ClawHub Alternatives: 5 Safer AI Agent Tool Registries in 2026

After ClawHavoc exposed 341 malicious skills on ClawHub, the agent tool community is asking a simple question: where can I find tools I can actually trust? The ClawHavoc attack that exposed 341 malicious skills was not just an embarrassment for ClawHub — it was a wake-up call for every developer relying on unverified agent registries.

This article compares five alternatives to ClawHub, ranked by their approach to security, verification, and developer experience. If you are migrating away from ClawHub (or evaluating registries for the first time), this is your guide.

Why Developers Are Leaving ClawHub

Before we examine alternatives, let us understand what went wrong. The ClawHavoc incident was not a minor security hiccup — it was a systemic failure that exposed fundamental problems with ClawHub's approach to trust.

What Happened

In February 2026, security researchers discovered 341 malicious agent skills on ClawHub. These skills had passed ClawHub's basic checks and accumulated thousands of installs. The malicious payloads included credential harvesters, data exfiltration tools, and supply chain backdoors disguised as legitimate utilities.

Why It Happened

ClawHub relies on a reputation-based trust model with minimal automated verification. Publishers self-certify their skills, and the platform performs only surface-level static analysis. There is no capability-based permission system, no runtime behavior analysis, and no mandatory security scanning.

This means any publisher can upload a skill that claims to do one thing but actually does another. The 341 malicious skills exploited exactly this gap.

The Impact

• Developers: Thousands of developers unknowingly installed compromised skills, potentially exposing credentials and sensitive data.
• Enterprises: Organizations using ClawHub-sourced skills faced security audits, incident response costs, and loss of trust in agent tooling.
• Ecosystem: The entire agent tool community suffered a credibility crisis, with some enterprises pausing agent adoption entirely.

The lesson is clear: a registry that does not verify what it hosts is not a registry — it is a distribution vector for malware.

The 5 Best ClawHub Alternatives in 2026

1. AgentNode — Best Overall

AgentNode is the most comprehensive alternative to ClawHub, combining rigorous verification with developer-friendly features that no other registry matches.

Verification Approach

AgentNode uses a multi-layer verification system that goes far beyond static analysis:

• Automated security scanning: Every published version undergoes dependency auditing, static analysis, and behavioral pattern detection.
• Capability-based permissions: Skills must declare exactly what they access (filesystem, network, environment variables). Users see these declarations before installing and can deny specific permissions.
• Trust scores: A transparent scoring system based on security scan results, documentation quality, test coverage, maintenance frequency, and publisher verification history.
• Version-level trust: Trust is evaluated per version, not per package. A previously trusted skill does not get a free pass on new versions.

Learn the details of how this system works in our guide to how AgentNode verification trust scores work.

Key Advantages

• Cross-framework support: Works with MCP, ANP, LangChain, CrewAI, and other frameworks. Not locked to a single ecosystem.
• Built-in monetization: The only registry that lets developers earn revenue from their skills with an 85/15 revenue split.
• Open publishing: Any developer can publish. No gatekeeping or invite-only access.
• Transparent trust model: Every trust score component is visible. No black-box decisions.

Limitations

• Newer platform with a smaller catalog than established alternatives (growing rapidly).
• Monetization features are still maturing with additional payment options planned.

Verdict: AgentNode is the strongest all-around alternative to ClawHub. It solves the exact security problems that led to ClawHavoc while offering features (monetization, cross-framework support) that no other registry provides. See why AgentNode is the safest registry for the full breakdown.

2. Smithery — Best for MCP Discovery

Smithery is a focused discovery platform for MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers. It does not host packages directly but provides a curated directory of MCP-compatible tools.

Verification Approach

• Manual review process for listed tools
• Community feedback and ratings
• Basic metadata validation
• No automated security scanning

Key Advantages

• Clean, well-organized directory for MCP tools
• Active community with useful reviews and discussions
• Good filtering and search for MCP-specific capabilities

Limitations

• MCP only: Does not support other agent frameworks
• No hosting: Points to external sources, meaning security depends on each individual source
• No monetization: No built-in way for developers to earn from their tools
• Manual verification does not scale: As the MCP ecosystem grows, manual review becomes a bottleneck

Verdict: Solid discovery tool for MCP servers, but limited scope. Not a full replacement for a verified registry since it does not host or scan the actual packages.

3. Composio — Best for Pre-Built Integrations

Composio offers a curated set of pre-built integrations for popular services, packaged as agent-ready tools. Think of it as a managed integration layer rather than an open registry.

Verification Approach

• All integrations are built and maintained by the Composio team
• Internal QA and security testing
• No third-party publishing

Key Advantages

• High quality and consistency — everything is first-party
• Good coverage of popular SaaS integrations
• Managed auth handling for connected services

Limitations

• Closed ecosystem: Developers cannot publish their own skills
• Limited catalog: Only covers integrations that Composio builds themselves
• No monetization: No opportunity for external developers to earn
• Vendor lock-in: Tightly coupled to Composio's platform and pricing

Verdict: Good for teams that need reliable, out-of-the-box integrations and do not need custom skills. Not suitable for developers who want to publish or sell their own tools.

4. npm / PyPI — Best for Generic Package Distribution

The general-purpose package registries that most developers already know. Agent skills packaged as npm modules or Python packages can be distributed through these established channels.

Verification Approach

• npm has basic malware scanning (improved after past incidents)
• PyPI has limited automated checks
• Both rely primarily on community reporting for security issues
• No agent-specific verification or capability declarations

Key Advantages

• Massive existing user base and established tooling
• Well-understood publishing workflow
• Strong ecosystem of complementary tools (CI/CD integration, vulnerability databases)

Limitations

• No agent-specific features: No capability declarations, trust scores, or agent-compatible discovery
• Zero monetization: Packages are free. No payment infrastructure whatsoever.
• Generic security: Scanning is not designed for agent-specific threats like permission escalation or capability misrepresentation
• Discoverability: Agent skills are buried among millions of unrelated packages

Verdict: Functional for distribution but not designed for agent skills. No monetization, no agent-specific security, and poor discoverability. Using npm or PyPI for agent skills is like selling software through a file-sharing service — it works, but you miss everything that makes a purpose-built registry valuable.

5. GitHub Repositories — Best for Open Source Collaboration

Many developers distribute agent skills directly via GitHub repositories. This is the most manual approach but offers maximum flexibility.

Verification Approach

• GitHub's Dependabot for dependency vulnerability alerts
• Code scanning via GitHub Advanced Security (paid)
• Community code review through pull requests
• No automated agent-specific verification

Key Advantages

• Maximum flexibility and control
• Built-in version control and collaboration features
• Free for open source projects
• Strong community ecosystem for code review and contributions

Limitations

• No registry features: No search, no categorization, no install command
• No verification: Users must manually evaluate each repository
• No monetization: GitHub Sponsors exists but is not tied to specific packages
• High friction: Installing a skill from GitHub requires manual steps compared to a one-command install from a registry

Verdict: Best for open-source collaboration and development, but not a replacement for a proper registry. The lack of automated verification, discoverability, and monetization makes it impractical as a primary distribution channel for commercial agent skills.

Feature Comparison Table

Migration Guide: Moving from ClawHub to a Safer Registry

If you are currently hosting skills on ClawHub, here is how to migrate safely:

For Skill Publishers

1. Audit your existing skills: Before migrating, run your own security checks. Ensure your published skills have not been tampered with.
2. Choose a new registry: Based on the comparison above. For most developers, AgentNode offers the best combination of security, features, and monetization.
3. Re-publish with proper metadata: Take the opportunity to update your documentation, add capability declarations, and ensure your skill meets the new registry's verification standards.
4. Notify your users: If you have existing users on ClawHub, inform them about the migration and provide updated installation instructions.

For Skill Consumers

1. Audit installed skills immediately: Review every ClawHub-sourced skill in your environment. Check against the published list of known malicious packages.
2. Rotate credentials: If any installed skill had access to credentials or API keys, rotate them as a precaution.
3. Switch to a verified registry: Replace ClawHub-sourced skills with equivalents from a registry that performs real verification.
4. Set trust score thresholds: On registries that support it (like AgentNode), configure minimum trust scores to prevent installation of unverified skills.

For a deep dive into how AgentNode's security model protects against attacks like ClawHavoc, read our guide on AgentNode security trust levels.

The Bigger Picture: Trust Is the Foundation

The ClawHavoc incident revealed something the agent tool ecosystem needed to confront: trust cannot be an afterthought. When agents run with access to credentials, filesystems, and APIs, the skills they use must be verified at a level that goes far beyond what traditional package registries provide.

This is not about any single incident or registry. It is about building an ecosystem where developers and enterprises can adopt agent tools with confidence — confidence that every skill has been scanned, every capability declared, and every version verified independently.

AgentNode was built on this principle from the start. Every feature — from capability-based permissions to version-level trust scores to transparent verification — exists because trust is not optional in the agent era. It is the foundation everything else is built on.

Ready to move to a safer registry? Compare agent tool registries side by side, or explore the platform at why AgentNode is the safest registry.

Is ClawHub safe after ClawHavoc?

ClawHub has taken steps to improve its security since the ClawHavoc incident, including enhanced scanning and a publisher verification program. However, the fundamental architecture remains reputation-based rather than verification-based. ClawHub still does not offer capability-based permissions, version-level trust evaluation, or transparent trust scoring. For developers and enterprises with strict security requirements, the underlying trust model has not changed enough to address the root causes that enabled ClawHavoc in the first place. Migrating to a registry with built-in verification like AgentNode provides stronger guarantees.

What is the best alternative to ClawHub?

AgentNode is the best overall alternative for most developers and teams. It combines rigorous multi-layer verification (automated security scanning, capability-based permissions, version-level trust scores) with unique features like cross-framework support and built-in monetization. For teams focused exclusively on MCP tools, Smithery is a useful discovery complement. For organizations that only need pre-built integrations with no custom skills, Composio offers a managed approach. The best choice depends on your needs, but AgentNode covers the widest range of use cases with the strongest security model.

Does AgentNode verify every package?

Yes. Every version of every package published to AgentNode undergoes automated verification. This includes dependency auditing, static analysis, behavioral pattern detection, capability declaration validation, and documentation quality assessment. The results are combined into a transparent trust score that users can inspect before installing. Crucially, verification happens at the version level — a previously trusted package does not automatically pass verification when a new version is published. This prevents supply chain attacks where a malicious update is pushed to a previously legitimate package.