How to Run OpenClaw Completely Free in 2026
OpenClaw does not cost $700/month. That number comes from power users running Claude Opus 24/7 without any optimization. The reality: you can run OpenClaw for $0 using local models, free cloud credits, or both.
This guide covers every free method available in 2026 - from running AI entirely on your hardware with Ollama, to stacking $3,000-$176,000 in free API credits through AI Perks. Pick the method that fits your setup.
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
What OpenClaw Actually Costs: The Real Numbers
Before diving into free methods, here's what OpenClaw actually costs with cloud APIs:
| Usage Level | Monthly API Cost | What You're Doing |
|---|---|---|
| Light | $10-$30 | 1-2 hours/day, simple email and calendar tasks |
| Regular | $40-$80 | Daily automation, moderate multi-step tasks |
| Power user | $100-$200 | Complex workflows, coding, research |
| Extreme | $300-$700+ | 24/7 operation, heavy Opus usage, no optimization |
90% of users spend under $12/day. The average developer spends roughly $100-$200/month. The $700 figure is the unoptimized worst case.
And every tier above can be reduced to $0 using the methods below.
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Method 1: Run Free With Ollama Local Models
Cost: $0 (uses your hardware)
Ollama v0.14.0+ added native Anthropic API compatibility, letting OpenClaw connect directly to local models with zero code changes.
Setup (3 steps):
- Install Ollama and pull a model:
curl -fsSL https://ollama.ai/install.sh | sh
ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:32b
- Set environment variables:
export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="ollama"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=""
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="http://localhost:11434"
- Run OpenClaw normally - it routes all requests to your local model.
Best local models for OpenClaw (ranked):
| Model | Size | Quality | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiniMax-M2.1 | 139B | Excellent | Full agent capability, 194K context (needs 192GB VRAM) |
| Qwen 2.5 Coder | 32B | Very good | Coding tasks, strong reasoning |
| GLM 4.7 Flash | 32B | Good | Speed-optimized, 128K context |
| Qwen3 14B | 14B | Marginal | Simple tasks only, fails on complex chains |
| 8B models | 8B | Poor | Not recommended - hallucinate tool calls |
Hardware requirements:
- Minimum: Apple M-series Mac with 16GB RAM (14B models)
- Recommended: NVIDIA RTX 3090/4090 with 24GB VRAM or Apple M-series with 32GB+ RAM (32B models)
- Ideal: Server-grade GPU with 48GB+ VRAM (70B+ models)
Important: OpenClaw needs 64K+ context length. Even simple workflows push tens of thousands of tokens. Models under 14B parameters break down on complex tool chaining.
Quality trade-off: Local 32B models handle most tasks well but Claude Sonnet/Opus still leads on complex multi-step reasoning. For email management, file organization, and simple automations - local models are excellent. For sophisticated analysis and coding - cloud APIs perform better.
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Method 2: Run Free With LM Studio
Cost: $0 (uses your hardware, GUI interface)
LM Studio provides the same local model experience as Ollama but with a visual interface - ideal for users who prefer not to use the command line.
Setup:
- Download LM Studio from lmstudio.ai
- Browse the model library and download a recommended model (Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B or similar)
- Start the local server:
lms server start --port 1234
- Configure OpenClaw:
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="http://localhost:1234"
export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN="lmstudio"
Advantage over Ollama: LM Studio's GUI lets you browse models, adjust context sizes, monitor performance, and manage multiple models visually. For non-technical users, this is significantly easier than command-line Ollama.
Same hardware requirements and model recommendations as Method 1.
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Method 3: Free Cloud API Credits
Cost: $0 (limited free tiers from providers)
Several AI providers offer free credits that work with OpenClaw:
| Provider | Free Credits | Duration | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Developer Cloud | $100 compute credits | 30 days | Run 139B models on MI300X GPUs |
| Anthropic Trial | $5 API credits | New accounts | Claude Sonnet quality |
| Kimi K2.5 | Free tier via NVIDIA NIMs | Ongoing | Strong agent performance at ~1/9th Claude cost |
| DeepSeek | Free tier available | Limited | Good for simple tasks |
AMD Developer Cloud is the best individual free option. $100 in credits gets you ~50 hours of compute on enterprise MI300X GPUs with 192GB memory - enough to run the most powerful open-source models (MiniMax-M2.1 at 139B parameters).
Kimi K2.5 became free on OpenClaw on January 30, 2026. It's described as delivering "top-tier AI agent capabilities" at a fraction of Claude's cost. Worth testing for ongoing free usage.
These free tiers are good for getting started, but they expire or have limits. For sustained free usage, Method 5 (AI Perks) provides dramatically more credits.
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Method 4: Use Your Existing AI Subscriptions
Cost: $0 extra (if you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT)
Already subscribing to Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus? You can route OpenClaw through those existing subscriptions.
Claude Pro ($20/month):
- Sonnet 4.5 model access
- ~10-40 prompts per 5-hour window
- Usage is shared between Claude web and OpenClaw
Claude Max 5x ($100/month):
- Sonnet 4.5 + Opus 4.6 access
- ~50-200 prompts per 5-hour window
- Best balance of cost and capability
Claude Max 20x ($200/month):
- 20x Pro usage limits
- For daily heavy users who need unlimited agent actions
Important: Pro/Max usage limits are shared across Claude web and OpenClaw. Heavy web usage reduces your OpenClaw budget. If you find yourself hitting limits, Method 5 provides dedicated credits for OpenClaw.
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Method 5: Stack $3,000-$176,000 in Free Credits via AI Perks
Cost: $0 for API usage (most credits, best quality)
This is the most powerful free method. AI Perks provides access to every major AI credit program, letting you stack credits from multiple providers:
| Credit Program | Available Credits | How to Get |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic Claude (Direct) | $1,000 - $25,000 | AI Perks Guide |
| OpenAI (GPT-4/5) | $500 - $50,000 | AI Perks Guide |
| AWS Activate (Bedrock) | $1,000 - $100,000 | AI Perks Guide |
| Microsoft Founders Hub | $500 - $1,000 | AI Perks Guide |
Total potential: $3,000 - $176,000 in credits
Why this beats other free methods:
- Best quality: Claude Sonnet/Opus outperforms every local model on complex agent tasks
- No hardware needed: Runs on any computer, even a $200 Chromebook
- Massive runway: $1,000 in Anthropic credits covers 3-12 months of regular OpenClaw usage
- Multi-provider: Use Claude for reasoning and GPT-4 for speed - switch based on the task
Credit stacking strategies:
Starter Stack ($2,500+):
- Anthropic: $1,000
- OpenAI: $500
- Microsoft: $1,000
- Covers 6-24 months of regular usage
Growth Stack ($26,000+):
- Anthropic: $25,000
- AWS Activate: $1,000
- Covers 1-3 years of heavy usage
Max Stack ($176,000+):
- All programs combined
- Covers years of unlimited usage
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Free vs Paid: Quality Comparison
| Method | Cost | Quality | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ollama (14B local) | $0 | Marginal | Simple tasks only |
| Ollama (32B local) | $0 | Good | Most tasks, some failures on complex chains |
| Ollama (70B+ local) | $0 | Very good | Requires expensive hardware |
| AMD Cloud (free $100) | $0 | Excellent | Time-limited (30 days) |
| Kimi K2.5 free tier | $0 | Good | Ongoing but rate-limited |
| Claude Sonnet (AI Perks) | $0 | Excellent | Complex tasks, production quality |
| Claude Opus (AI Perks) | $0 | Best available | Hardest problems, fewest retries |
| DeepSeek V3 (AI Perks) | $0 | Good | Budget option, 95% cheaper than Claude |
Bottom line: Local models are great for privacy and simple tasks. Free cloud credits from AI Perks give you the best quality at $0.
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
The Best Free Setup for Each Use Case
| Use Case | Best Free Method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Email management | AI Perks credits (Claude) | Email triage needs strong reasoning |
| Calendar scheduling | AI Perks credits (Claude) | Understanding context matters |
| Simple file organization | Ollama 32B local | Works well, no API cost |
| Social media posting | AI Perks credits (any model) | Needs good writing quality |
| Coding and DevOps | Ollama Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B | Excellent for code, free |
| Web research | AI Perks credits (Claude) | Complex reasoning required |
| Morning briefings | Ollama 14B+ local | Simple summarization task |
| Polymarket trading | AI Perks credits (Claude) | Needs best reasoning for analysis |
| Maximum privacy | Ollama local (any size) | Zero data leaves your machine |
| Best overall quality | AI Perks credits (Claude Opus) | Highest capability, fewest errors |
The hybrid approach works best: Use local models for simple, frequent tasks (saves API credits). Use Claude via AI Perks credits for complex tasks that need premium reasoning. This maximizes both quality and credit runway.
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does OpenClaw really cost $700/month?
No. That figure represents unoptimized 24/7 Opus usage. Most users spend $40-$200/month. With local models, the cost is $0. With free API credits from AI Perks, even premium model usage costs $0.
Can I run OpenClaw with no internet?
Yes. With Ollama or LM Studio running local models, OpenClaw operates entirely offline. No API calls, no data leaving your machine. Quality depends on model size - 32B+ recommended.
Which free method gives the best quality?
Free API credits from AI Perks (Claude Sonnet/Opus) deliver the best quality. Among local models, Qwen 2.5 Coder 32B is the strongest option for most tasks.
How long do free credits from AI Perks last?
Depends on usage and stack size. $1,000 in Anthropic credits covers 3-12 months of regular OpenClaw usage. The full Growth Stack ($26,000+) covers 1-3 years of heavy use.
Can I combine local models and API credits?
Yes. The hybrid approach is optimal. Route simple tasks to Ollama (free) and complex tasks to Claude API (free credits). This extends your credit runway significantly while maintaining quality where it matters.
What hardware do I need for local models?
Minimum: Apple M-series Mac with 16GB RAM for 14B models. Recommended: NVIDIA RTX 3090/4090 or Apple M-series with 32GB+ for 32B models. 8B models are not recommended - they hallucinate tool calls.
Is OpenClaw itself free?
Yes. OpenClaw is open-source (MIT license) and completely free to download and install. The only cost is the LLM API credits it consumes - which this guide shows you how to eliminate entirely.
AI Perks curates and provides access to exclusive discounts, credits, and deals on AI tools, cloud services, and APIs to help startups and developers save money.
Stop Paying for OpenClaw
OpenClaw is free software. The AI powering it can be free too. Whether you run local models on your own hardware or stack $176,000 in cloud credits through AI Perks, there's no reason to pay $700/month - or anything at all.
Pick the method that fits your hardware and needs. For most users, free API credits from AI Perks deliver the best combination of quality, convenience, and $0 cost.
OpenClaw is free. The AI powering it should be too. Get started at getaiperks.com.
