Install openclaw.ai on macOS

Beginner ⏱ 20 minutes 📅 Updated Aug 2026

Install openclaw.ai on your Mac in just 20 minutes. This guide works for both Intel Macs and Apple Silicon (M1 through M5) 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 22.22.3+, 24.15+, or 25.9+ (installer defaults to Node 26).

bash

# Install the recommended Node.js version
# Using Homebrew
brew install node

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 the recommended Node.js version via Homebrew: brew install node

❌ 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, Intel and Apple Silicon Macs work when the installed macOS release is supported by the selected Node.js runtime.

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

Absolutely! nvm works great. Just ensure you're using Node.js 22.22.3+, 24.15+, or 25.9+ (installer defaults to Node 26).

Was this tutorial helpful?