Choose an Install Path

NextClaw is available as a desktop app, an npm package, and a Docker deployment. All three run the same product; the main difference is where it runs and how you maintain it.

Most people: desktop app

Use the desktop app when you want to download NextClaw and open it directly. It supports macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Download the latest stable release

Open NextClaw after installation. A fresh install enables OpenCode Zen free-trial models by default, so you can send the first message without entering an API key. Then continue to the Quickstart.

Terminal and local service: npm

Use npm when you prefer a command-line workflow or want NextClaw to run as a local service.

npm install -g nextclaw
nextclaw start

Then open:

http://127.0.0.1:55667

The built-in free-trial models are ready on first launch; you do not need to prepare an API key first.

Common management commands:

nextclaw status
nextclaw doctor
nextclaw stop

Server or cloud VM: Docker

Use Docker for an always-on host, remote access, reverse proxy, or cloud VM deployment.

curl -fsSL https://nextclaw.io/install-docker.sh | bash

Review remote scripts before running them on a server. See Docker Deployment for domains, ports, data paths, and reverse proxy setup.

Unused messaging channels do not keep separate processes resident. The current verified ARM64 Linux empty-configuration benchmark averaged about 165 MiB of working set across three runs. This is an idle benchmark rather than a universal minimum; see Runtime Resource Usage for the tested server baseline and the workloads that add memory.

Which one should you choose?

Your situation	Recommended path
Start quickly on your own computer	Desktop app
Use a CLI or local background service	npm
Keep NextClaw running on a server	Docker
Develop NextClaw itself	Run from source

After choosing, continue to the Quickstart.

OpenCode Zen free-trial access uses a public gateway. Limits and models may change, and request data may be used to improve models. Do not send passwords, secrets, or other sensitive or confidential information.