Jenny Met

Posted on Mar 7

OpenClaw Setup Guide 2026: Deploy Your AI Assistant with Crazyrouter in 5 Minutes

#ai #telegram #opensource #tutorial

Key Takeaway: OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant framework that connects to Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, and 20+ platforms. The fastest setup uses Crazyrouter as the AI backend — one API key gives your bot access to 627+ models (GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek) at 55% below official pricing. Total setup time: under 5 minutes.

What Is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI assistant framework that turns any messaging platform into an AI-powered interface. Think of it as "ChatGPT, but self-hosted, on your own terms."

Core capabilities:

20+ messaging platforms — Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, Slack, Signal, LINE, MS Teams, IRC, and more
Any AI model — GPT-5, Claude Opus 4.6, Gemini 3, DeepSeek R1, Llama 4, etc.
Skills system — Extensible plugins for web search, code execution, file management, browser control
Persistent memory — Your assistant remembers conversations across sessions
Multi-model routing — Switch models per conversation or per task
Self-hosted — Your data stays on your server

Why Crazyrouter + OpenClaw?

OpenClaw needs an AI model API to function. You have three options:

Backend	Models	Cost	Setup Complexity
Direct OpenAI	OpenAI only	$10/M tokens (GPT-5.2)	Moderate
Direct Anthropic	Claude only	$15/M tokens (Opus 4.6)	Moderate
Crazyrouter	627+ models	$4.50/M tokens (55% off)	Easiest

Crazyrouter is the recommended backend because:

One API key → access all models (no switching providers)
55% cheaper → same models, lower bill
OpenAI-compatible → zero extra configuration in OpenClaw
Credits never expire → no wasted balance
7 global edge nodes → low latency worldwide

Quick Start: 3 Methods

Method 1: One-Line Install (Fastest)

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xujfcn/crazyrouter-openclaw/main/install.sh | bash

The script automatically:

Detects your system (Linux/macOS, x64/arm64)
Installs Node.js 22+ if needed
Installs OpenClaw
Asks for your Crazyrouter API key
Pre-configures 15+ popular AI models
Sets up systemd/launchd auto-start
Guides you through Telegram bot pairing

Prerequisites:

Crazyrouter API key → Register free at crazyrouter.com
Telegram Bot token → Create via @botfather on Telegram

Method 2: Docker Deploy

git clone https://github.com/xujfcn/openclaw-deploy.git
cd openclaw-deploy
chmod +x deploy.sh
sudo ./deploy.sh

Choose Docker when prompted. The script builds and runs the container.

Method 3: Manual Install

# Install Node.js 22+
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install 22

# Install OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw

# Configure
openclaw configure

During openclaw configure, enter:

AI Provider: OpenAI-compatible
Base URL: https://crazyrouter.com/v1
API Key: Your Crazyrouter key (starts with sk-)
Default Model: claude-opus-4-6 (or any model you prefer)

Connecting to Messaging Platforms

Telegram (Most Popular)

openclaw configure --section telegram

Enter your Bot token from @botfather. Then:

Open Telegram → send /start to your bot
Bot replies with a pairing code
Enter the code in terminal, or run: openclaw pairing approve telegram <code>
Done — start chatting!

Discord

openclaw configure --section discord

Enter your Discord bot token. Add the bot to your server via OAuth2 URL.

openclaw configure --section whatsapp

Scan the QR code with WhatsApp to pair.

All Supported Platforms

Platform	Setup Command	Auth Method
Telegram	`--section telegram`	Bot token
Discord	`--section discord`	Bot token
WhatsApp	`--section whatsapp`	QR code
Slack	`--section slack`	OAuth
Signal	`--section signal`	Phone number
LINE	`--section line`	Channel token
MS Teams	`--section msteams`	App registration
IRC	`--section irc`	Server/channel
WeChat Work	`--section wechatwork`	Corp ID
DingTalk	`--section dingtalk`	App key
Feishu	`--section feishu`	App ID
Matrix	`--section matrix`	Homeserver URL
Google Chat	`--section googlechat`	Service account
iMessage	`--section imessage`	macOS only

Choosing Your AI Model

With Crazyrouter as your backend, you can switch models anytime:

Best Models by Use Case

Use Case	Recommended Model	Cost via Crazyrouter	Why
General assistant	Claude Opus 4.6	$6.75/M input	Best overall quality
Budget assistant	GPT-5 Mini	$0.14/M input	97% cheaper, still great
Coding help	GPT-5.3 Codex	$3.38/M input	Code-optimized
Research	Gemini 3 Pro	$1.58/M input	2M context window
Math/Logic	DeepSeek R1	$0.055/M input	Best reasoning, cheapest
Fast responses	Gemini 3 Flash	$0.04/M input	Ultra-low latency
Creative writing	Claude Opus 4.6	$6.75/M input	Most nuanced language
Chinese content	DeepSeek V3.2	$0.012/M input	Native Chinese model

How to Switch Models

In your OpenClaw config (openclaw.json):

{
  "providers": {
    "crazyrouter": {
      "type": "openai",
      "baseUrl": "https://crazyrouter.com/v1",
      "apiKey": "sk-your-key",
      "models": {
        "claude-opus-4-6": {},
        "gpt-5.2": {},
        "gemini-3-pro": {},
        "deepseek-r1": {},
        "gpt-5-mini": {}
      }
    }
  },
  "defaultModel": "claude-opus-4-6"
}

Switch default model at any time:

openclaw configure --model gpt-5.2

Or switch per-conversation by telling your bot: "Switch to GPT-5 Mini" or "Use DeepSeek for this conversation."

OpenClaw Skills (Plugins)

Skills extend your assistant's capabilities:

Skill	What It Does	Built-in?
Web Search	Search the internet via Brave API	✅
Browser	Control a headless browser	✅
Code Execution	Run Python/Node/Shell code	✅
File Management	Read, write, edit files	✅
Video Download	Download from YouTube, Twitter, etc.	Install via ClawHub
Weather	Get forecasts via wttr.in	Install via ClawHub
TTS	Text-to-speech conversion	✅
Memory	Persistent cross-session memory	✅
Canvas	Present web UIs to users	✅

Installing Skills from ClawHub

openclaw skill install <skill-name>

Browse available skills at clawhub.com.

Creating Custom Skills

Create a SKILL.md file in ~/.openclaw/skills/my-skill/:

# My Custom Skill

Trigger: When user asks about [topic]

## Steps
1. Search knowledge base
2. Format response
3. Return answer

Memory and Context

OpenClaw has a unique memory system:

MEMORY.md — Long-term memory (curated facts, preferences)
memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md — Daily logs (raw conversation notes)
SOUL.md — Your bot's personality and behavior rules
USER.md — Information about who it's helping

Your assistant reads these files at startup, maintaining context across sessions. Unlike ChatGPT where conversations are isolated, OpenClaw remembers everything you tell it.

Cost Estimation

How much does running OpenClaw cost?

Usage Level	Daily Messages	Monthly Token Usage	Monthly Cost (Crazyrouter)
Light	10-20	~500K tokens	$2-5
Moderate	50-100	~3M tokens	$15-25
Heavy	200+	~10M tokens	$45-70
Power user	500+	~30M tokens	$135-200

Compared to ChatGPT Plus ($20/month): For moderate usage, OpenClaw + Crazyrouter costs about the same — but you get access to 627 models instead of just GPT, full self-hosting control, and multi-platform integration.

Compared to direct API: Using Crazyrouter saves ~55% versus calling OpenAI/Anthropic directly. A heavy user saves approximately $55-85/month.

System Requirements

Component	Minimum	Recommended
CPU	1 core	2+ cores
RAM	2 GB	4 GB
Storage	1 GB	10 GB (for skills, memory)
OS	Linux, macOS	Ubuntu 22+ or macOS 13+
Node.js	18+	22+
Network	Any internet	Low-latency to AI providers

OpenClaw runs on everything from a $5/month VPS to a Raspberry Pi to a gaming PC.

OpenClaw vs Alternatives

Feature	OpenClaw	Rasa	Botpress	Custom Build
Open source	✅	✅	Partial	N/A
Self-hosted	✅	✅	✅	✅
LLM-native	✅	❌ (rule-based)	Partial	Varies
20+ platforms	✅	❌ (custom)	Limited	Build each
Persistent memory	✅	❌	Limited	Build it
Skills/plugins	✅	✅	✅	Build each
Setup time	5 min	Hours	30 min	Days-weeks
AI model choice	627+ via gateway	Limited	Limited	Any
Monthly cost	$5-70 (API only)	Free-$$$	Free-$500+	API costs + dev time

Bottom line: OpenClaw is the fastest way to deploy a self-hosted AI assistant with multi-platform support. Combined with Crazyrouter for model access, total setup is under 5 minutes and ongoing costs are minimal.

Troubleshooting

Bot doesn't respond

# Check if OpenClaw is running
openclaw status

# Check logs
journalctl --user -u openclaw -f

# Verify pairing
openclaw pairing list

API errors (401/429)

401: Check your Crazyrouter API key in the config
429: Rate limited — wait 30s or switch to a different model
500: Upstream provider issue — Crazyrouter's failover should handle this automatically

Model not found

Ensure model name matches exactly. Check available models:

curl https://crazyrouter.com/v1/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-key" | python3 -m json.tool | head -50

3 Common Misconceptions

"Self-hosting AI is complicated"

With the one-line installer, OpenClaw + Crazyrouter deploys in under 5 minutes. No Docker knowledge needed, no infrastructure to manage (beyond a basic VPS).

"I need separate API accounts for each model"

Through Crazyrouter, one API key accesses 627+ models. Switch between GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek with a single config change — no separate accounts or billing.

"Self-hosted means expensive"

A $5/month VPS + $15-25/month in API costs (via Crazyrouter's discounted pricing) gives you a more capable assistant than a $20/month ChatGPT Plus subscription — with full control, multi-platform access, and persistent memory.

Getting Started Now

Get your API key → crazyrouter.com (free, $0.20 starter credit)
Create Telegram bot → @botfather on Telegram
Run the installer:

   curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/xujfcn/crazyrouter-openclaw/main/install.sh | bash

Start chatting → Send /start to your bot

Resources:

OpenClaw docs: docs.openclaw.ai
OpenClaw GitHub: github.com/openclaw/openclaw
Crazyrouter API docs: crazyrouter.apifox.cn
One-click deploy: github.com/xujfcn/crazyrouter-openclaw
Skills marketplace: clawhub.com

Tested and verified on Ubuntu 24.04, macOS 15, March 7, 2026. Model count from live Crazyrouter API.

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