LobsterAI
Officially listedNetEase Youdao's free, open-source desktop AI agent covering all scenarios around the clock.
LobsterAI
LobsterAI is a free, open-source desktop AI agent from NetEase Youdao, positioned as a 7×24-hour all-scenario personal assistant. It wraps OpenClaw-style autonomous task execution in a graphical interface, so ordinary Chinese users who don't know the command line can handle AI agents too.
Core Capabilities
- Autonomous Task Execution: In Cowork mode, it independently completes complex tasks such as data analysis, document generation, and information retrieval
- 16 Built-In Skills: Ready out of the box, covering Word/Excel/PPT/PDF generation, web automation, video production, and email
- Scheduled Job Scheduling: Create Cron jobs in natural language for scenarios like "collect tech news automatically every morning"
- IM Remote Control: Supports DingTalk, Feishu, Telegram, and Discord — command your desktop agent from your phone anytime
- Persistent Memory: Automatically extracts user preferences and injects them across sessions, understanding you better the more you use it
- Sandboxed Secure Execution: Runs isolated in an Alpine Linux VM with local SQLite storage, so data stays on your machine
Use Cases Office workers batch-generating reports and PPTs, students organizing materials, and solo entrepreneurs automating repetitive work. Especially suited to Chinese users who work in the DingTalk/Feishu ecosystem, have data privacy concerns, or want a zero-cost entry into AI agents.
Unique Advantages Compared with OpenClaw's command-line requirement, LobsterAI installs with a double-click; compared with Claude Cowork at $100-200 per month, LobsterAI is completely free. Its deeply adapted DingTalk/Feishu IM remote control is the localized killer feature every competitor lacks.
Editor's Review Within days of open-sourcing it passed 1900 stars on GitHub. In hands-on tests, four agents launched in parallel produced an HTML analysis report in three to four minutes — reviewers said only the word stunning fit. It is still in Beta (v0.1.18) with occasional stutter, but iteration is extremely fast, with a new version every two to three days. For Chinese users who want to experience AI agent automation at the lowest cost, this is the most worthwhile choice right now.
Pricing
### 定价模式：免费开源（MIT License） **起步价**：完全免费 #### 主要方案 - **应用本体**：$0 - MIT 开源，免费下载使用 - **本地模型（Ollama）**：$0 - 接入 DeepSeek/Qwen 等本地模型，零额外成本 - **云端 API 模型**：按各 LLM 服务商计费（Claude/OpenAI API 单独付费） #### 试用/其他信息 LobsterAI 本身无任何订阅费用，使用 Ollama 本地模型可实现完全零成本运行。
FAQ
Is LobsterAI free?
LobsterAI itself is completely free under the MIT open-source license. Connecting local models (DeepSeek/Qwen) via Ollama enables zero-cost operation; if you use the Claude or OpenAI cloud APIs, you pay the API costs yourself.
What can LobsterAI be used for?
It autonomously completes complex tasks such as document generation (Word/Excel/PPT), data analysis, web automation, email, and video production, with scheduled jobs and remote control via DingTalk/Feishu — a genuine 7×24-hour desktop AI assistant.
Which AI models does LobsterAI support?
It supports Claude (Anthropic), the OpenAI API, and compatible interfaces, plus local open-source models such as DeepSeek and Qwen via Ollama, letting users choose the most cost-effective option for their needs.
How does LobsterAI differ from OpenClaw?
LobsterAI provides a graphical GUI — double-click to install and use, no command line; deep adaptation for DingTalk/Feishu IM remote control; and built-in sandboxed secure execution with local SQLite storage. OpenClaw is more low-level and aimed mainly at technical enthusiasts.
How secure is LobsterAI's data?
Data is stored entirely in local SQLite and never uploaded to the cloud; execution is isolated in an Alpine Linux VM sandbox; and every tool call requires user confirmation and approval. Data stays on your machine, and privacy protection is thorough.
How does LobsterAI enable phone-to-computer remote control?
By integrating bots for four IM platforms — DingTalk, Feishu, Telegram, and Discord — you can send commands from your phone to remotely direct the desktop agent to run tasks and push back results, a feature competitors such as OpenClaw do not have.
Can users without a technical background use LobsterAI?
Ordinary users can finish installation and setup in about 30 minutes. The biggest hurdle is configuring the LLM API key, but using a local model via Ollama bypasses this step. The official release offers a Chinese-language graphical interface and detailed tutorials, with no command-line work required.