 October 2026, is the current stable release. The extended stable (LTS) line sits at 2026.8.35, published 2 October 2026. 2026.10.5-beta.1 is a pre-release, not stable. Check your own version with openclaw --version.
How do I update OpenClaw to the latest version?
Run openclaw update, then openclaw doctor --fix and openclaw gateway restart. Before updating, take a backup and note your current version so a rollback is straightforward. Read the notes for any releases you're skipping, because defaults occasionally change between versions.
Is OpenClaw 2.0 the same as the latest version?
Not exactly. OpenClaw 2.0 is the name for v2026.8.1, released at the end of August 2026, which brought the rebuilt web experience, simpler onboarding and stronger memory. Every release since, including 2026.10.2, builds on it. So you're on the 2.0 generation, and 2026.10.2 is its current version.
How often does OpenClaw release updates?
Every few days on the stable channel. Between 30 September and 12 October 2026 there were five stable releases, from 2026.9.7 through 2026.10.2, and the bigger releases carry over two thousand pull requests each. The extended stable line moves far more slowly and only receives security and reliability backports.
Should I use stable or extended stable?
Use stable if OpenClaw is a personal tool and you want fixes quickly. Use extended stable if it's infrastructure, since a maintenance line that changes rarely is worth more than new features when other people depend on the Gateway. Extended stable is currently 2026.8.35, published 2 October 2026, which is OpenClaw from the end of August plus security, reliability and performance fixes.
