Does Sentō need a pay-per-token API key?

No. Sentō authenticates using the same Claude Code OAuth token you already sign in with on your machine, and that token is tied to your Claude Pro or Max subscription, not to a pay-as-you-go Anthropic Console key. Every message your agent sends counts against your subscription, not a separate metered invoice. If you prefer to run on a pay-per-token API key instead, Sentō supports that too.

How much does it cost to run a Sentō agent 24/7?

Zero extra on top of the Claude subscription you're already paying for. A Pro plan is enough for a daily-driver agent; Max unlocks heavier 24/7 workloads. Sentō also routes everything through Claude Code, which means you get Claude Code's own context and caching optimizations, so the same token goes further than it would through a raw API call. You never see a separate token bill.

How long does setup take?

About five minutes. Run `npx sentoagent init`, answer a few questions about model, channel, and bot token, and the agent launches and comes online on Discord, Telegram, Slack, or iMessage.

What makes Sentō self-healing?

Every agent runs under a Guardian + Watchdog pair. Guardian restarts the agent process if it crashes; Watchdog watches Guardian. If the agent goes down, it's back up before you notice, and you can fix anything right from Discord without SSH'ing in.

Can two Sentō agents talk to each other?

Yes. Sentō is the first framework with built-in, secure agent-to-agent messaging. Every message is HMAC-SHA256 signed, pairing requires mutual consent on both sides, and rate limiting is on by default.

Which messaging platforms are supported?

Discord, Telegram, Slack, and iMessage out of the box. You can run on a VPS, inside Docker, or directly on macOS.

Is Sentō open source?

Yes, MIT licensed. The source lives at github.com/sentoagent/sento and the package at npmjs.com/package/sentoagent.

Blog

Field notes from building agents.

Real problems, real fixes, and the architectural choices behind running AI agents on a Claude Code subscription.

April 12, 20268 min read
How I Built Sentō: From OpenClaw Experiments to an Open-Source Framework
The real origin story behind Sentō: how playing with OpenClaw, noticing the overlap with Claude Code, and one Anthropic pricing email turned into an open-source framework for AI agents that run 24/7 on your Claude subscription.
Claude CodeAI agentsopen sourcefounder story

Field notes from building agents.

How I Built Sentō: From OpenClaw Experiments to an Open-Source Framework