Updated March 31, 2026

Best OpenClaw API Providers

The official docs frame this area as model providers rather than just “cheap APIs.” That is a better lens for SEO and trust: users are deciding between direct providers, routed providers, custom providers, and future relay layers.

Checked March 31, 2026: the latest stable release is v2026.3.28, the repo is at about 343k stars and 67.7k forks, and the current provider docs still support direct vendors plus OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic-compatible, and autodetect custom providers.

Direct provider

Best when you want a clean relationship with a single vendor and do not need much routing complexity.

Simple integration

Routed provider

Best when you want multi-model fallback, easier experimentation, or centralized provider switching.

Flexible, more moving parts

Custom provider

The current onboarding flow supports custom providers with OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic-compatible, and unknown autodetect paths.

Model provider docs

What To Compare

Supported auth flow: API key, OAuth, setup token, or custom provider
Model coverage and how often you change models
Logging, privacy, and approvals expectations
How much routing or cost control you want between backends

Why This Page Is A Real Future Monetization Surface

If you later build an API relay or provider gateway, this is the page where that product can belong naturally. For now, it should remain an honest comparison page instead of pretending you already have the best priced relay in market.

Where To Go Next

Model guide Compare hub Setup hub