Free OpenClaw Cost Calculator Shows Configuration Expenses Before Execution
A developer has released a free cost calculator for OpenClaw that helps users estimate expenses before executing configurations. The tool addresses common budget issues seen in Discord help channels, where users were unexpectedly burning through funds due to factors like frequent heartbeats, silent fallback chain activations, and multi-agent run costs.
Key Features and Functionality
The calculator provides detailed cost breakdowns based on your OpenClaw setup:
- Paste your configuration to see daily, monthly, and per-message costs
- Breakdown by primary model usage
- Costs from fallback chain activations
- Heartbeat burn expenses (one user discovered $38/month from heartbeats alone)
- Billing mode calculations
Technical Details
The tool is:
- Free and open source
- Browser-only with no installation required
- No account or registration needed
- Available at calculator.quardclaw.dev
The creator specifically mentions addressing these common cost drivers: heartbeats at 30-minute intervals with heavy models, fallback chains kicking in silently, and multi-agent runs costing 3x what users expected. The developer is seeking feedback on missing models, incorrect pricing, or any other issues.
This type of cost estimation tool is particularly useful for developers working with AI coding agents where configuration choices directly impact operational expenses. By providing visibility into cost components before execution, users can optimize their setups and avoid unexpected charges.
📖 Read the full source: r/openclaw
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