“What’s the best cheap model for OpenClaw?” is the most asked question on r/openclaw — and for good reason. API costs add up fast when your agent runs 24/7, checks your inbox, monitors your calendar, and responds to messages across multiple channels.
We tested dozens of models across real-world OpenClaw tasks to find the best options at every price point. Here’s what we found.
The TL;DR
| Budget | Best Model | Cost/1M tokens | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Ollama + Llama 3.3 70B | $0 (local) | Privacy-first, unlimited usage |
| Ultra-cheap | DeepSeek V3 | ~$0.27 input | Heartbeats, simple tasks |
| Budget | Claude 3.5 Haiku | ~$0.80 input | Daily driver, great balance |
| Mid-range | GPT-4o | ~$2.50 input | All-around strong performer |
| Premium | Claude Sonnet 4 | ~$3.00 input | Complex reasoning, coding |
| Unlimited | Claude Pro / ChatGPT Plus | $20/mo flat | Heavy users, predictable billing |
Understanding OpenClaw’s Cost Drivers
Before picking a model, understand where your tokens go:
System prompt: 2,000-5,000 tokens per turn (SOUL.md, AGENTS.md, skills, etc.) Heartbeats: Every 30 minutes = ~48 turns/day minimum Channel messages: Each message triggers a full turn Sub-agents: Isolated sessions with their own context
A typical active OpenClaw setup processes 100-200 turns per day. At premium model prices, that’s $5-15/day. At budget prices, it’s $0.50-2/day.
Tier 1: Free — Run It Locally with Ollama
The ultimate budget option: run models on your own hardware with Ollama.
Best local models for OpenClaw:
- Llama 3.3 70B — Best overall local model. Needs 48GB+ VRAM or runs on Mac with 64GB RAM
- Qwen 2.5 32B — Sweet spot for 32GB RAM Macs
- Mistral Small 24B — Fast, good for simple tasks on 16GB machines
- Phi-4 14B — Surprisingly capable for its size
Pros: Zero API cost, complete privacy, no rate limits Cons: Slower than API, needs decent hardware, weaker at complex reasoning
Best for: Privacy-focused users, unlimited messaging use cases, heartbeat-heavy configs
Setup tip
# In your openclaw config, set the model to use Ollama via OpenRouter or directly
# Example: ollama/llama3.3:70bTier 2: Ultra-Cheap — DeepSeek V3
DeepSeek V3 is absurdly cheap at $0.27/1M input tokens and $1.10/1M output tokens. That’s roughly 10x cheaper than Claude Sonnet.
Where it shines:
- Heartbeat processing (simple check-and-respond loops)
- Message routing and basic chat
- Simple automations and reminders
- Multilingual conversations
Where it struggles:
- Complex multi-step tool use
- Nuanced decision-making
- Long system prompts (still cheap, but less capable)
Estimated daily cost: $0.10-0.50 for typical usage
Pro tip: Use DeepSeek as your default model and override to a premium model for specific tasks:
/model deepseek-v3 # daily driver
# Then for complex tasks, the agent can use sub-agents with stronger modelsTier 3: Budget Sweet Spot — Claude 3.5 Haiku
Claude 3.5 Haiku hits the perfect balance of cost and capability for most OpenClaw users.
Why it’s the community favorite:
- Strong tool-use capabilities (critical for OpenClaw’s skill system)
- Good at following complex system prompts
- Fast response times
- Reliable structured output
Cost: ~$0.80/1M input, $4/1M output Estimated daily cost: $1-3 for typical usage
This is what we recommend as the starting point for most users.
Tier 4: Mid-Range — GPT-4o
GPT-4o is a solid all-rounder, especially if you’re already in the OpenAI ecosystem.
Strengths:
- Excellent at web browsing and research tasks
- Strong multilingual support
- Good vision capabilities for image analysis
- Reliable function calling
Cost: ~$2.50/1M input, $10/1M output Estimated daily cost: $3-8
Tier 5: Premium — Claude Sonnet 4
For users who want the best reasoning and coding capabilities.
When to use premium:
- Complex coding tasks and debugging
- Multi-step research and analysis
- Important decision-making support
- Creative writing and content generation
Cost: ~$3/1M input, $15/1M output Estimated daily cost: $5-15
Tier 6: Flat-Rate — Subscription Models
If your usage is heavy (200+ turns/day), subscription plans can be cheaper:
- Claude Pro ($20/mo) — via Claude web, use with claude-connect skill
- ChatGPT Plus ($20/mo) — via API with usage limits
- Google AI Studio (free tier) — Gemini models with generous limits
The Smart Approach: Model Routing
The real power move isn’t picking one model — it’s using different models for different tasks.
OpenClaw supports per-session model overrides:
- Heartbeats & monitoring: DeepSeek V3 or Haiku (cheap)
- Chat responses: Haiku or GPT-4o (balanced)
- Deep work & coding: Sonnet 4 or Opus (premium)
- Research sub-agents: Gemini (often free tier)
This hybrid approach typically cuts costs 60-70% compared to running everything on a premium model.
Real Cost Examples from the Community
| Setup | Model Strategy | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Personal assistant (light) | Haiku only | ~$30-50 |
| Power user (heavy) | DeepSeek + Sonnet mix | ~$60-100 |
| Developer (coding focus) | Haiku daily + Opus for coding | ~$80-150 |
| Team (multiple agents) | Tiered routing | ~$100-300 |
Our Recommendation
Start with Claude 3.5 Haiku. It’s the best balance of cost, capability, and reliability for OpenClaw. Once you understand your usage patterns, optimize:
- Switch heartbeats to a cheaper model
- Use sub-agents with premium models only when needed
- Consider local models for privacy-sensitive or high-volume tasks
- Monitor your daily spending with
/status
The best model isn’t the smartest — it’s the one that fits your workflow and budget.
For detailed cost-cutting strategies beyond model selection, read How to Reduce Your OpenClaw API Costs by 80%. Want zero API costs? Try running AI locally with Ollama. Join the discussion on r/openclaw or our Discord.