--- title: "PokeClaw vs captain-claw" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/agents-io-pokeclaw-vs-kstevica-captain-claw" tools: ["agents-io-pokeclaw", "kstevica-captain-claw"] --- # PokeClaw vs captain-claw *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick PokeClaw if pokeClaw is an on-device AI solution for Android control, featuring local processing without cloud reliance and powered by Gemma 4; pick captain-claw if self-hosted ensemble reasoning and agentic coding framework for orchestrating specialist AI agents. [PokeClaw](https://github.com/agents-io/PokeClaw) reports 1.1k GitHub stars, 149 forks, and 43 open issues, last pushed Jun 2, 2026. [captain-claw](https://captain-claw.com) has 163 stars, 15 forks, and 0 open issues, last pushed Sep 16, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [PokeClaw's repository](https://github.com/agents-io/PokeClaw) and [captain-claw's repository](https://github.com/kstevica/captain-claw). | | [PokeClaw](/tools/agents-io-pokeclaw.md) | [captain-claw](/tools/kstevica-captain-claw.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | first on-device AI for controlling Android phone | Self-hosted framework for orchestrating fleets of specialist AI agents | | Stars | 1,059 | 163 | | Forks | 149 | 15 | | Open issues | 43 | 0 | | Language | Kotlin | Python | | Adopt for | PokeClaw is an on-device AI solution for Android control, featuring local processing without cloud reliance and powered by Gemma 4. | Self-hosted ensemble reasoning and agentic coding framework for orchestrating specialist AI agents | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | PokeClaw is distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, allowing for free use in both proprietary and open-source products with attribution. | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents | AI Agents | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [PokeClaw](/tools/agents-io-pokeclaw.md) | [captain-claw](/tools/kstevica-captain-claw.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Slowing (36%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 109d | 3d | | Open issues (now) | 43 | 0 | | Stars delta | +55 (30d) | +2 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +11 (30d) | 0 (30d) | | Owner type | Organization | User | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/agents-io-pokeclaw/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/kstevica-captain-claw/trust.md) | ## Shared compatibility - **Python**: [PokeClaw](/tools/agents-io-pokeclaw.md) - Python runtime; [captain-claw](/tools/kstevica-captain-claw.md) - Python runtime ## Decision facts: PokeClaw - **Pricing:** freemium - The core project is free to use thanks to its Apache-2.0 licensing, but potential premium services could unlock more features or support. - **Adopt for:** PokeClaw is an on-device AI solution for Android control, featuring local processing without cloud reliance and powered by Gemma 4. - **License detail:** PokeClaw is distributed under the Apache-2.0 license, allowing for free use in both proprietary and open-source products with attribution. ## Decision facts: captain-claw - **Adopt for:** Self-hosted ensemble reasoning and agentic coding framework for orchestrating specialist AI agents ## Choose when ### Choose PokeClaw if… - PokeClaw is primarily Kotlin; captain-claw is Python. - License: PokeClaw is Apache-2.0, captain-claw is MIT. - Pricing: The core project is free to use thanks to its Apache-2.0 licensing, but potential premium services could unlock more features or support.. - Tags unique to PokeClaw: accessibility, ai-agent, android-automation, local-llm. - You need to control your Android device locally with no internet dependence, as PokeClaw operates fully on-device. ### Choose captain-claw if… - captain-claw is primarily Python; PokeClaw is Kotlin. - License: captain-claw is MIT, PokeClaw is Apache-2.0. - Tags unique to captain-claw: agent-orchestration, agentic-coding, local-friendly, model agnostic. - captain-claw ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you need a model-agnostic solution that supports local deployment of multiple AI agents. ## When NOT to use PokeClaw - Your use case requires the scalability and power of cloud-based AI services that can support high computational tasks beyond local device capabilities. - You need frequent updates and maintenance that typically come from maintaining cloud services; PokeClaw operates independently but may see less rapid feature upgrades. ## When NOT to use captain-claw - Avoid if your project needs cloud-based scalable resources, as captain-claw focuses on local setups. - If ease-of-use and existing community support are prioritized over self-hosting flexibility. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between PokeClaw and captain-claw? PokeClaw: first on-device AI for controlling Android phone. captain-claw: Self-hosted framework for orchestrating fleets of specialist AI agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose PokeClaw over captain-claw? Choose PokeClaw over captain-claw when PokeClaw is primarily Kotlin; captain-claw is Python; License: PokeClaw is Apache-2.0, captain-claw is MIT; Pricing: The core project is free to use thanks to its Apache-2.0 licensing, but potential premium services could unlock more features or support.; Tags unique to PokeClaw: accessibility, ai-agent, android-automation, local-llm; You need to control your Android device locally with no internet dependence, as PokeClaw operates fully on-device. ### When should I choose captain-claw over PokeClaw? Choose captain-claw over PokeClaw when captain-claw is primarily Python; PokeClaw is Kotlin; License: captain-claw is MIT, PokeClaw is Apache-2.0; Tags unique to captain-claw: agent-orchestration, agentic-coding, local-friendly, model agnostic; captain-claw ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you need a model-agnostic solution that supports local deployment of multiple AI agents. ### When should I avoid PokeClaw? Your use case requires the scalability and power of cloud-based AI services that can support high computational tasks beyond local device capabilities. You need frequent updates and maintenance that typically come from maintaining cloud services; PokeClaw operates independently but may see less rapid feature upgrades. ### When should I avoid captain-claw? Avoid if your project needs cloud-based scalable resources, as captain-claw focuses on local setups. If ease-of-use and existing community support are prioritized over self-hosting flexibility. ### Is PokeClaw or captain-claw more popular on GitHub? PokeClaw has more GitHub stars (1,059 vs 163). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are PokeClaw and captain-claw open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (PokeClaw: Apache-2.0, captain-claw: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to PokeClaw or captain-claw? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [PokeClaw alternatives](/tools/agents-io-pokeclaw/alternatives) and [captain-claw alternatives](/tools/kstevica-captain-claw/alternatives) ([PokeClaw markdown twin](/tools/agents-io-pokeclaw/alternatives.md), [captain-claw markdown twin](/tools/kstevica-captain-claw/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/agents-io-pokeclaw-vs-kstevica-captain-claw.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, PokeClaw or captain-claw? PokeClaw: Slowing. captain-claw: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for PokeClaw and captain-claw? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [PokeClaw trust report](/tools/agents-io-pokeclaw/trust); [captain-claw trust report](/tools/kstevica-captain-claw/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=agents-io-pokeclaw`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=agents-io-pokeclaw) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_