OpenClaw System Requirements: Hardware & Software Guide
Quick Answer: OpenClaw requires minimum 4 CPU threads, 2GB RAM (4GB recommended), and Node.js 22+. It runs natively on macOS and Linux; Windows users need WSL2. Storage footprint is under 500MB. You also need an API key from at least one LLM provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or local via Ollama).
OpenClaw is lightweight by design. With 200,000+ GitHub stars and an MIT license, it is built to run on everything from a Raspberry Pi to a dedicated VPS — no expensive hardware required.
What Are the Minimum and Recommended Specs?
OpenClaw is surprisingly lightweight. Here is what you need to run it effectively.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 4 threads (x86_64 or ARM64) | 8+ threads |
| RAM | 2GB | 4GB (8-16GB for local LLMs) |
| Storage | 500MB free | 2GB+ (more for local models) |
| Node.js | v22+ | v22 LTS (latest) |
| Network | Broadband internet | Low-latency connection for API calls |
Which Operating Systems Does OpenClaw Support?
OpenClaw supports macOS and Linux natively. Windows requires WSL2.
macOS
Native support — 12 Monterey or newer
Best developer experience. Install via Homebrew or direct download.
Linux
Native support — Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 38+
First-class support. Works on most modern distributions with Node.js 22.
Windows
Via WSL2 only — Windows 10/11 with WSL2
Requires WSL2 installation first. Native Windows is not supported.
Raspberry Pi OS
Supported — Bookworm (64-bit)
Pi 4 (4GB+) or Pi 5 required. Must use 64-bit OS for Node.js 22.
ChromeOS
Community supported — With Linux (Crostini) enabled
Enable Linux development environment in ChromeOS settings, then follow Linux instructions.
What LLM Providers Does OpenClaw Support?
OpenClaw is model-agnostic. Connect to any of these providers or run models locally.
Anthropic (Claude)
Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Opus. Excellent for complex reasoning and coding tasks.
$3-15 per million tokens
OpenAI (GPT-4o)
GPT-4o, GPT-4o-mini. Strong general-purpose performance with fast response times.
$2.50-10 per million tokens
Google (Gemini)
Gemini 2.0, Gemini 1.5 Pro. Good multimodal capabilities and long context windows.
$1.25-5 per million tokens
DeepSeek
DeepSeek V3, DeepSeek Coder. Budget-friendly with strong coding abilities.
$0.27-1.10 per million tokens
Kimi K2.5
Kimi K2.5 from Moonshot AI. Competitive pricing with solid performance.
Varies by plan
Ollama (Local)
Run Llama, Mistral, Phi, or other open models locally. Zero API costs, full privacy.
Free (hardware costs only)
What Are the Best VPS Options for OpenClaw?
If you want OpenClaw running 24/7 without keeping your computer on, a VPS costs $5-15 per month.
| Provider | Plan | Specs | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean | Basic Droplet | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 80GB SSD | $12/month |
| Hetzner | CX22 | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 40GB SSD | $5/month |
| Vultr | Cloud Compute | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 80GB SSD | $12/month |
| Linode | Shared 4GB | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 80GB SSD | $12/month |
| AWS Lightsail | 4GB Instance | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 80GB SSD | $15/month |
Raspberry Pi Compatibility
OpenClaw runs on Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB+ model) and Raspberry Pi 5. The ARM64 architecture is supported by Node.js 22, and the Pi's low power consumption (5-15W) makes it ideal for an always-on AI agent that costs pennies per day in electricity.
- Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB RAM: adequate for API-based LLM usage
- Raspberry Pi 5 with 8GB RAM: recommended for best performance
- Must use 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm) for Node.js 22 support
- Local LLM inference is limited — use API providers for best results on Pi
- Total hardware cost: under $50 for a complete always-on setup
See our full guide: OpenClaw on Raspberry Pi
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