# HiClaw vs StartOS

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | HiClaw | StartOS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 67/100 ✓ | 61/100 |
| Rank in category | #32 of 209 in AI Agents | #5 of 22 in Home Server |
| GitHub stars | 5 885 ✓ | 1 994 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +222 ✓ | +9 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 23 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.2.5 · 16 Oct 2026 | start-os/v0.4.0.4 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Go | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

HiClaw scores 67/100 against 61/100 for StartOS, so it is the safer default.

StartOS ships more often: 23 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for HiClaw.

If you want the quickest setup, HiClaw is easier to run; StartOS needs more configuration.

HiClaw is growing faster right now (+222 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [HiClaw](https://selfhost.directory/project/hiclaw) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/hiclaw.md)
- [StartOS](https://selfhost.directory/project/startos) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/startos.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/hiclaw-vs-startos