---
title: "O1 Mini for OpenClaw: Pricing, Setup, and What It's Good At"
description: "Everything you need to know about using O1 Mini with OpenClaw. Costs $1.10/M input, $4.40/M output. 128K context window. Here's when to use it and when to pick something else."
date: 2026-03-12
updatedDate: 2026-03-12
image: /images/models/provider-openai-hero.jpg
keywords: "o1 mini openclaw, o1 mini pricing, o1 mini review, openai openclaw, o1 mini api"
category: model-guide
modelData:
  provider: "OpenAI"
  provider_slug: "openai"
  full_id: "openai/o1-mini"
  input_cost_per_1m: 1.1
  output_cost_per_1m: 4.4
  max_input_tokens: 128000
  max_output_tokens: 65536
  features: ["vision"]
  parameter_count: null
  architecture: null
  license: null
faq:
  - question: "What are the token limits?"
    answer: "O1 Mini features a 128K token context window and a maximum output of 66K tokens per request."
  - question: "How much does it cost to run?"
    answer: "Input tokens are $1.1 per million and output tokens are $4.4 per million, which includes the tokens used for internal reasoning."
---

Current as of March 2026. O1 Mini is the cheaper, narrower version of O1: same reasoning architecture, smaller knowledge base, lower price. $1.10/$4.40 per million tokens gets you the chain-of-thought reasoning pass without paying $15/$60. The tradeoff is that it really only excels at math and code — general knowledge questions often get poor answers.

## Specs

| | |
|---|---|
| **Provider** | OpenAI |
| **Input cost** | $1.10 / M tokens |
| **Output cost** | $4.40 / M tokens |
| **Context window** | 128K tokens |
| **Max output** | 66K tokens |
| **Parameters** | N/A |
| **Features** | vision |

## What it's good at

#### Logic and Math at a Reasonable Price

It beats GPT-4o on coding and math benchmarks without the O1 price tag. For problems in those domains, it punches above its weight.

#### 66K Output

More than enough for a full code module. The output ceiling rarely causes problems for the tasks it handles well.

## Where it falls short

#### Narrow Knowledge Base

Ask it about history, current events, or anything outside technical domains and the answers degrade. It's not a general-purpose model.

#### System Prompt Handling

The O-series architecture treats instructions differently from standard chat models. Complex system-level constraints often get ignored. Test this carefully before deploying.

## Best use cases with OpenClaw

- **Complex Debugging** — Tracing logic errors across multiple files, identifying why an edge case breaks. The reasoning phase catches things GPT-4o-mini misses.
- **Mathematical Code** — Symbolic math, algorithm correctness, proof-adjacent problems. This is what the model was shaped for.

## Not ideal for

- **Text Summarization** — Seven times more expensive than GPT-4o-mini for tasks that don't need reasoning.
- **Creative Writing** — Sterile output. The focus on instruction following leaves no room for style.

## Run it through Haimaker

Skip juggling API keys. One Haimaker key gives you access to every model on the platform. Tell OpenClaw:

```
Add Haimaker as a custom provider to my OpenClaw config. Use these details:

- Provider name: haimaker
- Base URL: https://api.haimaker.ai/v1
- API key: [PASTE YOUR HAIMAKER API KEY HERE]
- API type: openai-completions

Add the auto-router model:
- haimaker/auto (reasoning: false, context: 128000, max tokens: 32000)

Create an alias "auto" for easy switching. Apply the config when done.
```

Or skip model selection entirely — Haimaker's [auto-router](/blog/openclaw-auto-router-setup/) picks the best model for each task so you don't have to.

## OpenClaw setup

Since OpenClaw has native OpenAI support, you only need to set the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable. No custom provider configuration or base URL overrides are necessary for standard deployment.

```bash
export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key-here"
```

That's it. OpenClaw picks up OpenAI models automatically.

## How it compares

- **vs Full O1** — O1 has broader knowledge and handles more problem types. O1 Mini is for technical tasks only.
- **vs GPT-4o-mini** — 4o-mini is $0.15/M and good at general tasks. O1 Mini costs 7x more but is notably better at hard logic and math problems.

## Bottom line

Use O1 Mini when GPT-4o-mini fails on a technical reasoning problem. Don't pay the $1.10/M premium for anything that doesn't actually require the reasoning pass.

<a href="https://app.haimaker.ai/sign-up?utm_source=model_guide&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=o1-mini-openclaw" class="cta-button">TRY O1 MINI ON HAIMAKER</a>

---

*For setup instructions, see our [API key guide](/blog/openclaw-api-key-setup). For all available models, see the [complete models guide](/blog/best-models-for-openclaw).*