2026 marks the official entry of the AI field into the "fully automated agent" era. The "Crab War" sparked by the open-source framework OpenClaw has entered a feverish stage, with more than 20 distinct intelligent agent products emerging in the market, with monthly fees ranging from 19 yuan to 899 yuan.
These AI agents known as "crabs" have made core breakthroughs, as they can not only chat but also directly access system permissions to perform tasks. Whether it's automating document processing, remotely controlling computers, or deeply integrating into enterprise office ecosystems, AI is transitioning from a "recommender" to a true "executor".
Three Camps Dividing the Market: From Geek Open Source to Big Tech Ecosystems
The current market is divided among three major forces: the open-source camp led by OpenClaw is highly favored by developers, with over 26,000 functional plugins; internet giants such as Tencent and ByteDance take the "ecosystem integration" approach. Tencent's QClaw enables direct connection with WeChat, while ByteDance's ArkClaw is deeply integrated with Feishu, focusing on enterprise-level high concurrency stability.
The third force comes from hardware manufacturers. Huawei and Xiaomi have both launched system-level "crabs". Huawei's Xiaoyi Claw leverages the underlying security enhancements of the HarmonyOS system, emphasizing multi-device collaboration; Xiaomi, on the other hand, uses the MiMo large model to control Xiaomi smart home devices, extending the reach of AI agents into the smart home domain.
Picking Guide: Privacy Red Lines and Token Traps
While enjoying the convenience of automation, security and cost risks cannot be ignored. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued warnings about some open-source versions, reminding users that locally deployed AI agents may pose remote code execution risks. It is recommended that important tasks must be manually verified, and for financial or high privacy operations, prioritize products with hardware-level isolation.
In addition, the billing models of different products vary significantly, and users need to be cautious of the "Token Bomb". Some pay-as-you-go platforms may trigger multiple API calls due to a single complex command. When trying products like KimiClaw or AutoClaw, it is recommended to set a spending limit in advance to avoid unexpected bills.
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