AI Models
Choose from built-in models or connect your own API key to use any provider.
OpenClaw is not tied to any one model. Kimi ships with every plan at no extra charge. If your tasks need heavier reasoning, Claude Opus is on Pro and Ultra. Or plug in your own API key from OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, whoever you prefer. You can swap models from the dashboard whenever you feel like it.
Kimi
Moonshot AIFast, capable model included free on all plans.
Claude Opus
AnthropicPowerful reasoning model for complex tasks. Available on Pro and Ultra.
GPT-4o
OpenAIConnect via your own API key for OpenAI's latest model.
Gemini
GoogleConnect via your own API key for Google's AI model.
DeepSeek
DeepSeekConnect via your own API key for cost-effective reasoning.
Which one should you pick
Most people start with Kimi and it works just fine. It handles conversations, searches the web, manages email, and runs through everyday tasks without problems. It is fast and it is free. If you are just trying out ClawStart or your use case is things like checking email and looking stuff up on the web, Kimi is what you want.
Claude Opus makes sense when you need the agent to handle complex reasoning: writing long, nuanced content, analyzing detailed reports, making sense of large amounts of information. It is noticeably better at tasks where the quality of thinking matters more than the speed of response. The Ultra plan includes Claude Opus by default. On Pro, you can access it through your own Anthropic API key.
GPT-4o from OpenAI is another popular option. If you already have an OpenAI API key, plug it in and you are set. Same with Gemini from Google and DeepSeek. The "bring your own key" setup means you are never stuck with one provider. Try one model, switch to another, keep what works best for your specific use case.
A note about message limits
Here is something people sometimes miss: when you use your own API key, messages sent through that key do not count against your monthly ClawStart quota. So on the Pro plan where you get 1,000 messages included, adding your own key effectively removes the ceiling. You pay the model provider directly for token usage. ClawStart just provides the infrastructure, skills, and integrations around the model.
Check out the pricing page for details on which plans support which models. Or just create a free agent with Kimi and upgrade when you need something more powerful.