The numbers as of this writing:
- React: 243,000 ★ (Meta/Facebook)
- Python (CPython): 217,811 ★
- Linux: 217,559 ★
- OpenClaw: 217,422 ★
The gap is less than 400 stars. At OpenClaw's current growth rate, it could pass both Python and Linux today.
What This Means
When OpenClaw crosses that line, it becomes the #2 software project on GitHub by stars — behind only React, which belongs to Meta. Among projects by individual developers, OpenClaw is already #1. Peter Steinberger will have overtaken Linus Torvalds — whose Linux repo has been on GitHub for over 14 years — in just three months.
For context on the all-time GitHub rankings: there are repos above these with more stars (awesome lists, free programming books, developer roadmaps), but those are curated collections, not software. Among actual software projects, the top 5 are React, Python, Linux, Vue.js (210k), and OpenClaw.
The Growth Is Unprecedented
OpenClaw's repo went live on November 24, 2025. It hit 200,000 stars on February 16, 2026 — less than three months later. The peak day was January 26, with 25,310 new stars in 24 hours, shattering all previous GitHub records.
The average since January 24: over 1,000 stars per day.
And it's not just the main repo. The tools, skills, and CLIs in the OpenClaw ecosystem are breaking records across GitHub, the Mac App Store, iOS, and Android — the fastest-growing software ecosystem ever measured.
Beyond the Numbers
Yesterday, Steinberger signed a deal that could shape what comes next. OpenAI has been working on its own "operating system" for agents. With Steinberger now in the picture, OpenClaw could become the foundation of an open OS for agents — software that writes its own software.
The star count is a vanity metric. What it represents isn't: the largest open-source community to form around a single project this fast, ever. React took years. Linux took decades. OpenClaw took weeks.
Only React stands between OpenClaw and the #1 spot — a gap of about 26,000 stars. At this pace, that's a matter of weeks.