There are two different OpenClaw installations for a Mac: the native OpenClaw.app menu-bar application and the Node-based command-line interface (CLI) with its Gateway. Use the app when you want a macOS interface and guided first-run setup; use the CLI when you want a terminal-managed installation, scripting, or a Gateway without relying on the desktop app.
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The native app requires macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later. The CLI depends on a supported Node runtime. OpenClaw’s official installer can install a compatible Node version when one is missing, then install OpenClaw and start onboarding.
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Choose the OpenClaw installation that fits your Mac
Decide which target you need before downloading anything. The app and the CLI are related, but they are not interchangeable installation methods.
| Installation | Mac requirement | Interface | Gateway setup | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native OpenClaw.app | macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later | Menu-bar desktop application | Can provision a local Gateway during first run or connect to an existing remote Gateway | People who want a native Mac experience and visual setup |
| CLI and Gateway | Supported Node runtime; official Node 24 and Node 26 macOS binaries target macOS 13.5 or later | Terminal commands and services | Configured during onboarding and Gateway setup | People who prefer terminal administration, automation, or package management |
The Node binary compatibility note does not lower the native app requirement. A Mac that can run a supported Node binary is not automatically able to run OpenClaw.app.
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Check requirements before installing
Confirm your macOS version
Open the Apple menu, choose About This Mac, and note the macOS version. If you are installing the native application, your Mac must meet the Sequoia-era requirement shown in the table above. If it does not, use the CLI route only if your Mac can run a supported Node runtime.
Decide where the Gateway should run
The desktop app can set up a Gateway locally during first-run setup or connect to one that already runs elsewhere. The CLI path is intended for terminal-led setup and may also be used to configure a Gateway. Decide whether this Mac is the machine that should host the local Gateway or whether it should connect to an existing remote one.
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- Download a signed-looking release asset from the official OpenClaw GitHub releases page when you want the native app.
- Use the official installer script for the quickest interactive CLI installation.
- Use npm or Homebrew when you already manage software through those package managers.
- Build from source only when you need a development or contributor workflow and already have the project toolchain.
Install the native OpenClaw app
The native package is distributed as an OpenClaw-<version>.dmg asset, with a matching .zip available when provided for that release. The disk image is the preferred download.
- Open the official release page. Go to the official OpenClaw GitHub releases page using a browser. Select the release you intend to install rather than downloading a similarly named third-party package.
- Download the preferred asset. Choose
OpenClaw-<version>.dmg. If that release does not provide a disk image, download the matching.zipinstead. Keep the file until you have confirmed that the app launches successfully. - Open the package. Double-click the downloaded disk image or ZIP archive. With a disk image, macOS opens a volume containing
OpenClaw.app; with a ZIP, macOS extracts the application. - Place or launch the app. Move
OpenClaw.appto the Applications folder if you want it stored with your other Mac applications, then launch it. You can also launch it directly from the opened package for an initial check. - Complete first-run setup. Follow the prompts shown by the app. The desktop setup can provision a local Gateway or connect to an existing remote Gateway, so select the option that matches the deployment decision you made earlier.
What the first run is deciding
The first-run flow is more than a launcher. It establishes whether this Mac should have a local Gateway and, if not, which existing Gateway the app should use. A local choice is appropriate when this Mac is intended to provide the Gateway; a remote connection is appropriate when the Gateway is already hosted on another machine.
If the app does not start
- Recheck the macOS version against the native-app requirement. A compatible Node installation cannot make an older macOS version run the native app.
- Make sure you downloaded the OpenClaw release asset itself, not a similarly named archive from an unofficial page.
- If the release offered both formats, try the preferred disk image first and use the matching ZIP only when the disk image is unavailable.
- Launch the extracted application again after moving it to Applications, then repeat the first-run flow so the Gateway choice is recorded.
Install the CLI and Gateway with the official installer
The fastest interactive terminal route is the official installer. It detects macOS, checks for Node, installs Node 26 through Homebrew when a compatible runtime is missing, installs OpenClaw through npm by default, and launches onboarding.
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- Open Terminal. Use the macOS Terminal application and a shell account that can install software through the mechanisms the script requests.
- Run the installer. Paste the command below and press Return:
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash - Read the installer output. The script reports its macOS detection, Node check, installation activity, and onboarding handoff. If it needs Node, it can provision Node 26 through Homebrew before installing OpenClaw.
- Complete onboarding. Follow the prompts after the OpenClaw package is installed. The onboarding flow is where you finish the initial configuration and any requested Gateway setup.
- Verify the command. Run:
openclaw --version
A version string confirms that the shell can find the installed OpenClaw executable. - Finish Gateway configuration. Complete the Gateway steps shown by onboarding. The exact choice depends on whether this Mac should run a local Gateway or connect to an existing one.
Install without launching onboarding immediately
If you want to install first and configure later, pass the no-onboarding option to the script:
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curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-onboard
This installs OpenClaw without immediately starting onboarding. When the command finishes, use the onboarding command displayed by the installer output to complete setup later. Do not guess a command name that was not shown in your output; copy the command the installer provides for that version.
What the installer changes
The script is a bootstrapper rather than a separate OpenClaw edition. Its normal sequence is to identify the platform, check Node, arrange a compatible Node runtime if needed, install OpenClaw with npm, and start onboarding. Consequently, an interrupted run can leave Node installed even if the OpenClaw installation or onboarding has not finished. Rerun the installer and read each stage of its output before attempting manual repairs.
Install OpenClaw with npm
Choose the npm route when you already maintain Node and global npm packages yourself. Run this exact command in Terminal:
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npm install -g openclaw@latest --allow-scripts=openclaw
When npm is the better choice
- You already have a supported Node runtime and want npm to own OpenClaw’s installation.
- You want to control when package installation occurs instead of using the interactive installer’s onboarding handoff.
- You are comfortable diagnosing global npm paths and updating packages from the terminal.
Verify an npm installation
After npm reports success, run openclaw --version. If the shell cannot find the command, the package may have been installed into a global npm directory that is not on your shell’s PATH, or the command may have been run under a different Node installation. Check the Node and npm installation that your current Terminal session is using before reinstalling.
Install the native app with Homebrew
Homebrew provides a cask for the native application. If Homebrew is already part of your Mac software workflow, run:
brew install --cask openclaw
This is the package-manager alternative to downloading the release disk image manually. It still installs the native app, so the same macOS compatibility requirement applies. After Homebrew finishes, launch the app and complete its first-run Gateway choice.
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Build from source only for an advanced workflow
Source installation is not the normal end-user path. It requires the project’s development toolchain, and pnpm is needed when building from source. Use this route only when you specifically need a development checkout, source changes, or contributor tooling. For a regular Mac installation, the release app, official installer, npm, or Homebrew paths avoid the additional toolchain work.
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App versus CLI: how to choose
| If your priority is… | Choose… | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A menu-bar application with guided setup | Native OpenClaw.app | It is distributed as a Mac application and can guide local or remote Gateway setup during first run. |
| A terminal-first workflow | Official installer or npm CLI | The installation, version check, onboarding, and Gateway work are performed from Terminal. |
| Homebrew-managed software | Homebrew cask for the app | The native application is installed through the same package manager as your other casks. |
| A development checkout | Source build | The source path provides the project toolchain, including the requirement for pnpm. |
| Older macOS hardware | Evaluate the CLI runtime separately | Node 24 and Node 26 macOS binaries target macOS 13.5 or later, while the native app has the newer macOS requirement. |
Installing both the app and the CLI is not necessary for most users. Pick one as the primary management path so that you know which installation supplies the command and which process owns Gateway configuration. Use both only when you have a clear reason for a desktop front end alongside a separately managed CLI environment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot the most common installation problems
Your Mac is below the native-app requirement
The native application will not become compatible merely because you install Node. Check your macOS version first. If the Mac cannot meet the app requirement, investigate the CLI path and the Node runtime compatibility instead; do not keep retrying the disk image.
The installer says Node is missing or incompatible
The official installer is designed to address this condition. Let it complete its Node step; when a compatible runtime is missing, it installs Node 26 through Homebrew. If you choose npm manually, install or select a supported Node runtime before running the global OpenClaw command.
openclaw --version is not found
- Confirm that the installation command completed without an error.
- Run the version check in a new Terminal window so the shell reloads its environment.
- Check that the same Node and npm installation used for the install is active in the current shell.
- If you used the no-onboarding option, remember that it suppresses onboarding, not the installation itself; use the installer-provided onboarding command later.
Onboarding opened when you only wanted an install
The normal installer intentionally launches onboarding. For a future installation run where you want to defer setup, use the same installer with --no-onboard. For the run that already opened onboarding, complete it or exit and use the command printed by the installer to resume later.
You downloaded a ZIP but expected a disk image
Both formats represent the native application when provided for the same release. The disk image is the preferred asset; the ZIP is the fallback. Extract the ZIP completely before launching or moving OpenClaw.app.
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The app asks about a Gateway you do not have
Choose local provisioning when this Mac should host the Gateway. Choose the remote connection path only when another machine already provides one and you have the connection details requested by the setup flow. The app’s first-run choice determines how it will operate after installation.
You are considering a source build for a normal installation
Stop and switch to a release or package-manager route unless you need development tooling. A source build adds the project toolchain and pnpm requirement without providing a simpler end-user setup.
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Verify the finished installation
Use this short handoff checklist after the installer or package manager completes:
- For the app path, confirm that
OpenClaw.applaunches from its installed location. - For the CLI path, run
openclaw --versionand confirm that it prints a version. - Complete onboarding unless you deliberately used
--no-onboard. - Confirm that your Gateway choice is correct: local provisioning on this Mac or connection to an existing remote Gateway.
- Keep the original release asset or installer output until the app launches and the CLI check succeeds.
For most people, the decision is straightforward: download the official release app when you want a Mac menu-bar experience and meet its macOS requirement; run the official installer when you want the fastest terminal setup; choose npm or Homebrew when those tools already manage your software; and reserve source builds for development work.
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