OpenClaw: Pick it and plan
This page is for readers who picked OpenClaw instead of Agent Zero, and it is the first of eight. It helps you decide whether OpenClaw fits you and what you need first. It also lists the models OpenClaw can use, what they cost, and the catches to expect.
These steps were checked on 14 November 2026, when the latest stable OpenClaw was 2026.11.3.
Pick this if
Pick OpenClaw if you do not want Docker, you want the widest choice of models, and you want to reach the agent later from many chat apps or a phone app. Agent Zero needs Docker, but OpenClaw skips it and runs straight on your real computer.
That is the main trade-off. OpenClaw scored 65.0 out of 100 on the scorecard, fourth of six, while Agent Zero scored 70.0. OpenClaw tied for the highest model score and was strong at doing many kinds of work. But it lost the most points on safety: 4 out of 20, against Agent Zero's 14. Out of the box, it can run commands on your real computer without asking you. You have to turn that off yourself, on the next page.
Before you start
The program is free, and the project says it has no paid tier. It is run by the OpenClaw Foundation and uses the MIT license, which lets anyone use it for free.
The model is the part that costs money, if anything does, and Pick your model and budget explains the choices. This guide starts with a free Google Gemini key from Google AI Studio. You do not need a credit card for it, but Google may use free-tier prompts to improve its products.
Do not sign in with a Gemini CLI login or an Antigravity login, because OpenClaw no longer offers new setups of those. Google's own rules say using OpenClaw with an Antigravity login breaks its terms and can get your Google account suspended or closed.
You will type a few commands in a terminal, which is PowerShell on Windows and Terminal on a Mac.
The models it supports and what they cost
OpenClaw works with more providers than most agents. The full price table for each one is in Pick your model and budget. These are the routes OpenClaw's own provider pages still offer for a new setup.
- Google AI Studio key. This is the route the next
page uses. The free tier covers
google/gemini-4-hydrogen. Gemini key setup picksgoogle/gemini-4-argon, though, which is not on the free tier, so the next page switches models. - Groq key. Groq has a free tier with no card.
OpenClaw reaches it through an add-on you install with
openclaw plugins install @openclaw/groq-provider. - OpenRouter key or sign-in. OpenRouter is pay-as-you-go and bills your OpenRouter account. It forwards your requests to many providers, so it works like a relay.
- A local model through Ollama. It costs nothing per use and keeps your prompts on your computer, but it needs a lot of RAM. OpenClaw's own docs say small local models are a weak choice once tools are on.
- An account sign-in you already pay for. OpenClaw can reuse a GitHub Copilot plan, a Claude Code login, or a ChatGPT sign-in for OpenAI's Codex. What you get depends on that plan. Going past a Claude plan's limits can cost money if extra usage is turned on.
- A pay-as-you-go key from OpenAI or Anthropic. You pay for every token, so set a spend limit first.
The routes it no longer offers are Gemini CLI login and Antigravity login. The reasons are above.
The catches
- Approvals are not a wall. A command you approve can still change files. With the sandbox off, a command can reach folders outside the workspace if it names them in full, and the file tools can too unless you turn on the workspace-only setting on the next page.
- Your keys are not locked. Keys and chat history
live in the
.openclawfolder in your user folder. OpenClaw's docs say its secret store is not encrypted, so anyone who can open your account can read it. Do not put that folder in OneDrive, iCloud, or another synced folder. - Web pages can give orders. A page, email, or PDF can hide a prompt injection that the agent may follow. Stay logged out of email and your bank.
- The free model has limits. Google does not publish how much free use you get. It may also use free prompts to improve its products. Setup also defaults to a model that is not free, which is why you switch models on the next page.
- Skills are code. ClawHub scans skills, but OpenClaw's own docs say a scan is not a guarantee, and a bad skill can read your keys.
Sources
All checked 14 November 2026.
- What OpenClaw is: https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq/what-is-openclaw and https://docs.openclaw.ai/
- License and latest release: https://api.github.com/repos/openclaw/openclaw and https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/tag/v2026.11.3
- Sandbox off by default: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/sandboxing
- Shell approvals: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/exec and https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/exec-approvals/
- Workspace is not a sandbox: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/agent-workspace
- File tools reach outside the workspace unless
tools.fs.workspaceOnlyis on: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/security/tool-permissions and https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/permission-modes - Secrets on disk: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/security/secrets-and-storage and https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/github-copilot
- Prompt injection: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/security/prompt-injection
- Skills and ClawHub: https://docs.openclaw.ai/clawhub/security-audits
- Gemini key, default model, and free models in OpenClaw's catalog: https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/google
- Other model routes: https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/groq, https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/openrouter, https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/ollama/setup, https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/anthropic/, and https://docs.openclaw.ai/providers/openai/authentication
- Small local models and tools: https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq-models
- Claude extra usage: https://support.claude.com/en/articles/14246112-buy-usage-bundles
- Google's Antigravity rules: https://antigravity.google/terms/
- Which Gemini and Groq models are free: the free and cheap models chapter
- Research notes for all of the above: OpenClaw research notes
Next
Continue to Install and first job.