Checked against the app and its docs
A self-hosted AI assistant, with a phone app
MausBot is a free, open source AI assistant you host yourself, on your computer or your own server, with iOS and Android apps that pair to it by QR code.
MausBot is a free, open source AI assistant you host yourself. It runs on your Mac, Windows or Ubuntu computer, or on your own Linux server with npx openmausbot serve or Docker, and keeps its data in ~/.openmausbot. The iOS and Android companion apps pair to it by QR code, so you can chat, approve and read from your phone.
Download MausBot (free, for macOS, Windows and Ubuntu) · MausBot Cloud · Docs: Self-hosting
The facts
| Where it runs | Your computer (macOS, Windows, Ubuntu) or your own Linux server; Docker images for amd64 and arm64, Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 included |
|---|---|
| Where data lives | ~/.openmausbot on the machine that runs it: settings, chats, attachments and the message store |
| Server | npx openmausbot serve, reachable over your own domain, Tailscale, your network, or a free tunnel address |
| Phone apps | iOS and Android companions, shared in the MausBot Discord; pair by QR code or a one-time code |
| What the phone can do | Read and send messages, interrupt a bot, answer approvals and questions, search; not touch keys or settings |
| License and price | Apache 2.0; free. Model usage on your own accounts |
How it works
- Install the desktop app, or run npx openmausbot serve on an Ubuntu server (2 CPUs and 4 GB of memory is enough).
- Install and sign in to the engines you want on that machine, such as Claude Code or Codex.
- Pair your phone: scan the QR code the app or server shows. The pairing works on the same Wi-Fi, over Tailscale, or through a hosted HTTPS address.
- Chat with your bots from the phone. Approvals show up there as cards you answer.
What to know first
- The computer or server has to stay on, awake and running MausBot for the phone to reach it. MausBot Cloud hosts it for you if you'd rather not.
- Self-hosting covers MausBot itself. Your model provider, connected apps (through Composio) and cloud computers stay with those services.
- The phone is a remote: creating bots, changing models and connecting apps happen on the computer or server.
Frequently asked questions
- Is MausBot self-hosted by default?
- Yes. The desktop app runs its own server on your computer, listening only on that machine, and keeps its data in ~/.openmausbot. Nothing runs on our servers unless you choose MausBot Cloud.
- Can I run it on a VPS or a Raspberry Pi?
- Yes. npx openmausbot serve runs on any Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 server with 2 CPUs and 4 GB of memory, and the Docker images cover amd64 and arm64, Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 included.
- Where do I get the phone app?
- The iOS and Android companion apps are shared in the MausBot Discord. Pair one with your computer or server by scanning its QR code.
- Do my chats go through your servers?
- Not on the same Wi-Fi or over Tailscale. The optional hosted address passes traffic through a Cloudflare tunnel and stores account details, not chats. Prompts always go to the model provider you chose.