Token Optimization: Running OpenClaw Efficiently with Kimi K2.5

By Irfad Imtiaz, Director of Technology at My Legal Academy

Running OpenClaw costs money — AI providers charge by the token. But there's a massive difference between spending $300/month and $30/month, and most of that difference comes down to smart model selection.

This article covers token optimization: how to run OpenClaw efficiently, which models to use for which tasks, and how Kimi K2.5 offers an excellent option for cost-conscious deployments.

TL;DR: Use Claude Opus for complex tasks and a cheaper model (Sonnet, Flash, or Kimi) for routine messages. The hybrid approach cuts costs 60-80% without noticeable quality loss. Most law firms can run OpenClaw for $25-80/month.

Understanding AI Costs

AI models charge by "token" — roughly, a word or piece of a word. A typical conversation might use 500-2,000 tokens.

Current pricing (February 2026):

M = million tokens

What This Means in Practice

A typical law firm running OpenClaw might use:

• Light usage (50 conversations/day): ~100K tokens/day
• Medium usage (200 conversations/day): ~400K tokens/day
• Heavy usage (500+ conversations/day): 1M+ tokens/day

Monthly costs at different usage levels (without Antigravity):

The difference is dramatic. But is cheaper worse?

Quality vs. Cost: The Real Trade-off

Here's what I've found testing different models for law firm intake:

Claude Opus 4.5 (Best Quality)

Strengths:

• Nuanced understanding of emotional context
• Excellent at complex qualification
• Handles edge cases gracefully
• Best at maintaining natural conversation

Best for:

• Complex intake situations
• Sensitive practice areas (family, criminal)
• Any situation requiring empathy
• When accuracy matters most

Claude Sonnet 4.5 (Good Balance)

Strengths:

• 80% of Opus quality at 20% of cost
• Fast responses
• Good at following SOUL.md instructions
• Handles routine intake well

Best for:

• Standard intake conversations
• After-hours responses
• High-volume, routine interactions

Kimi K2.5 (Budget Option)

Kimi K2.5 is from Moonshot AI, a Chinese company. It's surprisingly capable for its price point.

Strengths:

• Very cheap ($0.60/M input)
• Fast responses
• Good at following structured prompts
• Adequate for routine tasks

Weaknesses:

• Less nuanced than Claude
• Can sound slightly robotic
• May miss emotional subtext
• English is strong but not native-level

Best for:

• Very high volume deployments
• Simple, structured intake
• Cost-sensitive implementations
• Backup/overflow capacity

Gemini Flash (Cheapest)

Strengths:

• Extremely cheap ($0.35/M)
• Very fast
• Good for simple tasks

Weaknesses:

• Noticeable quality drop
• Can be inconsistent
• Less sophisticated reasoning

Best for:

• Heartbeat checks
• Simple monitoring tasks
• Non-client-facing automation

The Hybrid Approach

The smartest optimization isn't picking one model — it's using different models for different tasks.

Configuration

In OpenClaw, you can configure which model handles which tasks:

## Model Routing

Client-facing conversations: Claude Opus 4.5
- All WhatsApp messages
- Email responses
- Website chat

Background tasks: Kimi K2.5 or Gemini Flash
- Heartbeat monitoring
- Email summarization
- Internal alerts
- Data extraction

How to Set This Up

1. In OpenClaw settings, go to AI Configuration
2. Set your default model (e.g., Claude Sonnet for balance)
3. Override for specific tasks:
   • New lead conversation → Claude Opus
   • Heartbeat tasks → Gemini Flash
   • Document summarization → Kimi K2.5

This approach typically cuts costs 60-70% while maintaining quality where it matters.

Kimi K2.5: A Closer Look

Kimi deserves special attention because it offers the best cost-to-quality ratio for many use cases.

Setting Up Kimi

1. Create an account at Moonshot AI or Kimi's platform
2. Get API access (international access available)
3. Generate an API key
4. In OpenClaw, add Kimi as an AI provider:
   • Provider: Moonshot/Kimi
   • API Key: [your key]
   • Model: kimi-k2.5

When to Use Kimi

Good use cases:

• High-volume lead qualification
• Standard intake with clear workflows
• Document summarization
• Data extraction
• Internal notifications

Avoid for:

• Sensitive family law intake
• Complex emotional situations
• Cases requiring subtle judgment
• When reputation is critical

Kimi Quality Tips

If using Kimi, optimize your SOUL.md for clarity:

## For Kimi Optimization

Use extremely clear, structured instructions:
- Numbered steps work better than prose
- Explicit "do X, then do Y, then do Z"
- Avoid ambiguity
- Include example responses

Kimi follows rules well but doesn't improvise as elegantly as Claude.

Reducing Token Usage

Beyond model selection, you can reduce tokens used:

1. Shorter SOUL.md

Every conversation includes your SOUL.md in context. A 5,000-word SOUL.md costs tokens on every message.

Optimization: Trim unnecessary sections. Remove redundant instructions. Use concise language.

Before: "When you encounter a situation where..." (10 words) After: "If..." (1 word)

2. Efficient Conversation History

OpenClaw includes recent conversation history in each request. Long conversations = more tokens.

Configuration:

## Context Settings

Include last 5 messages in context (not full history)
Summarize conversations longer than 10 exchanges
Clear context on new topics

3. Compressed Responses

Configure OpenClaw to give shorter responses:

## Response Style

Keep responses concise:
- 1-3 sentences for simple acknowledgments
- 2-5 sentences for explanations
- Avoid unnecessary pleasantries
- Get to the point

4. Batch Heartbeat Tasks

Instead of separate API calls for each Heartbeat check:

Before: Check email → Check calendar → Check leads (3 API calls) After: Single prompt: "Check email, calendar, and leads. Report findings." (1 API call)

Cost Monitoring

Track your costs to avoid surprises:

In OpenClaw

Enable usage tracking in Settings:

• Daily token usage
• Weekly reports
• Cost projections
• Per-task breakdown

Alert Thresholds

Configure alerts:

Alert if:
- Daily tokens > 500,000
- Weekly cost projection > $100
- Single conversation > 10,000 tokens (indicates problem)

Monthly Review

Review monthly usage patterns:

• Which tasks consume most tokens?
• Are there inefficiencies?
• Could cheaper models handle certain tasks?

Choosing Your AI Provider

Different providers offer different trade-offs. Here's how to decide:

Option 1: OpenRouter (Recommended for Most)

OpenRouter gives you access to multiple models through one account:

• Switch models without changing API keys
• Compare costs and quality easily
• Good for experimentation

Cost: $25-100/month typical for law firms

Option 2: Anthropic Direct

For firms that want the best quality and enterprise features:

• SLA guarantees
• Enterprise support
• Direct relationship with model provider

Cost: $50-300/month typical

Option 3: Kimi/Moonshot

For cost-sensitive firms willing to accept slightly lower quality:

• Best price-to-quality ratio
• Strong English support
• 60-80% cheaper than Claude

Cost: $15-50/month typical

Option 4: Self-Hosted Models

Advanced option: run open-source models on your own infrastructure. Tools like Ollama let you run LLaMA or Mistral locally.

Pros: No per-token costs, full data control Cons: Requires technical expertise, quality limitations

Most firms won't need this, but it exists.

Practical Recommendations

If Money Is No Object

Use Claude Opus 4.5 for everything through Antigravity (while free) or paid Anthropic API. Quality is worth it.

If Budget-Conscious

Hybrid approach:

• Claude Opus for new lead conversations
• Claude Sonnet for routine exchanges
• Kimi or Flash for Heartbeat/automation

Expect 60-70% cost reduction vs. Opus-only.

If Extremely Cost-Sensitive

Kimi K2.5 for most tasks, Claude only for complex situations. Optimize SOUL.md for Kimi's strengths.

Expect 80%+ cost reduction vs. Opus-only.

My Recommendation

Start with: Claude Sonnet 4.5 via OpenRouter as your default model.

Upgrade to Opus for complex intake conversations (sensitive family law, high-value PI cases).

Consider Kimi if you're processing 200+ conversations daily and want to minimize costs.

Monitor your usage for the first month, then adjust based on your specific patterns.

Series Navigation

This is Article 9 of The Zero-Terminal OpenClaw Framework.

1. What Is OpenClaw? — The complete introduction
2. OpenClaw vs ChatGPT vs Copilot — Which AI for your firm
3. The Easiest OpenClaw Setup — Zero-terminal deployment with Antigravity
4. Deploy in 15 Minutes — Railway template walkthrough (manual method)
5. Connect Your Channels — WhatsApp, email, Slack
6. SOUL.md Mastery — Legal compliance templates
7. 20 Automations Every Firm Needs — Practical use cases
8. The MCP Playbook — CRM and tool integrations
9. Token Optimization — You are here
10. Security Done Right — Attorney-client privilege

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Next →: Security Done Right