Price Per TokenPrice Per Token
OpenClaw

Cheapest AI Models for OpenClaw — Budget LLM Rankings (2026)

Community-voted model rankings sorted by API cost per million tokens

Discussion · OpenClaw
3
ellmanalex·30d ago

After Claude ban I found my new main model

I've been using OpenClaw for months with only Opus 4.6, Sonnet 4.6, and GPT 5.3/5.4. I'm the kind of person who needs the flagship model as long as budgets are reasonable. Claude is dead. OpenAI made business plan quotas unusable. So I went shopping for alternatives. GLM 5.1 and 5 Turbo: absolute garbage for agentic tasks and automation. Couldn't even write a simple Reddit reply without flooding Telegram with code dumps. Felt like talking to a drunk model. Cancelled. (They said "we'll refund" — still waiting 3 weeks later.) MiMo V2 Pro: using it since launch, really liked it. Honestly got Opus/GPT vibes in many ways. After Claude banned OpenClaw yesterday I got the Token Plan (standard $16). Terrible credit system. Everything in OpenClaw deducts from credits. Session history, bootstrap MD content, tool outputs, cache — literally everything. One month's quota gone in 1 day after filling just 2 session contexts. Horribly inefficient. I will never pay again until they fix the credit logic. Kimi: reviews were bad, never tried. Grok: community feedback looked bad, skipped it. Gemini: no monthly payment option. If there was I'd probably use it, but it's too expensive. So I went with the most popular alternative: Minimax 2.7. When MiMo and GPT failed to handle my nit cron task and Minimax M2.7 solved it in 5 minutes. And the quota on Minimax is impossible to exhaust. — I was shocked. How are they this generous? If anyone knows please explain because it really feels like it won't run out. Tested browser automations. It's not as smart as Opus, but for my automation tasks, light coding work, and being a personal agent — it's enough. If it falls short, I might rotate between a few GPT Plus subscriptions for GPT 5.4 access. Right now, price/performance-wise, Minimax and GPT Plus x 2 accounts are the only efficient OpenClaw model options I could find.

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5 Tips to Save Money on OpenClaw
Provider
Model
Input $/M
Output $/M
Vote
Score
$0.440
$2.000
7010+60
$5.000
$25.000
285+23
$0.400
$1.750
308+22
$0.500
$3.000
246+18
$5.000
$25.000
3518+17
$0.150
$1.150
80+8
$3.000
$15.000
124+8
$0.290
$0.950
81+7
$0.014
$0.028
104+6
$0.140
$0.420
71+6
$0.300
$1.200
60+6
$0.140
$0.200
40+4
$1.000
$3.000
40+4
$1.750
$14.000
106+4
$0.200
$0.500
41+3
$0.600
$2.080
30+3
$0.000
$0.000
31+2
$0.000
$0.000
20+2
$0.000
$0.000
20+2
$0.000
$0.000
20+2
$0.060
$0.400
20+2
$0.110
$0.190
20+2
$0.400
$0.900
20+2
$0.500
$0.500
20+2
$2.500
$15.000
31+2
$0.000
$0.000
10+1
$0.000
$0.000
10+1
$0.000
$0.000
10+1
$0.100
$0.300
10+1
$0.100
$0.300
10+1
$0.100
$0.400
10+1
$0.117
$1.365
10+1
$0.150
$0.600
10+1
$0.200
$0.200
10+1
$0.250
$2.000
10+1
$0.300
$1.200
10+1
$0.300
$2.500
10+1
$0.500
$1.500
10+1
$0.520
$2.080
10+1
$0.600
$2.500
10+1
$2.000
$12.000
21+1
$2.000
$12.000
10+1
$5.000
$25.000
10+1
$0.000
$0.000
110
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
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000
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$0.000
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$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
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000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
-
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
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000
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000
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000
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$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
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$0.000
000
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000
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$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
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$0.000
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$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
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$0.000
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$0.000
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000
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000
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$0.000
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$0.000
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$0.000
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$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
IB
Ibm
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.000
$0.000
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$0.000
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000
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000
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$0.000
000
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$0.000
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$0.000
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$0.000
$0.000
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$0.000
$0.000
000
$0.010
$0.020
000
$0.010
$0.020
000
$0.017
$0.110
000
$0.020
$0.020
000
$0.030
$0.120
000
$0.030
$0.120
000
$0.030
$0.040
000
$0.033
$0.130
000
$0.035
$0.140
000
$0.037
$0.150
000
$0.040
$0.040
000
$0.040
$0.130
000
$0.040
$0.040
000
$0.040
$0.100
000
$0.040
$0.050
000
$0.045
$0.150
000
$0.050
$0.400
110
$0.050
$0.080
000
$0.050
$0.200
000
$0.050
$0.080
000
$0.050
$0.200
000
$0.059
$0.059
000
$0.060
$0.200
000
$0.060
$0.060
000
$0.060
$0.060
000
$0.065
$0.260
000
$0.065
$0.140
000
$0.070
$0.280
000
$0.070
$0.280
000
$0.070
$0.280
000
$0.070
$0.070
000
$0.071
$0.100
000
$0.075
$0.300
000
$0.075
$0.300
000
$0.080
$0.240
000
$0.080
$0.300
000
$0.080
$0.240
000
$0.080
$0.200
000
$0.090
$0.290
000
$0.090
$0.400
000
$0.098
$0.300
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.200
000
$0.100
$0.400
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.300
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.400
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.100
000
$0.100
$0.300
000
$0.104
$0.416
000
$0.120
$0.800
000
$0.125
$0.375
000
$0.130
$0.380
000
$0.130
$0.850
000
$0.130
$0.400
000
$0.130
$0.600
000
$0.130
$0.520
000
$0.137
$0.409
000
$0.140
$0.570
000
$0.140
$0.560
000
$0.140
$0.140
000
$0.140
$0.200
000
$0.140
$0.420
000
$0.149
$0.900
000
$0.150
$0.600
000
$0.150
$0.150
000
$0.150
$0.450
000
$0.150
$0.600
000
$0.150
$0.150
000
$0.150
$0.750
000
$0.150
$0.150
000
$0.150
$0.600
000
$0.170
$0.170
000
$0.170
$0.170
000
$0.170
$0.430
000
$0.180
$0.180
000
$0.180
$0.180
000
$0.195
$0.900
000
$0.195
$0.975
000
$0.200
$1.250
000
$0.200
$0.600
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.400
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.600
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
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000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
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000
$0.200
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000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$1.100
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
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000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.500
000
$0.200
$1.500
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
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$0.200
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000
$0.200
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000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.800
000
$0.200
$0.770
000
$0.200
$1.100
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.200
$0.200
000
$0.210
$0.790
000
$0.220
$0.800
000
$0.220
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000
$0.240
$0.240
000
$0.250
$2.000
000
$0.250
$2.000
000
$0.250
$2.000
000
$0.250
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000
$0.250
$0.750
000
$0.250
$1.500
000
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$1.250
000
$0.250
$0.750
000
$0.250
$0.750
000
$0.260
$0.780
000
$0.260
$1.560
000
$0.260
$0.780
000
$0.260
$0.900
000
$0.270
$0.410
000
$0.280
$0.900
000
$0.290
$0.290
000
$0.300
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000
$0.300
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000
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$0.500
000
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$1.200
000
$0.300
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000
$0.300
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000
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000
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000
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000
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000
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000
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000
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000
$0.300
$0.300
000
$0.350
$1.050
000
$0.360
$0.400
000
$0.390
$0.900
000
$0.390
$1.740
000
$0.400
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000
$0.400
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000
$0.400
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000
$0.400
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000
$0.400
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000
$0.400
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000
$0.400
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000
$0.400
$0.400
000
$0.420
$1.250
000
$0.450
$0.450
000
$0.455
$0.900
000
$0.500
$0.800
000
$0.500
$0.700
000
$0.500
$0.500
000
$0.500
$2.150
000
$0.500
$0.500
000
$0.500
$1.500
000
$0.500
$0.500
000
$0.510
$0.740
000
$0.550
$0.800
000
$0.550
$2.000
000
$0.550
$2.200
000
$0.600
$6.000
000
$0.600
$2.200
000
$0.620
$0.620
000
$0.625
$5.000
000
$0.625
$5.000
000
$0.625
$5.000
000
$0.650
$0.750
000
$0.650
$3.250
000
$0.650
$0.650
000
$0.660
$0.800
000
$0.700
$1.400
000
$0.700
$0.800
000
$0.720
$0.720
000
$0.750
$1.200
000
$0.750
$3.000
000
$0.750
$3.500
000
$0.750
$1.000
000
$0.776
$0.776
000
$0.780
$3.900
000
$0.780
$3.900
000
$0.800
$2.400
000
$0.800
$1.200
000
$0.800
$1.200
000
$0.800
$1.600
000
$0.800
$4.000
000
$0.800
$0.800
000
$0.800
$1.600
000
$0.800
$0.800
000
$0.800
$0.800
000
$0.800
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000
$0.800
$4.000
000
$0.800
$0.800
000
$0.850
$1.250
000
$0.850
$3.400
000
$0.850
$0.850
000
$0.900
$0.900
000
$0.900
$1.900
000
$0.900
$3.300
000
$0.900
$0.900
000
$0.900
$0.900
000
$0.900
$0.900
000
$0.900
$0.900
000
$0.900
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000
$0.900
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000
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000
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000
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000
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000
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$0.900
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000
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000
$0.900
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000
$0.900
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000
$0.900
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000
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000
$0.900
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000
$0.900
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$0.900
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$0.900
$0.900
000
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$3.000
000
$1.000
$3.000
000
$1.000
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000
$1.000
$3.000
000
$1.000
$10.000
000
$1.000
$5.000
000
$1.000
$1.000
000
$1.000
$1.000
000
$1.040
$4.160
000
$1.050
$3.500
110
$1.100
$4.400
000
$1.100
$4.400
000
$1.100
$4.400
000
$1.200
$4.000
000
$1.200
$4.000
000
$1.200
$1.200
000
$1.250
$2.500
000
$1.250
$10.000
000
$1.250
$10.000
000
$1.250
$10.000
000
$1.250
$10.000
000
$1.250
$10.000
000
$1.250
$10.000
000
$1.250
$10.000
000
$1.480
$1.480
000
$1.500
$2.000
000
$1.750
$14.000
000
$1.750
$14.000
000
$1.750
$14.000
000
$1.950
$2.560
000
$2.000
$6.000
000
$2.000
$8.000
000
$2.000
$5.000
000
$2.000
$12.000
000
$2.000
$8.000
000
$2.000
$8.000
000
$2.000
$8.000
000
$2.000
$8.000
000
$2.000
$8.000
000
$2.000
$2.000
000
$2.000
$8.000
000
$2.000
$6.000
000
$2.000
$6.000
000
$2.000
$6.000
000
$2.000
$12.000
000
$2.500
$10.000
000
$2.500
$10.000
000
$2.500
$10.000
000
$2.500
$10.000
000
$2.500
$10.000
000
$2.500
$12.500
000
$2.500
$10.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$3.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$5.000
000
$3.000
$15.000
000
$3.000
$4.000
000
$3.750
$7.500
000
$4.000
$8.000
000
$5.000
$25.000
000
$5.000
$25.000
000
$5.000
$15.000
000
$5.000
$15.000
000
$8.000
$24.000
000
$10.000
$40.000
000
$10.000
$10.000
000
$10.500
$84.000
000
$12.500
$12.500
000
$15.000
$120.000
000
$15.000
$75.000
000
$15.000
$75.000
000
$15.000
$60.000
000
$15.000
$75.000
000
$18.800
$18.800
000
$20.000
$80.000
000
$20.000
$20.000
000
$30.000
$180.000
000
$30.000
$60.000
000
$75.000
$150.000
000
$150.000
$600.000
000
$0.020
$0.050
01-1
$0.060
$0.240
01-1
$0.060
$0.120
01-1
$0.100
$0.150
01-1
$0.100
$0.400
01-1
$0.135
$0.500
01-1
$0.259
$0.380
01-1
$0.750
$4.500
01-1
$1.100
$4.400
01-1
$1.750
$14.000
13-2

Vote for budget-friendly models that work well (or don't) with OpenClaw.

Pricing from OpenRouter.

Cost Calculator

Estimated monthly cost running OpenClaw daily (~100K tokens/day, 30 days)

Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507
$0.00/M in · $0.00/M out~$0.00/mo
Nemotron 3 Super 120B A12B
$0.00/M in · $0.00/M out~$0.00/mo
Nemotron-3 Super 120B A12B
$0.00/M in · $0.00/M out~$0.00/mo
GPT-OSS-120b
$0.00/M in · $0.00/M out~$0.00/mo
Kimi K2.5 Turbo
$0.00/M in · $0.00/M out~$0.00/mo

* Estimates based on 50/50 input/output token split at 100K tokens/day

About This Leaderboard

This leaderboard shows community-voted OpenClaw model and LLM rankings sorted by API cost (input price per million tokens). Prices are sourced from OpenRouter. The cheapest models are listed first, so you can find AI models that fit your budget without sacrificing too much quality.

For agentic coding workflows, token costs add up quickly — a typical OpenClaw session can use 50,000–200,000 tokens. Choosing a cheaper model that still handles tool use and long-context reasoning well can save significant money at scale.

Frequently Asked Questions

The cheapest API models for OpenClaw include various open-source options available via OpenRouter like Llama and Qwen models, often under $0.20/M input tokens. Running locally with Ollama is free (electricity only).
Yes. Some models on OpenRouter have free tiers with rate limits. You can also run open-source LLMs locally at zero API cost using Ollama or llama.cpp.
A typical session uses 50K–200K tokens. At $0.20/M that's $0.01–$0.04 per session. Heavy daily use costs $1–$10/month on cheap models, vs $50–$200/month on frontier models.
Cheap models that still handle tool use and multi-step planning well include Qwen 2.5 Coder, DeepSeek V3, and Llama 3.3 70B. Check the community votes in the table above — the score column shows which budget AI models developers actually rate highly.