LibreAI / AI Agents / LobsterAI
// agents · netease-youdao/LobsterAI

LobsterAI

A desktop-grade AI agent from NetEase Youdao that does real work — analysis, slides, docs, video and research.

★ 6.1k stars⑂ 973 forksMITupdated 2026-10
▦ visual — this project's README ships no embeddable screenshot,
so here's a placeholder. The guide below is complete regardless.
// project facts

Project facts

LobsterAI is an open-source ai agents project by netease-youdao (netease-youdao/LobsterAI on GitHub). It has 6,090 GitHub stars and 973 forks, is released under the MIT license, and was last updated on GitHub on 8 October 2026.

GitHub stars
6,090
Forks
973
License
MIT
Last updated on GitHub
8 October 2026
Category
AI Agents
Listing
Full install guide
Official site
Official site
// how it works

How it works

  1. Clarify the work to delegate

    Pick the recurring desktop work you want handled — a weekly data summary, a slide deck, a research brief.

  2. Get the app

    Download the desktop build, or clone the repo to run it from source with the documented Node.js version.

  3. Configure models and channels

    Connect your model provider and, if you want phone control, link WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk or Telegram.

  4. Delegate your first task

    Give LobsterAI a task from the desktop UI or your phone and review the artifact it produces.

// features

Why people love it

Real desktop execution

Built on OpenClaw, it runs tools on your actual desktop rather than in a chat sandbox, producing real files and artifacts.

Office work focus

Data analysis, slides, documents and video tasks are first-class, with artifact renderers in the UI for reviewing results.

Phone remote control

Send commands from WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk or Telegram through its IM gateways.

Skills and MCP

Supports skills, MCP servers and scheduled tasks, so recurring work can run on a timetable.

Electron desktop app

A cross-platform Electron client with SQLite persistence, session management and runtime repair for the OpenClaw engine.

Open source on OpenClaw

The OpenClaw integration layer translates LobsterAI state into OpenClaw runtime behavior, and both projects are open.

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// run it

Run it yourself

  1. Clone the repository

    Clone LobsterAI and install dependencies (Node.js >=24.15.0 <25 is required for source runs).

    git clone https://github.com/netease-youdao/LobsterAI.git
    cd LobsterAI
    npm install
  2. Start the desktop app

    Launch LobsterAI with the OpenClaw runtime in development mode.

    npm run electron:dev:openclaw
  3. Or run the plain Electron dev build

    If you are working on the UI itself, the standard dev command starts the app without rebuilding the runtime.

    npm run electron:dev
// use cases

What you can build

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// faq

Questions, answered

Who maintains LobsterAI?

LobsterAI is maintained by netease-youdao (NetEase Youdao) and built on the OpenClaw runtime.

Is LobsterAI free?

The code is MIT licensed and free; you pay for the model providers you connect.

Does it need a paid API key?

You configure your own model provider in the app, so you need an account/key for the LLM you choose.

How does it compare to a chat assistant like ChatGPT?

Chat assistants mainly reply with text; LobsterAI executes tools on your real desktop to produce finished artifacts, and accepts commands from your phone's messaging apps.

How do I get started?

Install the desktop app (or npm install and npm run electron:dev:openclaw from source), connect a model, and delegate a task.

// keep exploring

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// alternatives

Alternatives in AI Agents

The most-starred other AI Agents projects in the LibreAI catalogue — the realistic shortlist if LobsterAI is not the right fit.

Get LobsterAI

Free and open — grab the source, star the repo, and start creating.