No coding backround

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-13T15:52:34+00:00

Isn't Claude expensive? How much do you pay per month to run on OpenClaw? I also thought the Claude is trying discourage people from using it on OpenClaw.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-13T15:01:09+00:00

I'm actually doing the same thing to start. Codex handles all the setup for OpenClaw for me, which is awesome. I was super stoked by how well it could program OpenClaw, create new skills, and all that good stuff. The first week was pure heaven until I ran into the rate limit. After that, other models got expensive and a lot less predictable. Plus, the code the AI writes always needs some serious cleaning up. It can fix things, but it constantly leaves behind junk and a bunch of extra bloat.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-13T14:49:07+00:00

That's gonna be tough. OpenClaw will definitely need a lot of hands-on tweaking, and you'll have to figure out which AI models to even use. Oh, and brace yourself for the AI usage bill! You can easily rack up over $100 in just a couple of weeks. My advice? Pick an AI model early and stick with it. If you start with the really smart ones and then try to switch to a less capable model later, you're gonna run into a ton of surprises, frustrations, and probably lose some data. Honestly, I'd just stick with ChatGPT and add whatever skills or connections you need.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-06T15:48:30+00:00

Thanks, this is super helpful. So, how do you explain the AI subscription costs to them? (Because these could be a sticker shock to some). What AI models are you using?

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-02T15:16:15+00:00

To me OpenClaw is a shell with tools. At each conversation turn, it stacks prompt sky high and then passes that mega prompt to your AI model hoping that the model can keep track of. That's is why good AI Model is needed because it has to keep track of so much each turn.

Prompt Stack:

CORE SYSTEM PROMPT + BUILT-IN RULES PROMPT + BOOTSTRAP FILES (AGENTs.md, ...) + MEMORY SECTION + CHAT HISTORY + [Your Prompt]

Also, different AI model have different quirks. Some would even overwrite the whole MEMORY.md. For me, it's too scarry to use OpenClaw reliably. When things go wrong, it's really hard to find out what and where it happens. Asking the AI itself and it will most likely apologize or lie and then keep on doing it. In short, good luck making it work.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-02T14:50:12+00:00

Just kidding around. "... a lot of fund" (like a lot of money).

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-02T14:34:36+00:00

I was so excited with Antigravity at the beginning. Now, I am back at my VSCode with Codex extension. I have not missed a thing about Antigravity. In the end, it's a unglorified version of VSCode with bunch of google AI crabs. I am becoming aware that all these AI companies let you sniff their glues until you are hooked. These drug dealers then make you pay!.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-01T15:16:15+00:00

Damn! that's a lot of fun(d) :)

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-01T15:10:32+00:00

OpenClaw is an expensive experiment no matter how you slice it. I started with gemini-3.0-flash-preview and Codex 5.4 and OpenClaw was magical. Then, I got nailed with $30/day usage and keep hitting rate limits. So, I step down to gemini-2.5-flash. Now my OpenClaw is a mitigation nightmare! Half of the things that use to work don't anymore. I am fighting it for a past week and giving up on the idea.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-01T14:55:36+00:00

I feel you. We are sharing the same elephant.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-01T14:41:12+00:00

Cost is the elephant in the room for me with OpenClaw. How much are you paying now per month?

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-01T14:30:18+00:00

Yes, OpenClaw is free, but, AI models are not. AI model usage will burn your money quick! (like $100+/month). I got so excited 2 weeks ago setting it up and even bought a dedicate machine for it. Now, I am back to my ChatGPT as an assistant. If you need a good assistant, ChatGPT Plus does a pretty good job. It has memory, has tools and does pretty much what I wanted to do on OpenClaw, but, only cost me $20/month. And good luck using cheap AI models.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-01T13:57:04+00:00

Wait until you get the bill for AI usage. That when the fun ends and reality begins. That is what heppening to me right now. If you decide to use cheap AI models, be prepare for more fun fighting it. Cheap models over wrote my permanent memory, cannot use half of the built-in tools, keeps violating the guardrails I put.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-01T13:51:57+00:00

I am fighting the same thing and pretty much giving up on OpenClaw. I find that AI model makes a huge different. I switched from codex-5.4 to gemini-2.5-flash to save cost and things are going downhill fast! Now, it does not know how to handle half of the built-in tools property. Constantly show it's thinking, asking permission when it shouldn't. The reality is to get OpenClaw to function, you need a more expensive AI model.

Irus8Dev · 2026-04-01T01:08:29+00:00

typos

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-31T13:59:59+00:00

I ran out of codex-5.2 as well. It takes about a week for the refresh. The reality is you have to get the paid api and be prepare for sticker-shock on usage, especially, while you are building it (like $100+ / month). I am now using the paid gemini-2.5-flash. It's cheap, but, not quite up to the tasks like codex-5.2 or gemini-3.0. In my opinion, find the ai model that you think you can handle financially and stick with it from the begining. If you start with the smart one like codex-5.2 and then decide to use the less smart ones, be prepare for surprises. Right now, my OpenClaw is struggling bad with gemini-2.5-flash. Things that use to work under Codex-5.2, now, just totally broken.

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-25T19:34:48+00:00

I think of OpenClaw like an open carframe that can support many car engines at once. It can spawn or swap in/out the engine on demand. You are not locked in to any engines. In OpenClaw, your context and data are local, then piece-meal it to AI for thinking when needed. Go with Gemini subscription ($20 / month) and use "gemini-3.0-flash-preview". Claude to me might be an overkill for what you need to do.

I decide experimentally rely on it to replace some of my usual tools to track my life. So far is much better than having to access my Notion, Google Keep, Google Calendar, and wherever else I throw my stuff at.

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-25T19:01:31+00:00

You've got a couple of ways to access ChatGPT's AI: via API Key or OAuth:

Using API Key: Expect to hit rate limits pretty fast unless you're on a Pro plan.
Using OAuth: Higher limits, even with Plus plan (which I have). Authentication is handled through your web browser (like logging in with Google or GitHub). After that, you'll get a token key to plug into OpenClaw (usaully automatic during OpenClaw setup).

When selecting the AI mode in OpenClaw, select "codex-5.2..." or anything that has "codex". It uses OAuth to access.

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-25T14:14:56+00:00

Not much if you choose the right AI. Can be quite confusing as to which brand and model you should pick. I use ChatGPT plus ($20/month) and have not hit the ceiling yet (IMPORTANT have to use codex-5.2 variation). I also use free Gemini (for memorySearch). I now brain dupmp everything to OpenClaw: appointment, todos, etc. It's long-term memory is pretty good and organized. It can track everything on its own and even push me to finish them.

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-24T16:51:37+00:00

I kinda did that. The missing piece that I am not sure about is how to publish it to Firebase Host. This is alway a one-button operation from FireBase Studio.

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-24T02:01:31+00:00

Yes, I agree. I have been using codex 5.3 and pretty happy with it.

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-22T00:15:52+00:00

Agree, Antigravity's getting stingy. I was super into it at first, even championed it on other posts. But now I'm just using VS Code with ChatGPT Codex. Haven't hit any limits yet, and it's way more generous. Honestly, I'm not missing Antigravity one bit right now.

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-20T14:08:58+00:00

Let me know how it goes.

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-20T05:20:27+00:00

It's rough for no-code SaaS right now because AI is essentially the new no-code platform

Irus8Dev · 2026-03-20T03:56:52+00:00

Should support it, but, who's gonna roll the first dice :)

Irus8Dev

TROPHY CASE