OpenClaw Cost Optimization 2026

API costs scale with token volume. This guide shows which config changes have the most impact — model selection, token caps, and switching to local inference — without changing agent behavior.

{
  "llm": {
    "provider": "deepseek",
    "apiKey": "YOUR_KEY",
    "model": "deepseek-chat",
    "baseURL": "https://api.deepseek.com/v1",
    "maxTokens": 4096,
    "temperature": 0.7
  }
}

Why Costs Spike Unexpectedly

OpenClaw agents are multi-turn by design. Each tool call or sub-agent spawns new completions that accumulate fast. Three patterns account for most unexpected cost spikes:

Step 1: Pick the Right Model

The model swap is the single highest-impact change. Use our Model Pricing page for current rates. Rough 2026 tiers:

Step 2: Add a maxTokens Cap

This is the fastest safety net. Without it, a single agent loop can exhaust a daily budget in minutes.

{
  "llm": {
    "model": "deepseek-chat",
    "maxTokens": 4096
  }
}

Step 3: Switch to DeepSeek V3

DeepSeek V3 handles most OpenClaw workloads — code generation, task planning, JSON structuring — at significantly lower cost than GPT-4-tier models. It is not a reasoning model (no chain-of-thought), so it's not suited for tasks that explicitly need reasoning_effort.

{
  "llm": {
    "provider": "deepseek",
    "apiKey": "sk-...",
    "model": "deepseek-chat",
    "baseURL": "https://api.deepseek.com/v1",
    "maxTokens": 4096,
    "temperature": 0.7
  }
}

Get an API key at platform.deepseek.com. For a full setup walkthrough, see our DeepSeek Setup Guide.

Step 4: Run Locally with Ollama (Zero API Cost)

For privacy-sensitive tasks or when you want to eliminate API costs entirely, Ollama runs models on your machine. Performance depends on your hardware.

# 1. Pull a model locally
ollama pull qwen2.5:14b

# 2. Update openclaw config
{
  "llm": {
    "provider": "ollama",
    "model": "qwen2.5:14b",
    "baseURL": "http://localhost:11434/v1",
    "maxTokens": 4096
  }
}

Step 5: Track Usage Before Optimizing Further

Without usage data, optimization is guesswork. Each provider has built-in usage dashboards:

Set a monthly spend alert in your provider's billing settings. Most let you trigger an email at a fixed dollar threshold.

Quick Reference