Intelligence vs Speed
OpenClaw works with virtually any LLM, but your choice will dictate how effectively your agent can use its skills.
Top Recommendations (2026)
- Claude 3.5 Sonnet: Currently the industry leader for precise tool usage and complex planning.
- GPT-4o: Excellent all-rounder with high speed and reliable following of system prompts.
- DeepSeek V3: High intelligence at a fraction of the cost, excellent for large-scale research tasks.
- Llama 3.3 (Local): The best choice for users who want 100% privacy and no API costs.
Pro Tip: Use
openclaw config models to set a primary model and a cheaper
"refactoring" model to save on API costs.