OpenClaw Pricing: What It Actually Costs to Run in 2026
The real cost of running OpenClaw isn't just hosting. This guide breaks down every expense — AI tokens, hosting, API keys, and your time — so you can budget accurately.
"OpenClaw is free and open source" — that's technically true. But running it 24/7 as your personal AI assistant costs real money. The biggest expense isn't hosting — it's AI tokens.
This guide breaks down every cost component so you know exactly what to budget.
The Three Costs of Running OpenClaw
1. Hosting ($3.49–49/month)
OpenClaw needs a server running 24/7. Your options:
- Self-hosted VPS — $3.49/month (Hetzner) to $24/month (DigitalOcean). Requires technical setup and ongoing maintenance.
- Managed hosting — $20–49/month. Everything configured for you, automatic updates, no maintenance.
Hosting is the smallest part of the total cost. The real expense is below.
2. AI Tokens ($10–100+/month)
Every message you send to OpenClaw gets processed by an AI model. You pay per token (roughly per word) based on which model you use:
| Model | Input Cost | Output Cost | Typical Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.5 | $15/M tokens | $75/M tokens | $15–50+ |
| GPT-5.2 | $10/M tokens | $30/M tokens | $10–35+ |
| Gemini 3 Flash | $0.15/M tokens | $0.60/M tokens | $1–5 |
What does this mean in practice?
- A casual user (10-20 messages/day) spends roughly $10–15/month on AI tokens with Claude Opus 4.5
- A moderate user (30-50 messages/day) spends $20–40/month
- A heavy user (100+ messages/day, long conversations) can spend $50–100+/month
Gemini 3 Flash is dramatically cheaper but less capable for complex tasks. Many users set Flash as their default and switch to Opus or GPT for harder problems.
3. Your Time ($0–priceless)
This is the hidden cost that most pricing guides ignore:
Self-hosting time costs:
- Initial setup: 30–60 minutes (if everything goes right)
- Debugging when things break: 1–4 hours per incident
- Security patches and updates: 30 minutes/month
- Managing API keys across providers: 15 minutes/month
- Monitoring uptime: ongoing
Managed hosting time costs:
- Initial setup: under 1 minute
- Everything else: zero
If your time is worth $50/hour, just one debugging session costs more than the annual price difference between self-hosting and managed hosting.
Total Cost Scenarios
Scenario 1: Budget Setup (Self-Hosted + Gemini Flash)
| Component | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Hetzner VPS | $3.49 |
| Gemini 3 Flash tokens | ~$3 |
| Your time (setup + maintenance) | $0 (if you enjoy it) |
| Total | ~$6.50/month |
Best for: Technical users who want the cheapest option and don't need the most capable AI models.
Scenario 2: Mid-Range (Self-Hosted + Claude Opus)
| Component | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| DigitalOcean VPS | $24 |
| Anthropic API (Claude Opus 4.5) | ~$25 |
| OpenAI API (GPT-5.2 backup) | ~$10 |
| Your time (maintenance) | Priceless |
| Total | ~$59/month + time |
Best for: Technical users who want premium AI models and are comfortable managing servers.
Scenario 3: Managed Hosting (SimpleClaw)
| Component | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| SimpleClaw subscription | $49 |
| AI credits | $15 included |
| Additional credits (if needed) | Variable |
| Your time | Zero |
| Total | $49/month all-in |
Best for: Users who want everything handled — one bill, no setup, no maintenance, no API key management.
The $49 price includes $15 in AI credits, which covers moderate daily usage. You're paying a premium for simplicity: no server management, no API key juggling, no separate bills from AI providers, no security configuration.
How to Reduce AI Token Costs
Regardless of how you host, these tips lower your AI spending:
- Use Gemini Flash for simple tasks — quick translations, formatting, simple Q&A. Save Opus/GPT for complex reasoning.
- Be concise in your messages — shorter prompts = fewer input tokens = lower cost
- Avoid unnecessary back-and-forth — give complete context in one message instead of spreading it across 5 messages
- Clear context periodically — long conversation histories eat tokens on every message because the entire context gets sent to the AI model
Summary
The real cost of OpenClaw in 2026:
| Approach | Monthly Cost | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Budget self-host (Gemini Flash) | ~$6.50 | High (setup + maintenance) |
| Premium self-host (Claude Opus) | ~$59+ | Medium (ongoing maintenance) |
| Managed (SimpleClaw) | $49 all-in | Zero |
The cheapest option is self-hosting with Gemini Flash, but it requires technical skills and ongoing time investment. For most users, managed hosting at $49/month with AI credits included is the most cost-effective choice when you factor in your time.