Free API Options for OpenClaw

Developers using OpenClaw often ask:

Which APIs can I use for free right now?

While unlimited free inference is rare, several providers offer legitimate free tiers or OAuth access that work well with OpenClaw. Below are the most practical options with setup steps, limits, and trade-offs.

1. Kimi K2.5 (NVIDIA Hosted)

Docs:
https://platform.moonshot.ai/docs/guide/kimi-k2-5-quickstart

Get API key:
https://build.nvidia.com/settings/api-keys

You must register for NVIDIA’s developer platform before use.

OpenClaw Config

"nvidia": {
  "baseUrl": "https://integrate.api.nvidia.com/v1",
  "apiKey": "$NVIDIA_API_KEY",
  "api": "openai-completions",
  "models": [
    {
      "id": "moonshotai/kimi-k2.5",
      "name": "Kimi K2.5",
      "reasoning": true,
      "input": ["text","image"],
      "cost": { "input": 0, "output": 0 },
      "contextWindow": 256000,
      "maxTokens": 8192
    }
  ]
}

Activate:

openclaw models set openrouter/moonshotai/kimi-k2.5

Pros

• 256k context

• reasoning capable

• multimodal

• free tokens

Cons

• extremely slow latency

Best for: long documents, research, batch jobs.

2. OpenRouter Free Models

Browse free models:
https://openrouter.ai/collections/free-models

Search all models:
https://openrouter.ai/models/?q=free

Limits:
https://openrouter.ai/docs/api/reference/limits

Limits

• 20 req/min

• Daily:

  • <10 credits → 50 requests

  • ≥10 credits → 1000 requests

Best for: testing + lightweight agents.

3. Qwen Free API

Platform:
https://qwen.ai/apiplatform

Free Tier

• 2000 requests/day

• 60 requests/min

• No token cap (promo period)

Setup

OpenClaw supports direct OAuth login.

No API key config required.

Best for: coding + automation.

4. Free Premium Models via OAuth

OpenClaw can connect directly to provider accounts via OAuth instead of API keys.

Supported providers may include:

• Google (Gemini)

• Anthropic (Claude)

• Others depending on plugins

Enable OAuth plugins:

openclaw plugins enable google-anti-gravity-oauth
openclaw plugins enable google-gemini-cli-oauth

Login:

openclaw models oauth login --provider google-anti-gravity

Notes

• browser login flow

• no keys required

• tokens may expire and require re-auth

• daily limits depend on provider account

Best for: highest-quality outputs at zero cost.

5. Community List of Free LLM APIs

Curated repository:
https://github.com/cheahjs/free-llm-api-resources

Includes:

• temporary promos

• niche providers

• experimental endpoints

Recommended Stack Strategy

Final Takeaway

The smartest OpenClaw setups combine multiple free sources:

• OAuth providers → premium quality

• Free APIs → backup capacity

• Model routing → automatic optimization

Used together, they provide near-enterprise AI capability at zero cost.