Install openclaw.ai on macOS

Beginner ⏱ 20 minutes 📅 Updated Feb 2026

Install openclaw.ai on your Mac in just 20 minutes. This guide works for both Intel Macs and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs.

Apple Silicon Optimized

openclaw.ai runs natively on Apple Silicon with full performance. No Rosetta required!

Install Node.js

openclaw.ai requires Node.js 22 or higher.

bash

# Install Node.js 22
# Using Homebrew
brew install node@22

Run the official installation script:

bash

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

Start the onboarding wizard to configure your agent:

bash

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

bash

openclaw --version

❌ "command not found: brew" ▼

Solution: Add Homebrew to your PATH. For Apple Silicon:

eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"

Then restart Terminal.

❌ "zsh: command not found: node" ▼

Solution: Install Node.js 22+ via Homebrew: brew install node@22

❌ Slow installation on Apple Silicon ▼

Solution: Make sure you're using native ARM Node.js, not x86 via Rosetta. Check with:

file $(which node)

Should show "arm64" not "x86_64"

Does openclaw.ai work on older Macs?▼

Yes, any Mac running macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later should work, including older Intel Macs.

Can I use nvm instead of Homebrew Node.js?▼

Absolutely! nvm works great. Just ensure you're using Node.js 22 or higher.

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