Swarmclaw
Open-source self-hosted AI agent runtime and multi-agent framework for autonomous agent swarms. Agent memory, MCP tools, schedules, delegation, and 23+ LLM providers (Claude, GPT, Gemini, OpenRouter, Ollama). A practical Claude Code and LangChain alt
What is Swarmclaw?
Swarmclaw is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to open-source self-hosted ai agent runtime and multi-agent framework for autonomous agent swarms. agent memory, mcp tools, schedules, delegation, and 23+ llm providers (claude, gpt, gemini, openrouter, ...
Open-source self-hosted AI agent runtime and multi-agent framework for autonomous agent swarms. Agent memory, MCP tools, schedules, delegation, and 23+ LLM providers (Claude, GPT, Gemini, OpenRouter, Ollama). A practical Claude Code and LangChain alt
This server falls under the Coding Agents category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Open-source self-hosted AI agent runtime and multi-agent fra
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx swarmclawConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Swarmclaw
SwarmClaw is an open-source, self-hosted AI agent runtime and multi-agent orchestration framework that lets you run autonomous agent swarms with durable memory, scheduled tasks, agent delegation, and MCP tool access. It supports 23+ LLM providers including Claude, GPT, Gemini, Ollama, OpenRouter, DeepSeek, Groq, and more. You would use it as a self-hosted alternative to Claude Code or LangChain when you need persistent multi-agent pipelines with a visual org-chart dashboard and full control over your infrastructure.
Prerequisites
- Node.js 22.6 or later (run 'nvm use' inside the cloned repo to match the CI version)
- npm 10+ or another supported package manager (yarn, pnpm, bun all work)
- At least one LLM provider API key (e.g. Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or a local Ollama install)
- Docker Desktop recommended for sandbox browser execution
- An MCP client such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or the SwarmClaw built-in interface
Install SwarmClaw globally
Install the @swarmclawai/swarmclaw package globally with your preferred package manager. This gives you the 'swarmclaw' CLI command.
npm i -g @swarmclawai/swarmclawStart the SwarmClaw server
Run 'swarmclaw' to start the server. It will be available at http://localhost:3456. You can also use Docker Compose if you prefer a containerized setup.
swarmclawConfigure your LLM provider
Open the SwarmClaw dashboard at http://localhost:3456 and add your LLM provider credentials in Settings. SwarmClaw supports Claude (Anthropic API key), GPT (OpenAI), Gemini, OpenRouter, Ollama, DeepSeek, Groq, Mistral, xAI, Fireworks, Together, Nebius, DeepInfra, and more.
Create your first agent
From the org-chart view, create a new agent with a name, role prompt, and assigned LLM model. You can configure heartbeat intervals, memory retention, and which MCP tools the agent has access to.
Add the SwarmClaw MCP server to your client
To use SwarmClaw as an MCP server from Claude Desktop or another client, add it to your MCP configuration. SwarmClaw exposes agent management, task delegation, and memory tools via MCP.
npx swarmclawConfigure claude_desktop_config.json
Add the SwarmClaw entry to your Claude Desktop MCP configuration file to connect Claude to your running SwarmClaw instance.
{
"mcpServers": {
"swarmclaw": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["swarmclaw"]
}
}
}Swarmclaw Examples
Client configuration
Add SwarmClaw to Claude Desktop's MCP server list. Make sure SwarmClaw is already running on port 3456 before starting Claude Desktop.
{
"mcpServers": {
"swarmclaw": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["swarmclaw"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
Once connected, ask Claude to orchestrate agents or delegate tasks through SwarmClaw.
- "Create a researcher agent and a writer agent, have the researcher find recent AI news, then have the writer summarize it"
- "Schedule a daily digest agent that checks my project repos each morning and reports on open issues"
- "Show me the current org chart of my active agents and their last activity"
- "Delegate this analysis task to the Claude agent and wait for its response"Troubleshooting Swarmclaw
SwarmClaw server fails to start or port 3456 is already in use
Check if another process is using port 3456 with 'lsof -i :3456'. Kill the conflicting process or set a different port in your .env.local file before starting SwarmClaw.
Agents fail with 401 errors or credential preflight failures on scheduled runs
SwarmClaw v1.9.39+ provides fast-fail credential checks for scheduled runs. Make sure your provider API key is entered in Settings and valid — expired or missing keys are caught before execution now.
macOS reports 'SwarmClaw is damaged and can't be opened' for the desktop app
Strip the macOS quarantine attribute with: xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/SwarmClaw.app — then relaunch. This is a Gatekeeper quarantine issue on downloaded apps, not actual damage.
Frequently Asked Questions about Swarmclaw
What is Swarmclaw?
Swarmclaw is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that open-source self-hosted ai agent runtime and multi-agent framework for autonomous agent swarms. agent memory, mcp tools, schedules, delegation, and 23+ llm providers (claude, gpt, gemini, openrouter, ollama). a practical claude code and langchain alt It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Swarmclaw?
Follow the installation instructions on the Swarmclaw GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Swarmclaw?
Swarmclaw works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Swarmclaw free to use?
Yes, Swarmclaw is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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