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In early 2026, many developers and self-hosting enthusiasts noticed something unexpected: Clawdbot, the popular open-source AI agent framework, suddenly changed its name. Repositories, documentation, and community discussions began referring to a new name — Moltbot.
If you’ve been following the project, or if you already deployed Clawdbot on your own VPS, this raised some obvious questions:
- Why did Clawdbot change its name?
- Is Moltbot a new project or just a rebrand?
- Do existing Clawdbot installations still work?
- Should users migrate or reinstall anything?
In this article, we’ll break down what really happened, explain the reasoning behind the rebrand, and show you how to continue using Clawdbot (now Moltbot) safely and efficiently. We’ll also recommend step-by-step installation guides that remain fully applicable after the name change.
What Is Clawdbot (Now Moltbot)?
Before discussing the rename, let’s briefly recap what made Clawdbot popular in the first place.
Clawdbot is an open-source, self-hosted AI agent platform designed to act as a personal assistant rather than a simple chatbot. Unlike traditional LLM chat interfaces, Clawdbot can:
- Maintain long-term memory
- Execute tools and workflows
- Integrate with messaging platforms
- Be fully controlled and hosted by the user
For developers, founders, and automation enthusiasts, Clawdbot filled a crucial gap:
👉 An AI assistant you actually own and run yourself.
Typical use cases include:
- Internal AI assistants for teams
- Telegram or WhatsApp AI bots
- Personal productivity agents
- AI automation workflows on VPS environments
This self-hosted nature is also why Clawdbot gained strong traction among VPS users and cloud providers.
Why Did Clawdbot Change Its Name?
The Short Answer: Trademark Concerns
In January 2026, the Clawdbot maintainer announced that the project would be renamed to Moltbot. The reason was trademark-related concerns raised by Anthropic, the company behind the AI model brand Claude.
While Clawdbot was not trying to impersonate Claude or Anthropic, the names were considered phonetically and conceptually too similar:
- Clawdbot
- Claude
- Internal references like “Clawd”
From a legal and branding perspective, this posed potential risks.
Rather than entering a long dispute, the project’s creator chose a clean, proactive rebrand.
Why the Name “Moltbot”?
The new name Moltbot comes from the word “molt”, which describes the process by which animals like lobsters or insects shed an old shell and grow a new one.
This metaphor fits surprisingly well:
- The project keeps its core identity
- The external “shell” (name and branding) changes
- Development continues without disruption
In other words, Moltbot is Clawdbot after a successful evolution, not a replacement or fork.
Even the mascot and branding were updated to reflect this idea of growth and transformation.
Is Moltbot a Different Project?
No — and this is important.
Moltbot is the same project as Clawdbot.
What stayed the same:
- Core architecture
- Installation methods
- Configuration files
- Features and roadmap
- Self-hosting philosophy
What changed:
- Project name
- Branding assets
- Official references going forward
If you already installed Clawdbot on a VPS, your setup continues to work. In most cases, no immediate action is required unless you want to align naming or documentation.
What About Existing Clawdbot Installations?
If you’re already running Clawdbot:
- ✅ No forced migration
- ✅ No data loss
- ✅ No reinstallation required
- ✅ Configuration remains valid
Over time, you may notice:
- Documentation using the name “Moltbot”
- Repository names updated
- Environment variables or UI labels gradually changing
But functionally, your instance remains the same AI agent you deployed earlier.
Security Note: Beware of Fake Projects and Tokens
Unfortunately, the rename also caused confusion — and some bad actors tried to exploit it.
During the rebranding window:
- Fake repositories appeared
- Social accounts using the old name were hijacked
- Scam crypto tokens falsely claiming association with Clawdbot/Moltbot were promoted
The Moltbot team has made it very clear:
Moltbot will never issue any cryptocurrency or token.
If you see such claims, they are scams.
How to Install Clawdbot / Moltbot on a VPS
Despite the name change, installation steps remain the same, especially for users running Linux VPS environments.
If you’re setting up the project for the first time, or redeploying on a fresh server, the following guides are highly recommended.
1. Install on Ubuntu 22.04 VPS (Step by Step)
This guide walks through the full installation process on a clean Ubuntu 22.04 VPS, covering:
- Server preparation
- Dependencies
- Docker and environment setup
- Running Clawdbot securely
📘 Step-by-step guide:
https://www.surfercloud.com/blog/install-clawdbot-on-ubuntu-22-04-vps-step-by-step
This tutorial is ideal for developers who want a standard, production-ready setup.
2. Run Clawdbot on a Budget SurferCloud VPS ($2.9/month)
For users who want to experiment at low cost, this guide shows how to deploy Clawdbot on a SurferCloud VPS starting at $2.9/month.
It covers:
- VPS selection
- Resource requirements
- Optimized deployment for low-spec servers
- Real-world usage considerations
📘 Budget VPS deployment guide:
https://www.surfercloud.com/blog/how-to-set-up-clawdbot-on-surfercloud-vps-for-2-9-month
Even after the rename, this tutorial remains fully applicable.
Why Self-Hosting Moltbot Still Matters
The Clawdbot → Moltbot rename doesn’t change the core value proposition:
Full Control
You control the data, the model access, and the integrations.
Cost Efficiency
Run powerful AI agents on affordable VPS plans instead of paying per-message SaaS fees.
Customization
Extend workflows, integrate APIs, and adapt the agent to your business or personal needs.
Vendor Independence
No lock-in. No forced UI changes. No sudden pricing surprises.
For developers and cloud users, this remains one of the most compelling AI agent frameworks available.
Final Thoughts
The rename from Clawdbot to Moltbot may have looked dramatic at first glance, but in reality, it represents a healthy and thoughtful evolution of the project.
- The technology stays the same
- The community stays the same
- Your deployments stay the same
Only the name changed — and arguably, Moltbot is a stronger, safer brand going forward.
If you’re new to the project, now is still a great time to start.
If you’re already running Clawdbot, you can confidently keep using it — just with a new name.
And if you want reliable, real-world deployment guidance, the two tutorials above remain some of the most practical references available.
