OpenClaw Model Configuration: Best Models and Provider Settings

OpenClaw Model Configuration: Best Models and Provider Settings

OpenClaw Model Configuration: Best Models and Provider Settings

By David Park | February 7, 2026

OpenClaw Model Configuration: Best Models and Provider Settings

Choosing and configuring the right AI model impacts OpenClaw's capability, speed, and cost. This guide covers all options.

---

Model Providers

1. Anthropic (Claude)

Setup: 

# Configure API key openclaw config set providers.anthropic.apiKey "sk-ant-api03-..."
Set default model
 openclaw config set agents.defaults.model "claude-sonnet-4-20250514"

Available Models:

ModelBest ForCostSpeed
Claude HaikuQuick tasks, simple Q&A$0.25/M tokensFast
Claude Sonnet 4General purpose$3.00/M tokensMedium
Claude Opus 4Complex reasoning$15.00/M tokensSlow
Recommended for most users: 
{   "agents": {     "defaults": {       "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514"     }   } }

---

2. OpenAI (GPT-4)

Setup: 

# Configure API key openclaw config set providers.openai.apiKey "sk-..."
Set default model
 openclaw config set agents.defaults.model "gpt-4o"

Available Models:

ModelBest ForCostSpeed
GPT-4o-miniSimple tasks, high volume$0.15/M tokensFast
GPT-4oGeneral purpose$5.00/M tokensMedium
GPT-4.5Complex tasks$75.00/M tokensSlow
---

3. OpenRouter (Unified Access)

OpenRouter provides access to multiple models through one API.

Setup: 

# Configure OpenRouter openclaw config set providers.openrouter.apiKey "sk-or-v1-..."
Use OpenRouter model format
 openclaw config set agents.defaults.model "openrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-20250514"

Benefits:

  • Access to 100+ models
  • Automatic fallback
  • Cost tracking
  • No per-provider setup

    • ---

    4. Local Models (Ollama)

    Run models locally for free.

    Setup: 

    # Install Ollama brew install ollama ollama serve
    Configure OpenClaw
     openclaw config set providers.ollama.baseUrl "http://localhost:11434/v1" openclaw config set agents.defaults.model "llama3.2"
    Pull models
     ollama pull llama3.2 ollama pull qwen2.5-coder

    Popular Local Models:

    ModelQualityRAM NeededSpeed
    Llama 3.2 3BGood4GBFast
    Qwen 2.5 7BBetter8GBMedium
    Llama 3.1 70BExcellent64GBSlow
    ---

    Cost Optimization

    Model Routing

    Route simple tasks to cheap models:

    {   "agents": {     "defaults": {       "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",       "subagents": {         "model": "claude-haiku"       }     }   } }

    Spending Limits

    {   "limits": {     "dailySpend": 5.00,     "monthlySpend": 50.00,     "warningThreshold": 0.8   } }

    Token Management

    {   "agents": {     "defaults": {       "maxTokens": 4000,       "thinkingBudget": 2000,       "contextWindow": 32000     }   } }

    ---

    Configuration Examples

    Best Performance Setup

    {   "models": {     "providers": {       "anthropic": {         "apiKey": "sk-ant-api03-...",         "api": "anthropic-messages"       }     }   },   "agents": {     "defaults": {       "model": "claude-opus-4-20250514",       "thinking": "high"     }   } }

    Budget Setup

    {   "models": {     "providers": {       "openai": {         "apiKey": "sk-..."       }     }   },   "agents": {     "defaults": {       "model": "gpt-4o-mini",       "maxTokens": 2000     },     "subagents": {       "model": "gpt-4o-mini"     }   },   "limits": {     "dailySpend": 1.00   } }

    Local-Cloud Hybrid

    {   "models": {     "providers": {       "ollama": {         "baseUrl": "http://localhost:11434/v1"       },       "anthropic": {         "apiKey": "sk-ant-api03-..."       }     }   },   "agents": {     "defaults": {       "model": "llama3.2",       "subagents": {         "model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514"       }     }   } }

    ---

    Testing Model Performance

    Compare Models

    # Test response time openclaw models benchmark --all
    Compare output quality
     openclaw models compare gpt-4o-mini --prompt "Write a poem about coding" openclaw models compare claude-sonnet-4 --prompt "Write a poem about coding"

    Monitor Usage

    # View current session costs openclaw costs
    Set up alerts
     openclaw config set alerts.costThreshold 5.00 openclaw config set alerts.email "you@example.com"

    ---

    Troubleshooting Model Issues

    IssueSolution
    401 UnauthorizedCheck API key validity
    Rate limited (429)Reduce request frequency
    Context too longReduce maxTokens
    Model not foundVerify model name
    Slow responsesUse faster model or local
    ---

    Further Reading

  • Anthropic Pricing
  • OpenAI Pricing
  • OpenRouter Documentation
  • Ollama Models

    • ---

    Related Articles:

  • OpenClaw High API Costs: Budget Optimization
  • OpenClaw Sub-Agents: Parallel Task Execution
  • OpenClaw Docker & VPS Deployment

    • Tags: OpenClaw, AI, Tutorial

    Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    OpenClaw Tools vs Skills: Understanding the Mental Model

    Image
    OpenClaw Tools vs Skills: Understanding the Mental Model By Elena Rodriguez | February 7, 2026 OpenClaw Tools vs Skills: Understanding the Mental Model "I have OpenClaw running. It responds to my messages. But it doesn't actually do anything." This is the most common frustration among new OpenClaw users. The agent runs, connects to chat, and... does nothing useful. The missing piece? Understanding the relationship between tools and skills . --- The Core Problem OpenClaw is not a chatbot with extra features. It's an agent framework that needs tools to take action. Think of it this way: The agent — The brain that makes decisions Tools — The hands that do work Skills — The instructions for when and how to use hands Without tools, your agent is a brain without hands—smart but helpless. --- What Are Tools? Tools are executable capabilities that let OpenClaw interact with the real world. Built-in tools include: Tool Capability read Read files from disk write Cr...
    Read more

    OpenClaw Sub-Agents: How to Run Parallel Tasks Efficiently

    Image
    OpenClaw Sub-Agents: How to Run Parallel Tasks Efficiently By David Park | February 7, 2026 OpenClaw Sub-Agents: How to Run Parallel Tasks Efficiently The single biggest bottleneck with AI agents is waiting . You ask your agent to research a topic, and your entire conversation freezes. You request five independent tasks, and they execute one at a time. This sequential approach wastes hours. OpenClaw's sub-agent architecture solves this by letting you spawn independent workers that run in the background while your main conversation continues. --- What Sub-Agents Actually Do Sub-agents are completely isolated worker sessions spawned from your main agent. Each sub-agent: Runs in its own session ( agent: :subagent: ) Has its own context window and conversation history Cannot see your main conversation Reports results back when complete Operates independently without blocking Think of it like a construction site: Your main conversation is the project manager Sub-agents are s...
    Read more

    OpenClaw Slack Integration: Channel Setup and Multi-Agent Configuration

    Image
    OpenClaw Slack Integration: Channel Setup and Multi-Agent Configuration By David Park | February 7, 2026 OpenClaw Slack Integration: Channel Setup and Multi-Agent Configuration Slack is a popular choice for team communication. This guide covers setting up OpenClaw with Slack, configuring threading, and routing messages to different agents. --- Prerequisites Before setting up Slack, you need: 1. Slack Workspace Admin Access — To create apps 2. Slack App — Created in api.slack.com 3. Bot Token — With required scopes --- Step 1: Create a Slack App 1. Go to Slack API Dashboard 2. Click "Create New App" 3. Choose "From scratch" 4. Name your app (e.g., "OpenClaw Assistant") 5. Select your workspace --- Step 2: Configure Bot Scopes Go to OAuth & Permissions → Scopes : Required Scopes chat:write # Send messages chat:write.public # Post to channels channels:history # Read channel history channels:read # List channels groups:history #...
    Read more