349 models · Updated every hour

How many messages
for $1?

AI pricing, simplified. The higher the number, the cheaper. Based on ~7,000 tokens per message.

Best AI Models for OpenClaw: LLM Pricing Comparison in Messages Per Dollar

349 results
Bar = value for money (more filled = more messages per dollar)
NVIDIA: Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3Bnvidia
Context 262k
~571msgs / $1
AllenAI: Olmo 2 32B Instructallenai
Context 128k
~571msgs / $1
Mistral: Mistral Small 3.2 24Bmistralai
Context 128k
~519msgs / $1
NousResearch: Hermes 2 Pro - Llama-3 8Bnousresearch
Context 8k
~510msgs / $1
EssentialAI: Rnj 1 Instructessentialai
Context 33k
~476msgs / $1
Mistral: Ministral 3 8B 2512mistralai
Context 262k
~476msgs / $1
ByteDance: UI-TARS 7B bytedance
Context 128k
~476msgs / $1
Qwen: Qwen3 14Bqwen
Context 41k
~476msgs / $1
Reka Flash 3rekaai
Context 66k
~476msgs / $1
Amazon: Nova Lite 1.0amazon
Context 300k
~476msgs / $1
Mistral: Mistral 7B Instruct v0.1mistralai
Context 3k
~476msgs / $1
Qwen: Qwen3 32Bqwen
Context 41k
~446msgs / $1
Qwen: Qwen3.5-Flashqwen
Context 1.0M
~440msgs / $1
Qwen: Qwen3 Coder 30B A3B Instructqwen
Context 160k
~420msgs / $1
Baidu: ERNIE 4.5 21B A3B Thinkingbaidu
Context 131k
~408msgs / $1
Baidu: ERNIE 4.5 21B A3Bbaidu
Context 120k
~408msgs / $1
Arcee AI: Spotlightarcee-ai
Context 131k
~397msgs / $1
Meta: Llama Guard 4 12Bmeta-llama
Context 164k
~397msgs / $1
Qwen: Qwen3 30B A3Bqwen
Context 41k
~397msgs / $1
ByteDance Seed: Seed 1.6 Flashbytedance-seed
Context 262k
~381msgs / $1
OpenAI: gpt-oss-safeguard-20bopenai
Context 131k
~381msgs / $1
Google: Gemini 2.0 Flash Litegoogle
Context 1.0M
~381msgs / $1
Xiaomi: MiMo-V2-Flashxiaomi
Context 262k
~376msgs / $1
Meta: Llama 4 Scoutmeta-llama
Context 328k
~376msgs / $1
Qwen: Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507qwen
Context 262k
~366msgs / $1
Meta: Llama 3.2 3B Instructmeta-llama
Context 80k
~365msgs / $1
StepFun: Step 3.5 FlashstepfunPopular for OpenClaw
Context 262k
~357msgs / $1
Mistral: Mistral Small Creativemistralai
Context 33k
~357msgs / $1
Mistral: Ministral 3 14B 2512mistralai
Context 262k
~357msgs / $1
Mistral: Voxtral Small 24B 2507mistralai
Context 32k
~357msgs / $1

Best Model for OpenClaw: How to Choose by Price

Choosing the best model for OpenClaw depends on your budget and use case. Our comparison table ranks every OpenRouter model by messages per dollar, so you can instantly see which LLM gives you the most value. Whether you need the cheapest model for OpenClaw automation, the best local model for OpenClaw coding tasks, or a premium option like Claude Opus 4.6 for complex reasoning, we break down the real cost per message to help you decide. Models tagged "Popular for OpenClaw" are the most used by the OpenClaw community on OpenRouter.

Why Compare LLM Prices in Messages Per Dollar?

Traditional LLM pricing is shown in dollars per million tokens ($/MTok), a metric that means nothing to most people. How many tokens is a conversation? What does $3/MTok actually cost you? LLM Bench converts every model's pricing into a simple number: how many messages you can send for one dollar. We start from a base of ~7,000 tokens per message (7,000 input + 7,000 output), which represents a realistic average across diverse use cases. This makes it easy to compare ChatGPT API pricing, Claude API costs, Gemini pricing, and hundreds of other models at a glance.

ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini for OpenClaw: Which Is Cheapest?

The cost of AI models varies dramatically. Budget models like GPT-4.1 Nano and Gemini 2.0 Flash offer hundreds of messages per dollar, making them ideal for high-volume OpenClaw tasks. Premium models like Claude Opus 4.6 and GPT-4.1 deliver fewer messages per dollar but offer superior reasoning and coding capabilities, perfect for complex OpenClaw workflows. Mid-range options like Claude Sonnet 4 and GPT-4.1 Mini strike a balance between cost and quality. Use the "Popular for OpenClaw" filter to see which models the community actually uses.

How We Calculate LLM Cost Per Message

Our formula is built on a realistic baseline, not guesswork. We use 7,000 input tokens and 7,000 output tokens as the average message exchange. Of course, usage varies: a quick question might only use 2,000 tokens, while a complex coding session can exceed 15,000. But 7,000 is the sweet spot that reflects how people actually use AI in production. The cost per message equals 7,000 multiplied by the sum of the input and output price per token. Messages per dollar is simply 1 divided by this cost. Using the same formula for every model ensures a fair, apples-to-apples comparison. All pricing data is fetched directly from the OpenRouter API and refreshed every hour.

Free and Cheap Models for OpenClaw on OpenRouter

Several AI models are available completely free through OpenRouter, including variants of Llama, Mistral, and other open-source models. These free models are a great way to get started with OpenClaw without spending anything. For users who need more power, budget models like GPT-4.1 Nano and DeepSeek Chat offer hundreds of messages per dollar. Our comparison table clearly marks free models and lets you sort by price, so finding the cheapest model for OpenClaw takes seconds.

FAQ

What is the best model for OpenClaw?
The best model for OpenClaw depends on your needs. For coding tasks, Claude Sonnet 4 and GPT-4.1 are top choices among the OpenClaw community. For budget-friendly automation, GPT-4.1 Nano and Gemini 2.0 Flash offer hundreds of messages per dollar. Use our "Popular for OpenClaw" filter to see which models are most used by OpenClaw users on OpenRouter.
What is the cheapest model for OpenClaw?
The cheapest paid models for OpenClaw include GPT-4.1 Nano, Gemini 2.0 Flash, and DeepSeek Chat, all offering hundreds of messages per dollar. Several open-source models are also available for free through OpenRouter with some rate limits. Sort our table by "msgs/$" to find the best deal.
How much does ChatGPT API cost per message?
The cost depends on which model you use. GPT-4.1 Nano costs roughly $0.003 per message (about 286 messages per dollar), while GPT-4.1 costs about $0.056 per message (about 18 messages per dollar). We calculate this based on 7,000 input tokens and 7,000 output tokens per message.
How do you calculate messages per dollar?
We start from a base of ~7,000 tokens per message (7,000 input + 7,000 output), which represents a realistic average across diverse use cases. The formula: cost per message = 7,000 × (input price per token + output price per token). Messages per dollar = 1 / cost per message. The same formula is applied to every model for a fair comparison.
Is Claude cheaper than ChatGPT?
It depends on the tier. Claude Sonnet 4 and GPT-4.1 Mini are in a similar price range. For premium models, Claude Opus 4.6 and GPT-4.1 have different pricing that varies. Check our real-time comparison table for the latest prices, updated every hour.
Can I use free models with OpenClaw?
Yes. OpenRouter offers several free models including variants of Llama and Mistral. They work with OpenClaw and are great for experimentation or low-volume use. Free models may have rate limits, so for production workflows, budget paid models like GPT-4.1 Nano (hundreds of messages per dollar) are a reliable alternative.
What are the most popular OpenClaw models on OpenRouter?
The most popular models for OpenClaw on OpenRouter are automatically tracked and updated every 3 days. Use the "Popular for OpenClaw" filter on our comparison table to see the current community favorites, ranked by messages per dollar.
How many tokens is a typical message?
A typical message exchange includes your prompt, conversation history, and the AI's response. The average is 7,000 input tokens and 7,000 output tokens per message. Simple questions use fewer tokens (around 2,000), while coding or long form tasks can exceed 15,000. The 7,000 figure represents a realistic median across diverse use cases.