The Best AI Models for OpenClaw in 2026

The AI landscape evolves rapidly, and keeping track of the best models for your tools can be overwhelming. OpenClaw supports dozens of models across multiple providers, each with unique strengths. This guide breaks down the top models to use with OpenClaw in early 2026, organized by use case.

The State of LLMs in 2026

We’re currently in what many call the “reasoning era” of large language models. The biggest advancement isn’t just raw knowledge—it’s the ability to think through complex problems step-by-step before responding. Models now excel at:

• Agentic coding: Writing, debugging, and refactoring code autonomously
• Multi-step reasoning: Breaking complex tasks into manageable chunks
• Tool use: Calling functions, APIs, and external tools intelligently
• Long-context processing: Handling hundreds of thousands of tokens

Let’s explore the best options for OpenClaw users.

For Coding and Development

Claude Opus 4.6 (Anthropic)

Model ID: anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 (alias: opus)

The current gold standard for coding. Released in February 2026, Opus 4.6 leads the industry in agentic coding, computer use, and complex software engineering tasks. Anthropic’s own benchmarks show it outperforming competitors across finance, search, and tool use scenarios.

Best for: Complex refactoring, multi-file changes, understanding large codebases, debugging tricky issues

Context: 195k tokens

Trade-off: Premium pricing compared to smaller models

Kimi K2.5 (Moonshot AI)

Model ID: kimi-coding/k2p5 (alias: Kimi K2.5)

The default model for many OpenClaw installations, and for good reason. Kimi K2.5 offers exceptional coding performance with a massive 256k context window. It excels at tool calling and handles long conversations without losing track of earlier context.

Best for: Daily development work, tool-heavy workflows, long coding sessions

Context: 256k tokens (largest available)

Special feature: Also available in “thinking” mode (kimi-k2-thinking) for deeper reasoning

GPT-5.2 Codex (OpenAI)

Model ID: github-copilot/gpt-5.2 or github-copilot/gpt-5.1-codex

OpenAI’s latest coding-focused models, available through GitHub Copilot integration. GPT-5.2 represents a significant leap in code understanding and generation, with the Codex variants specifically optimized for IDE-style autocomplete and multi-step coding workflows.

Best for: Rapid prototyping, IDE integration, code completion

Context: 125k tokens

For Writing and Content Creation

Claude Sonnet 4.5 (Anthropic)

Model ID: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5 (alias: sonnet)

The sweet spot for creative work. Sonnet 4.5 delivers excellent writing quality at a more reasonable price point than Opus. It’s particularly strong at maintaining tone, structuring long-form content, and creative brainstorming.

Best for: Articles, documentation, creative writing, editing

Context: 195k tokens

Gemini 3 Pro Preview (Google)

Model ID: github-copilot/gemini-3-pro-preview (alias: gemini)

Google’s flagship model offers impressive reasoning capabilities and excels at research-heavy writing. It integrates well with Google services and handles multimodal inputs (text + images) exceptionally well.

Best for: Research summaries, technical writing with visuals, comprehensive reports

Context: 125k tokens

GLM-4.7 (Z.ai)

Model ID: nanogpt/zai-org/glm-4.7

According to OpenClaw’s own testing, GLM models perform “a bit better for coding/tool calling” and rival top-tier models for writing and general tasks. The 4.7 release represents a major upgrade with expanded context and improved reasoning.

Best for: Balanced writing and coding tasks, cost-conscious workflows

Context: 195k tokens

For Reasoning and Analysis

Kimi K2.5 Thinking

Model ID: kimi-coding/kimi-k2-thinking (alias: Kimi K2.5 Thinking)

When you need deep analysis rather than quick answers, the thinking variant of Kimi K2.5 shines. It processes complex problems more thoroughly before responding, making it ideal for architecture decisions, research synthesis, and debugging ambiguous issues.

Best for: Architecture planning, research analysis, debugging complex problems

Context: 256k tokens

Note: Text-only (no image support in thinking mode)

Qwen 3 235B Thinking (Alibaba)

Model ID: nanogpt/qwen/qwen3-235b-thinking

Alibaba’s massive 235B parameter model with explicit thinking capabilities. While the context window is smaller (31k), the reasoning quality rivals top western models and it’s particularly strong at mathematical and logical tasks.

Best for: Mathematical reasoning, logic puzzles, structured analysis

Context: 31k tokens

Budget-Friendly Options

GPT-5 Mini (OpenAI)

Model ID: github-copilot/gpt-5-mini (alias: gpt-mini)

Don’t let the “mini” name fool you—this model punches above its weight class. It’s significantly cheaper than flagship models while maintaining excellent performance for most day-to-day tasks.

Best for: Quick queries, simple tasks, high-volume workflows

Context: 125k tokens

Gemini 3 Flash Preview (Google)

Model ID: github-copilot/gemini-3-flash-preview (alias: gemini-flash)

Google’s speed-optimized model offers near-instant responses with surprisingly good quality. It’s the go-to choice when latency matters more than cutting-edge reasoning.

Best for: Chat interfaces, quick summaries, real-time assistance

Context: 125k tokens

Quick Reference Table

Model	Best For	Context	Image Support	Cost
Claude Opus 4.6	Complex coding	195k	✅	$$$
Kimi K2.5	Daily development	256k	✅	$$
Claude Sonnet 4.5	Writing/editing	195k	✅	$$
Gemini 3 Pro	Research + visuals	125k	✅	$$
GPT-5.2	IDE integration	125k	✅	$$
Kimi K2.5 Thinking	Deep reasoning	256k	❌	$$
GPT-5 Mini	Quick tasks	125k	✅	$
Gemini 3 Flash	Speed	125k	✅	$

How to Switch Models in OpenClaw

OpenClaw makes model switching seamless:

# Interactive picker
/model

# Set specific model
/model anthropic/claude-opus-4-6

# Use an alias
/model opus

You can also configure default models and fallbacks in your OpenClaw config:

{
  "agent": {
    "model": {
      "primary": "kimi-coding/k2p5",
      "fallbacks": [
        "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
        "github-copilot/gemini-3-pro-preview"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Recommendations by Workflow

For Software Developers

1. Primary: Kimi K2.5 (256k context for large codebases)
2. Complex tasks: Claude Opus 4.6
3. Quick help: GPT-5 Mini

For Content Creators

1. Primary: Claude Sonnet 4.5 (excellent tone control)
2. Research-heavy: Gemini 3 Pro
3. Fast drafting: Gemini 3 Flash

For Data Analysts

1. Primary: Kimi K2.5 Thinking
2. Math-heavy: Qwen 3 235B Thinking
3. Visualizations: Gemini 3 Pro

For Budget-Conscious Users

1. Primary: GPT-5 Mini
2. Fallback: Gemini 3 Flash
3. Occasional heavy lifting: Kimi K2.5

The Bottom Line

The “best” model depends entirely on your workflow. For most OpenClaw users, Kimi K2.5 hits the sweet spot of capability, context size, and cost. When facing genuinely difficult problems, upgrading to Claude Opus 4.6 is worth the premium. For writing and creative work, Claude Sonnet 4.5 offers the best balance of quality and affordability.

The good news: OpenClaw’s model switching makes it trivial to experiment. Try different models for different tasks and find what works best for your specific needs.

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Last updated: February 11, 2026. Model availability and pricing subject to change.