--- title: "Best API for OpenClaw 2026 — LLM, Image, Video & Music" description: "Compare API providers for OpenClaw coding agents. RunAPI covers LLM, image, video, and music generation with one key, 220+ models, and pay-as-you-go pricing." url: "https://runapi.ai/best-api-for-openclaw.md" canonical: "https://runapi.ai/best-api-for-openclaw" locale: "en" --- # Best API for OpenClaw: One Key for LLM, Image, Video, and Music OpenClaw supports chat, image_generate, video_generate, and music_generate — but most API providers only cover one or two. RunAPI covers all four with one key, 220+ models from 25 providers, and pay-as-you-go pricing from 2 cents per call. OpenClaw agents use four tool types: chat for LLM, image_generate, video_generate, and music_generate. A provider that only covers LLM leaves three tools unconfigured. A provider that only covers images still leaves two gaps. RunAPI is the only single-key provider that fills all four slots with 220+ models, so you configure one baseUrl and one API key instead of managing credentials for four separate services. ## Why OpenClaw developers choose RunAPI over single-provider APIs OpenClaw tutorials show developers juggling Replicate for images ($1 per 28 generations), a separate LLM provider, and bridges for music. Each provider means a separate API key, a separate billing dashboard, and a separate failure mode. RunAPI collapses that into one integration point. - **One key replaces four** — Configure RunAPI once in OpenClaw and all four tool types work: chat, image_generate, video_generate, and music_generate. No extra skills to install, no ComfyUI plugins, no third-party bridges for Suno. - **Model switching cuts costs** — Developers running OpenClaw agents cut monthly API bills from $1,000 to $1 by routing routine tasks to cheaper models. RunAPI's 220+ model catalog makes the same strategy available across all four modalities. - **OpenAI-compatible endpoint** — OpenClaw already supports custom OpenAI-compatible providers. Point baseUrl to https://runapi.ai/v1, set the API key, and every model in the RunAPI catalog becomes available without custom skill code. - **Pay-as-you-go, no subscription** — No monthly minimums, no credit packs that expire, no tiered plans. You pay for what your OpenClaw agent actually generates. Add credits when you need them, stop spending when you do not. ## Which API provider fits each OpenClaw use case? | Need | Best match | Why | |---|---|---| | LLM chat only, no media generation | OpenAI or RunAPI | Both work as OpenAI-compatible providers. RunAPI adds model variety and lower cost options. | | Image generation in OpenClaw agents | RunAPI | 30+ image models through one endpoint. No extra skill installation or ComfyUI setup required. | | Video generation in OpenClaw agents | RunAPI | 25+ video models including Kling, Veo, and Seedance. No other single-key provider covers video at this depth. | | Music generation in OpenClaw agents | RunAPI | Direct Suno API access without third-party bridges. Other providers do not offer music generation. | | All four modalities from one key | RunAPI | The only provider that covers LLM, image, video, and music through one API key and one billing account. | | Cheapest possible image generation | Runware or RunAPI | Runware offers 1,670 images per dollar. RunAPI competes on breadth: images plus video, music, and LLM in one key. | ## RunAPI vs OpenAI vs fal.ai vs Replicate vs OpenRouter | Dimension | RunAPI | OpenAI | fal | Replicate | OpenRouter | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | LLM models | 20+ models: Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek. OpenAI-compatible endpoint. | GPT models only. Native API. | No LLM models. Image and video only. | Some LLM models. Not OpenAI-compatible. | 100+ LLM models. OpenAI-compatible. No media generation. | | Image models | 30+ models: Flux, Nano Banana, GPT Image, Imagen 4, Seedream, Ideogram, Recraft. | GPT Image only. | 20+ models: Flux, Stable Diffusion, and community models. | Large model library. $1 per 28 images on some models. | No image generation. | | Video models | 25+ models: Kling, Veo, Seedance, Hailuo, Wan, Runway, Luma. | No video generation. | Limited video models. | Some video models. Higher per-generation cost. | No video generation. | | Music models | Suno v4 through v5.5. Custom mode, extend, remix, lyrics. | No music generation. | No music generation. | No music generation. | No music generation. | | Pricing model | Pay-as-you-go. No subscription. No expiring credits. | Pay-as-you-go. Higher per-call cost on most models. | Pay-as-you-go. Competitive image pricing at ~4 cents per image. | Pay-per-second compute. Costs vary widely by model. | Pay-as-you-go. LLM only. | | OpenAI-compatible | Yes. /v1/chat/completions works with OpenClaw out of the box. | Yes. Native OpenAI API. | No. Custom REST API. | No. Custom REST API. | Yes. /v1/chat/completions. LLM only. | | Free tier | Free sign-up. Pay-as-you-go from first call. | Free tier with limited credits for new accounts. | Free tier with limited monthly credits. | Free tier with limited compute seconds. | Free tier with limited credits on select models. | ## What to verify before running OpenClaw agents in production A working demo is not a production deployment. These four checks prevent the common failure modes that OpenClaw developers hit after the first week: unexpected bills, broken tool calls, missing error handling, and credential leaks. - **Store the API key in an environment variable** — Set RUNAPI_API_KEY in your shell profile or CI secrets. Never paste API keys into the OpenClaw context window or commit them to version control. The OpenClaw config reads ${RUNAPI_API_KEY} at runtime. - **Route tasks by model cost** — Use cheaper models like gpt-5.4-mini for routine code review and reserve premium models for complex reasoning. The same strategy applies to images: use fast models for drafts, pro models for final output. - **Handle 402 and 429 responses** — A 402 means insufficient credits. A 429 means rate limit. Both are recoverable. Configure OpenClaw to retry on 429 with backoff and alert on 402 so you can add credits before the agent stalls. - **Track spending per modality** — Use the RunAPI dashboard to monitor daily spending by model and endpoint. Set budget alerts before a long-running agent session. Review the usage breakdown weekly to find cost optimization opportunities. ## Four modalities, one API key, one OpenClaw config These are the actual request bodies your OpenClaw agent sends through RunAPI. Each modality uses a different endpoint but the same API key and authentication. Switch models by changing the model field. ### LLM POST /v1/chat/completions ```json { "model": "gpt-5.5", "messages": [ { "role": "user", "content": "Summarize this pull request" } ], "stream": true } ``` ### Image POST /api/v1/task/text_to_image ```json { "model": "flux-kontext-pro", "prompt": "Product photo of wireless headphones on marble surface" } ``` ### Video POST /api/v1/task/text_to_video ```json { "model": "kling-3.0", "prompt": "Drone flyover of a coastal city at golden hour", "duration": "5" } ``` ### Music POST /api/v1/task/text_to_music ```json { "model": "suno-v4.5", "prompt": "Upbeat jazz piano loop, 120 BPM, no vocals", "duration": 30 } ``` ## How to configure RunAPI in OpenClaw 1. **Set the API key** — Create a free RunAPI account, generate an API key from the dashboard, and export it as RUNAPI_API_KEY in your shell profile. OpenClaw reads the key from the environment at startup. 2. **Add RunAPI as a provider** — Open the OpenClaw config and add a custom provider with baseUrl https://runapi.ai/v1, api set to openai-completions, and the model ID you want to use, such as gpt-5.5. Set models.mode to merge to keep existing providers. 3. **Verify and start** — Run openclaw models status to confirm the RunAPI model appears. Switch to it with openclaw models set runapi/gpt-5.5, then start an OpenClaw session. Image, video, and music tools work through the same API key. ## What changes when you switch to RunAPI for OpenClaw - **No extra skills needed** — Other providers require custom GitHub skills, bash scripts, or ComfyUI plugins for media generation in OpenClaw. RunAPI works through the standard OpenAI-compatible provider interface with no additional installation. - **Direct Suno access** — OpenClaw music generation tutorials show multi-hop architectures: Telegram to OpenClaw to a bridge service to Suno. RunAPI provides Suno v4 through v5.5 directly, removing the bridge layer and its failure modes. - **Model-level cost control** — RunAPI's catalog lets you pick the cost-performance point for each task. Use gpt-5.4-nano for simple classification, gpt-5.5 for complex reasoning, flux-kontext-pro for production images, and suno-v4 for draft music. - **Consistent async lifecycle** — Image, video, and music tasks share the same create-poll-webhook lifecycle. Your OpenClaw agent creates a task, polls until completion, and receives the output URL. Switching from Kling to Veo changes the model field, not the integration code. ## API cost varies by provider and modality Image generation costs range from $1 per 28 images on Replicate to 1,670 images per dollar on Runware. LLM costs depend on model and token count. RunAPI uses pay-as-you-go pricing across all modalities with no subscriptions, no expiring credits, and no minimum spend. Check the live pricing page for current per-call rates. Pricing data comes from provider documentation, public API pricing pages, and developer community reports as of June 2026. Costs change frequently. Always verify current pricing on the provider's pricing page before production deployment. ## Best API for OpenClaw — common questions ### Can OpenClaw use RunAPI for image, video, and music generation? Yes. RunAPI provides 220+ models across LLM, image, video, and music modalities through one API key. Configure RunAPI as a custom OpenAI-compatible provider in OpenClaw and all four tool types work without extra skills or plugins. ### Is RunAPI cheaper than using OpenAI directly for OpenClaw? RunAPI offers the same OpenAI models plus 90+ alternatives at competitive pricing. Model switching alone can cut costs significantly. Use gpt-5.4-mini for routine tasks and reserve premium models for complex work. ### Do I need to install a custom skill for image generation in OpenClaw? Not with RunAPI. Other providers require GitHub skills or ComfyUI plugins. RunAPI works through the standard OpenAI-compatible endpoint, so OpenClaw's built-in image_generate tool connects without additional setup. ### How does RunAPI handle Suno music generation for OpenClaw? RunAPI provides direct API access to Suno v4 through v5.5. Your OpenClaw agent calls the music_generate tool, which sends a request to RunAPI's Suno endpoint. No third-party bridge or separate Suno account needed. ### Can I keep my existing OpenClaw providers and add RunAPI? Yes. Set models.mode to merge in your OpenClaw config. RunAPI becomes one provider alongside your existing ones. You can set RunAPI as the primary model or keep it as a fallback for specific modalities. ### What happens if I run out of RunAPI credits during an OpenClaw session? RunAPI returns a 402 status code. Your OpenClaw agent receives an insufficient credits error and stops generating. Add credits through the RunAPI dashboard and the agent resumes immediately. No subscription required. ## Links - [OpenClaw Image Generation](https://runapi.ai/openclaw-image-generation) - [AI Video API Comparison](https://runapi.ai/ai-video-api-comparison) - [OpenClaw Setup](https://runapi.ai/openclaw) - [Suno Music](https://runapi.ai/models/suno) - [Pricing](https://runapi.ai/pricing) - [API docs](https://runapi.ai/docs/guides) - [Models](https://runapi.ai/models)