Switch from OpenClaw to BetterClaw in Under an Hour
Keep everything that works - your chat channels, your workflows, your memory - and leave behind the Docker configs, YAML files, and 3am "is my Mac Mini still running" anxiety.
You're not the only one.
"openclaw uninstall" is a rising search query. Here's what's driving the migration wave:
Cisco found unvetted OpenClaw skills running data exfiltration. A Meta researcher's agent deleted 200+ emails and ignored stop commands. People are realizing that running an autonomous agent with no guardrails on their personal machine is a real risk, not a theoretical one.
Peter Steinberger joined OpenAI on February 14, 2026. OpenClaw is moving to a foundation. The project may thrive under community governance, or it may not. For people running production workflows, that uncertainty is uncomfortable.
The initial setup was a weekend project. But the ongoing maintenance - Docker updates, channel reconfigurations, security patching, memory management, debugging agent behavior through terminal logs - that's a permanent job.
$599 for the hardware. API costs on top. Electricity on top. And you still need a monitor, keyboard, and mouse for initial setup, plus an HDMI dummy plug if running headless. The "free open-source agent" turned out to cost more than most SaaS subscriptions.
OpenClaw worked fine when it was just you. But now your team wants agents too, and asking your ops manager to SSH into a Mac Mini and edit YAML isn't realistic.
Whatever your reason, the migration is straightforward. Here's exactly how to do it.
What to have ready before you migrate.
Before you touch anything, gather these from your current OpenClaw setup:
This defines your agent's personality, instructions, and behavior. It's in your OpenClaw workspace directory - typically ~/.openclaw/SOUL.md or in your agent's workspace folder. Copy the full text. You'll paste this into BetterClaw's agent identity field.
OpenClaw stores memory as local markdown files in your workspace. Find them in your agent's workspace directory - look for files with names like memory.md, context.md, or anything in a /memory/ subfolder. These contain your agent's accumulated knowledge about you. BetterClaw can import these.
Run openclaw skills list in your terminal or check your ~/.openclaw/skills/ directory. Write down which skills you actively use. You'll find equivalents in BetterClaw's marketplace.
Wherever you stored your AI provider keys - environment variables, .env files, or openclaw.json - you'll need these for BetterClaw. Typically your Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or DeepSeek API keys.
Note which chat platforms your agent is connected to and any specific settings - custom bot names, channel restrictions, permission scopes.
If your agent runs recurring tasks (email checks, calendar syncs, report generation), note the schedule and what each task does.
That's it. You don't need to export databases, backup Docker containers, or preserve any infrastructure. Everything that matters about your OpenClaw agent lives in text files.
The full walkthrough. Under an hour.
Create your BetterClaw account
2 minGo to betterclaw.io and sign up. No credit card required for your first agent. You'll land on your dashboard immediately.
Create your agent
3 minClick "New Agent." You'll see a simple form:
Whatever you called your OpenClaw agent - or pick something new.
Select your provider and paste your API key. Encrypted with AES-256 immediately.
Paste your SOUL.md content. Same natural-language format - personality and instructions carry over directly.
New - set which actions run autonomously and which need your approval. Adjust anytime.
Connect your chat channels
5 minYour agent will be reachable on all channels simultaneously, with shared memory across every conversation. No manual bridge setup, no bot token management.
Import your memory
5 minIn agent settings, find "Import Memory." Upload your OpenClaw memory markdown files. BetterClaw parses them into its encrypted hybrid search memory system.
Your agent immediately has access to everything it knew before - preferences, past conversations, decisions, context. Nothing lost. The import tool flags any formatting issues for your review.
Install your skills
10–15 minSearch our marketplace for equivalents of your OpenClaw skills. Common migrations:
| OpenClaw | BetterClaw |
|---|---|
| gog | Google Workspace |
| himalaya | Email (IMAP/SMTP) |
| github | GitHub |
| obsidian | Obsidian |
| slack | Built-in (no skill needed) |
| browser | Web Browser |
| summarize | Summarizer |
Every skill is security-audited. Install with one click. Custom OpenClaw skills can be adapted to BetterClaw's similar SKILL.md format.
Set up scheduled tasks
5 minRecreate your cron jobs through the dashboard - pick the task, set the frequency, choose the time window. No cron syntax, no config files.
Test your workflows
15–20 minRun BetterClaw alongside OpenClaw for a day before sunsetting:
- Send test messages through each chat channel
- Trigger each skill manually - email, calendar, web search
- Let a scheduled task run and confirm it completes
- Check the real-time dashboard - the monitoring you never had
- Test the kill switch - the safety net you never had
Sunset OpenClaw
5 min- Stop your OpenClaw gateway process
- Shut down, repurpose, or sell your Mac Mini (60–70% resale value)
- Revoke old API keys, generate new ones for BetterClaw
- Disconnect old chat platform bridges and bots
- Keep your OpenClaw workspace as backup for 30 days
What carries over - and what changes.
- Your agent's personality and instructions (SOUL.md → Agent Identity)
- Your accumulated memory (markdown files → encrypted persistent memory)
- All chat channel connections (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Signal, Teams, iMessage)
- Your API keys for AI providers (stored encrypted instead of in plain text)
- Most standard skills (email, calendar, browser, GitHub, Obsidian, etc.)
- Scheduled tasks and recurring automations
- Security: You gain action approval workflows, skill vetting, sandboxed execution, encrypted credentials, audit trails, and an instant kill switch.
- Monitoring: Real-time visual dashboard instead of terminal logs.
- Memory: Encrypted hybrid vector + keyword search system, automatically backed up.
- Multi-channel: Channels share memory natively. No additional configuration required.
- Custom Gateway plugins: Plugins hooking into the Gateway runtime's internal APIs need to be rebuilt as BetterClaw skills.
- Local model inference: Ollama with local models isn't supported. All inference goes through cloud API providers.
- Apple ecosystem: iMessage, Shortcuts, HomeKit require macOS running locally. BetterClaw is cloud-based.
- Nix-based skill packages: OpenClaw's Nix plugin system doesn't carry over, but most functionality can be replicated with BetterClaw's cloud-native skill system.
Questions we hear during every migration.
No. Import your OpenClaw memory markdown files and your agent picks up exactly where it left off. Every conversation, preference, and decision is preserved.
Yes. We recommend this. Run BetterClaw alongside OpenClaw for a day or two, testing each workflow before sunsetting your old setup. They don't conflict with each other.
You can request it - our team reviews and adds skills regularly. Or you can build it yourself using BetterClaw's skill development framework, which uses a similar SKILL.md format. Your custom skill goes through the same security audit before it's available.
Yes. BetterClaw supports model routing across 30+ providers. Set default models for routine tasks and premium models for complex reasoning. Configure it from the dashboard - no JSON editing required.
Yes. Create a separate BetterClaw agent for each. Every agent runs in its own isolated sandbox with its own identity, memory, skills, and channel connections. $29/month each.
We recommend keeping your OpenClaw workspace directory for 30 days after migration. After you've confirmed everything works on BetterClaw, you can safely delete it. The memory, skills, and configurations you care about are now in BetterClaw's encrypted infrastructure.
Community skills from ClawHub need to pass BetterClaw's security audit before they appear in our marketplace. This is intentional - the same unvetted skill ecosystem that led to Cisco finding data exfiltration is exactly what we're fixing. If a skill you need hasn't been audited yet, flag it and our team will prioritize the review.
Yes. The migration doesn't require any CLI, Docker, or SSH commands on the BetterClaw side. The only part that requires access to your OpenClaw files is copying your SOUL.md and memory files - if someone else set up your OpenClaw instance, ask them to export those files for you. Everything else is point-and-click.
Whatever you want. Sell it (they hold strong resale value). Repurpose it as a media server, home automation hub, or development machine. Or keep it running OpenClaw for tinkering while BetterClaw handles your production workflows.
The one-page migration timeline.
From OpenClaw to BetterClaw in under an hour.
Create account, set up agent (paste SOUL.md, configure AI model, set guardrails), connect chat channels with 1-click each.
Import memory files, install skills from marketplace, set up scheduled tasks through the dashboard.
Test all workflows, verify channel connections, check the dashboard, sunset OpenClaw instance, revoke old API keys. Done.
Your agent deserves an upgrade. You deserve a weekend back.
Same AI power. No Docker. No Mac Mini. No YAML. No security nightmares. Migrate in under an hour and never debug an agent from a terminal again.
$29/month per agent · Import your OpenClaw memory · All skills security-audited