One of the most common questions about OpenClaw — whether self-hosted or managed — is "how much will the AI API cost me?" The answer depends on which model you use, how much you interact with it, and how the system prompt is configured.
How OpenClaw uses API tokens
Every time you send a message to your OpenClaw assistant, it sends your message plus the conversation context to the AI model's API. The API charges based on tokens — roughly 4 characters per token.
The cost comes from two directions:
- Input tokens — your messages plus the system prompt and conversation history
- Output tokens — the AI's responses
Output tokens are typically 3–5x more expensive than input tokens.
Cost per model
Approximate costs for the most commonly used models (as of February 2026):
| Model | Input cost | Output cost | Typical chat cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4.1 | $2/M tokens | $8/M tokens | $0.01–0.05 per exchange |
| GPT-4.1-mini | $0.40/M tokens | $1.60/M tokens | $0.002–0.01 per exchange |
| Claude Sonnet 4 | $3/M tokens | $15/M tokens | $0.02–0.08 per exchange |
| Claude Haiku | $0.80/M tokens | $4/M tokens | $0.005–0.02 per exchange |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | $0.15/M tokens | $0.60/M tokens | $0.001–0.005 per exchange |
"M tokens" = per million tokens. "Typical chat cost" assumes a short to medium exchange with context.
Realistic monthly estimates
For light personal use (10–30 messages per day):
- GPT-4.1-mini or Gemini Flash: $3–10/month
- Claude Sonnet or GPT-4.1: $15–40/month
For moderate use (50–100 messages per day, longer conversations):
- Budget models: $10–25/month
- Premium models: $40–100/month
These are rough estimates. Actual costs depend on conversation length, system prompt size, and how verbose the AI's responses are.
How to reduce costs
Use a cheaper model for routine tasks. GPT-4.1-mini and Gemini Flash handle most daily tasks well at a fraction of the cost of Sonnet or GPT-4.1.
Keep the system prompt short. The system prompt is sent with every message. A 2,000-token system prompt costs you on every exchange. Keep it under 500 tokens if possible.
Tune response length. OpenClaw's default behavior can be verbose. Adding instructions like "be concise" or "keep responses under 200 words" in the system prompt reduces output token usage substantially. One user reported burning 4 million tokens in a couple of hours before adjusting this.
Monitor usage. Check your API provider's dashboard regularly during the first week to understand your actual usage patterns before committing to a model.
ClawCloud and API costs
ClawCloud's monthly base price ($29–$109) covers the server and hosting. Add the managed AI credits addon to start without your own API key, or bring your own key (BYOK) and pay your AI provider directly.
You have full control over which model you use and can switch models anytime in chat with /model.