Clawdbot on macOS
The best platform for self-hosted AI. Apple Silicon delivers exceptional AI performance with whisper-quiet operation and minimal power consumption.
System Requirements
macOS
13 Ventura or later
RAM
8GB minimum (16GB for Ollama)
Storage
10GB free (50GB for local models)
Chip
Apple Silicon recommended
Why Mac Mini for Clawdbot?
Mac Mini has become the go-to choice for self-hosted AI enthusiasts. Here's why:
Unified Memory
Apple Silicon shares memory between CPU and GPU. Run 70B models on 48GB Mac that would need 80GB VRAM on PC.
Silent Operation
No GPU fans screaming. Mac Mini is nearly silent even under AI workload. Perfect for home office.
Low Power
7-20W idle vs 150W+ for gaming PC. Run 24/7 for ~$20/year electricity. Green AI computing.
Tiny Footprint
Fits anywhere. Stack it, mount it, hide it. The M4 Mini is even smaller at 5 inches.
Mac Models Compared for AI
| Model | Chip | RAM | Price | AI Perf | Idle Power | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac Mini M4Best Pick | M4 | 16GB | $599 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ~15W idle | Best value for AI |
| Mac Mini M4 Pro | M4 Pro | 24GB | $1,399 | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ~20W idle | 70B models, heavy use |
| Mac Mini M2Best Pick | M2 | 16GB | $499 (refurb) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ~10W idle | Budget friendly |
| Mac Mini M1 | M1 | 16GB | $350 (used) | ⭐⭐⭐ | ~7W idle | Entry level |
| MacBook Air M2/M3 | M2/M3 | 16GB | $999+ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ~5W idle | Portable option |
* Prices as of January 2026. Check Apple Store or authorized resellers.
Run Ollama + Clawdbot
Combine Clawdbot with Ollama for 100% free AI on your Mac. No API costs, complete privacy, works offline.
# Install Ollama
brew install ollama
# Pull a model
ollama pull llama3.1:8b
# Configure Clawdbot .env
AI_PROVIDER=ollama
OLLAMA_MODEL=llama3.1:8b
| Model | RAM | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.2 3B | 4GB | 50 tok/s |
| Llama 3.1 8B | 8GB | 35 tok/s |
| Mistral 7B | 8GB | 40 tok/s |
| Llama 3.1 70B | 48GB | 10 tok/s |
| Qwen 2.5 14B | 16GB | 25 tok/s |
Quick Installation
Run this command in Terminal to install everything automatically:
curl -fsSL https://clawdbot.dev/install | bash
This installs Clawdbot, sets up configuration, and provides next steps.
Step 1: Install Dependencies
# Install Homebrew if needed
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
# Install Node.js 20
brew install node@20
Step 2: Clone & Setup
git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot.git
cd clawdbot
npm install
cp .env.example .env
Step 3: Configure & Run
# Edit configuration
nano .env
# Start Clawdbot
npm start
Docker isolates Clawdbot from your system. Great for clean installs.
# Install Docker Desktop from docker.com first
git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot.git
cd clawdbot
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your API keys
docker compose up -d
Getting API Keys
Sign up at console.anthropic.com and create an API key.
Get Claude Key →Message @BotFather on Telegram to create a new bot.
Open BotFather →No API key needed. Run AI models locally on your Mac.
Ollama Setup →Run Clawdbot at Startup
Make Clawdbot start automatically when your Mac boots—perfect for 24/7 operation.
# Create the plist file
nano ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.clawdbot.plist
Paste this content:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Label</key>
<string>com.clawdbot</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
<string>/usr/local/bin/node</string>
<string>/Users/YOUR_USER/clawdbot/index.js</string>
</array>
<key>RunAtLoad</key>
<true/>
<key>KeepAlive</key>
<true/>
<key>WorkingDirectory</key>
<string>/Users/YOUR_USER/clawdbot</string>
</dict>
</plist># Load the service
launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.clawdbot.plist
Common Issues
Node.js isn't installed or not in PATH. Run brew install node@20 and restart Terminal.
Don't use sudo with npm. Fix with: sudo chown -R $(whoami) ~/.npm
Check that Ollama is using Metal (GPU). Run ollama run llama3.1:8b and look for "metal" in the output.