> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/nullclaw/nullclaw/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> NullClaw is an ultra-lightweight AI assistant infrastructure built in Zig - 678 KB binary, <2ms startup, runs on $5 hardware with ~1MB RAM

<img className="block" src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/nullclaw-nullclaw/images/nullclaw.png" alt="NullClaw Logo" width="200" />

# NullClaw

**Null overhead. Null compromise. 100% Zig. 100% Agnostic.**

The smallest fully autonomous AI assistant infrastructure — a static Zig binary that fits on any \$5 board, boots in milliseconds, and requires nothing but libc.

```
678 KB binary · <2 ms startup · 3,230+ tests · 22+ providers · 18 channels · Pluggable everything
```

## What is NullClaw?

NullClaw is a complete AI assistant runtime written entirely in Zig, designed to run anywhere with minimal resources. From edge devices to servers, NullClaw delivers the full AI assistant stack in a binary smaller than most JavaScript frameworks.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quick Start" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Get up and running in under 5 minutes with our quick start guide
  </Card>

  <Card title="Installation" icon="download" href="/installation">
    Detailed installation instructions and build optimization options
  </Card>

  <Card title="Core Concepts" icon="book" href="/essentials/core-concepts">
    Learn about NullClaw's vtable architecture and design principles
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="code" href="/api-reference">
    Comprehensive API documentation and examples
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Key Features

### Impossibly Small

678 KB static binary — no runtime, no VM, no framework overhead. The entire AI assistant infrastructure fits in less space than a single image file.

<Note>
  NullClaw is smaller than most JavaScript frameworks while providing complete AI assistant functionality including multi-provider support, memory systems, and tool execution.
</Note>

### Near-Zero Memory

\~1 MB peak RSS. Runs comfortably on the cheapest ARM single-board computers and microcontrollers. No garbage collector, no allocator overhead.

### Instant Startup

* **\<2 ms** on Apple Silicon
* **\<8 ms** on a 0.8 GHz edge core

Boot times measured from process start to ready state. No warm-up period required.

### True Portability

Single self-contained binary across ARM, x86, and RISC-V. Drop it anywhere, it just runs. No dependencies beyond libc.

### Feature-Complete

Despite its tiny size, NullClaw includes:

* **22+ AI Providers**: OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, Ollama, Venice, Groq, Mistral, xAI, DeepSeek, Together, Fireworks, Perplexity, Cohere, AWS Bedrock, and more
* **18 Channels**: CLI, Telegram, Signal, Discord, Slack, iMessage, Matrix, WhatsApp, Webhook, IRC, and more
* **18+ Tools**: shell, file operations, memory systems, browser control, HTTP requests, hardware access, and more
* **Hybrid Memory**: Vector + FTS5 keyword search with SQLite backend
* **Multi-layer Sandbox**: Landlock, Firejail, Bubblewrap, Docker support
* **Hardware Peripherals**: Arduino, Raspberry Pi GPIO, STM32/Nucleo
* **MCP Support**: Model Context Protocol for external tools
* **Streaming & Voice**: Real-time streaming responses and voice transcription

## Why NullClaw?

### Lean by Default

Zig compiles to a tiny static binary with zero overhead. No allocator waste, no garbage collector pauses, no runtime dependencies.

### Secure by Design

Comprehensive security model:

* Pairing-based authentication
* Strict sandboxing (landlock, firejail, bubblewrap, docker)
* Explicit allowlists for commands and paths
* Workspace scoping
* Encrypted secrets with ChaCha20-Poly1305

<Warning>
  By default, NullClaw operates in supervised mode with workspace-only access. All privileged operations require explicit configuration.
</Warning>

### Fully Swappable

Core systems are vtable interfaces. Every major component is pluggable:

* **Providers**: Swap AI models with a config change
* **Channels**: Add new messaging platforms without touching core code
* **Tools**: Extend capabilities through the tool interface
* **Memory**: Choose between SQLite, markdown, or custom backends
* **Tunnels**: Cloudflare, Tailscale, ngrok, or custom solutions
* **Peripherals**: Support for any hardware interface
* **Runtimes**: Native, Docker, or WASM execution

### No Lock-In

OpenAI-compatible provider support plus pluggable custom endpoints. Bring your own models, run local inference, or use any cloud provider.

## Benchmark Comparison

Local machine benchmark (macOS arm64, Feb 2026), normalized for 0.8 GHz edge hardware.

|                       | OpenClaw       | NanoBot          | PicoClaw   | ZeroClaw | **NullClaw** |
| --------------------- | -------------- | ---------------- | ---------- | -------- | ------------ |
| **Language**          | TypeScript     | Python           | Go         | Rust     | **Zig**      |
| **RAM**               | > 1 GB         | > 100 MB         | \< 10 MB   | \< 5 MB  | **\~1 MB**   |
| **Startup (0.8 GHz)** | > 500 s        | > 30 s           | \< 1 s     | \< 10 ms | **\< 8 ms**  |
| **Binary Size**       | \~28 MB        | N/A              | \~8 MB     | 3.4 MB   | **678 KB**   |
| **Tests**             | —              | —                | —          | 1,017    | **3,230+**   |
| **Source Files**      | \~400+         | —                | —          | \~120    | **\~110**    |
| **Cost**              | Mac Mini \$599 | Linux SBC \~\$50 | Board \$10 | Any \$10 | **Any \$5**  |

<Note>
  Measured with `/usr/bin/time -l` on ReleaseSmall builds. NullClaw is a static binary with zero runtime dependencies.
</Note>

## Reproduce Benchmarks

```bash theme={null}
zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseSmall
ls -lh zig-out/bin/nullclaw

/usr/bin/time -l zig-out/bin/nullclaw --help
/usr/bin/time -l zig-out/bin/nullclaw status
```

## Architecture Overview

Every subsystem in NullClaw is a **vtable interface** — swap implementations with a config change, zero code modifications required.

| Subsystem       | Interface        | Default Implementation                               |
| --------------- | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **AI Models**   | `Provider`       | 22+ providers (OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.)  |
| **Channels**    | `Channel`        | 18 channels (CLI, Telegram, Discord, etc.)           |
| **Memory**      | `Memory`         | SQLite with hybrid vector + FTS5 search              |
| **Tools**       | `Tool`           | 18+ tools (shell, files, memory, browser, etc.)      |
| **Security**    | `Sandbox`        | Auto-detect (Landlock, Firejail, Bubblewrap, Docker) |
| **Runtime**     | `RuntimeAdapter` | Native, Docker, WASM                                 |
| **Tunnels**     | `Tunnel`         | Cloudflare, Tailscale, ngrok, custom                 |
| **Peripherals** | `Peripheral`     | Serial, Arduino, RPi GPIO, STM32                     |

## Project Stats

```
Language:     Zig 0.15.2
Source files: ~110
Lines of code: ~45,000
Tests:        3,230+
Binary:       678 KB (ReleaseSmall)
Peak RSS:     ~1 MB
Startup:      <2 ms (Apple Silicon)
Dependencies: 0 (besides libc + optional SQLite)
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quick Start Guide" icon="play" href="/quickstart">
    Build and run your first NullClaw agent in minutes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="gear" href="/essentials/configuration">
    Learn how to configure providers, channels, and tools
  </Card>

  <Card title="Security Model" icon="shield" href="/essentials/security">
    Understand NullClaw's security architecture
  </Card>

  <Card title="Development" icon="wrench" href="/development">
    Contribute to NullClaw or extend it with custom providers
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Community

NullClaw is MIT licensed and fully open source. Join the community:

* **GitHub**: [github.com/nullclaw/nullclaw](https://github.com/nullclaw/nullclaw)
* **Documentation**: [nullclaw.github.io](https://nullclaw.github.io)
* **Issues**: Report bugs and request features on GitHub

***

**NullClaw** — Null overhead. Null compromise. Deploy anywhere. Swap anything.