How to Install OpenClaw for $5 only

OpenClaw exploded onto the scene in early 2026, racking up GitHub stars faster than almost any open-source project in history. The idea is genuinely powerful — a personal AI agent that lives on your machine, connects to WhatsApp, Telegram or Discord, and actually executes tasks autonomously. But if you've tried installing it, you've probably hit a wall.

Here's the complete guide to getting it running for free — including the exact fixes for the most common errors.

What You Need Before Starting

Before touching any commands, make sure you have:

• Node.js version 22.16 or higher (version 24 recommended)
• Git installed
• At least 1GB of free disk space
• An API key from Anthropic or OpenAI (or Ollama for fully local/free)

Check your Node version first:

node --version

If it's below 22, update it before doing anything else. Half the installation failures come from an outdated Node version.

The Installation Command

npm install -g openclaw@latest

Then run the setup wizard:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

This walks you through connecting your AI provider, setting up channels, and starting the gateway as a background service.

The Most Common Errors (And Exact Fixes)

Error 1: "command not found" after install

Your npm global bin folder isn't on your PATH. Restart your terminal first. If that doesn't fix it, add the npm global bin directory to your PATH manually. On Mac/Linux run:

export PATH="$PATH:$(npm bin -g)"

Error 2: EACCES permission error on Mac

sudo chown -R $(whoami) $(npm config get prefix)/{lib/node_modules,bin,share}

Error 3: "Cannot find module @anthropic-ai/sdk"

This means the install didn't complete cleanly. Run:

npm install -g openclaw@latest --force

Error 4: Docker port conflict

If you're running the Docker version and the container exits immediately:

docker logs openclaw

Most likely port 3000 is already in use. Fix it by remapping the port:

docker run -d --name openclaw -p 3001:3000 -v openclaw-data:/app/data openclaw/desktop:latest

Error 5: Gateway not running after install

openclaw doctor --fix

This is OpenClaw's built-in repair tool — run it any time something feels off.

Verify Everything Is Working

openclaw gateway status

You should see a green Running indicator. Then open your dashboard at http://localhost:3000 — this is your Mission Control where you can manage memory, logs, and agent activity.

Windows Users — Important

OpenClaw does not run natively on Windows. You must use WSL2. If you skip this step, nothing will work regardless of what else you do.

Keep It Updated

OpenClaw updates frequently. Run this regularly:

openclaw update

The current version as of March 2026 is v2026.3.11. Always stay updated — earlier versions had serious security vulnerabilities that have since been patched.

Watch the Full Tutorial

I've put together a complete video walkthrough showing every step of this installation — including the free setup using Ollama so you don't need to pay for any API. Check it out above and grab the setup files in the resources section.