Mac Mini Hardware Requirements for OpenClaw: Complete Spec Guide
Not all Mac Minis are created equal for OpenClaw. This guide breaks down exactly which Mac Mini configurations work best, which specs matter most, and how to size hardware for your team's usage.
Why This Is Hard to Do Yourself
These are the common pitfalls that trip people up.
Too many Mac Mini models
Apple sells multiple Mac Mini configurations with confusing chip variants (M2, M2 Pro, M4, M4 Pro) and you don't know which one you actually need.
Overspending or under-speccing
You might overbuy an M4 Pro with 64GB RAM when a base M2 would work, or under-buy and hit performance limits.
Unclear scaling needs
You don't know if your Mac Mini will support 5 users or 50, and how that affects RAM, storage, and processing power.
Step-by-Step Guide
Understand OpenClaw's hardware bottlenecks
OpenClaw itself is lightweight ā the bottleneck is the AI model API calls, not local processing. However, you need enough RAM for Docker containers, conversation history, and ClawHub skills. Storage fills with conversation logs, skill data, and Docker images. Network speed matters more than CPU for most deployments.
Minimum recommended specs
For 1-3 users with light usage: Mac Mini M2 (base), 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD. This handles basic OpenClaw with a few skills and minimal integrations. Works for personal use or small team pilots.
Mac Mini M2
ā¢ CPU: Apple M2 (8-core)
ā¢ RAM: 16GB unified memory
ā¢ Storage: 256GB SSD
ā¢ Network: Gigabit Ethernet
ā¢ Price: ~$799 (as of early 2026)Recommended specs for small teams (5-10 users)
For 5-10 users with moderate usage (daily AI interactions, multiple skills, 1-2 integrations): Mac Mini M2, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD. The extra RAM handles concurrent users and larger conversation histories. Larger SSD prevents storage exhaustion from logs.
Mac Mini M2
ā¢ CPU: Apple M2 (8-core)
ā¢ RAM: 24GB unified memory
ā¢ Storage: 512GB SSD
ā¢ Network: Gigabit Ethernet
ā¢ Price: ~$1,199 (as of early 2026)Recommended specs for mid-size teams (10-30 users)
For 10-30 users or heavy single-user workloads (browser automation, large skill library, multi-channel integrations): Mac Mini M2 Pro, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD. The Pro chip handles more Docker containers and complex skills. 32GB RAM supports many concurrent sessions.
Mac Mini M2 Pro
ā¢ CPU: Apple M2 Pro (10-core or 12-core)
ā¢ RAM: 32GB unified memory
ā¢ Storage: 1TB SSD
ā¢ Network: 10 Gigabit Ethernet (optional)
ā¢ Price: ~$1,899 (as of early 2026)Enterprise specs (30+ users or compute-heavy workloads)
For 30+ users, complex automation workflows, or compute-heavy skills (video processing, large dataset analysis): Mac Mini M4 Pro, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, or consider Mac Studio for even higher scale. At this level, you might also deploy multiple Mac Minis with load balancing.
Mac Mini M4 Pro (2024+)
ā¢ CPU: Apple M4 Pro (14-core)
ā¢ RAM: 64GB unified memory
ā¢ Storage: 2TB SSD
ā¢ Network: 10 Gigabit Ethernet
ā¢ Price: ~$2,899+ (as of early 2026)Storage sizing: Logs grow fast
Conversation logs, skill data, and Docker images consume storage. Estimate ~5-10GB per user per month for moderate usage. A 10-user team needs ~1TB to avoid cleanup chores. If you integrate with file-heavy workflows (document processing, media storage), double your storage estimate.
RAM: The real bottleneck
OpenClaw runs multiple Docker containers (Gateway, API, skill processes). Each container uses RAM. 16GB works for 1-3 users. 24GB comfortably handles 5-10 users. 32GB+ for teams of 10-30. If you see "out of memory" errors or slowdowns, you under-speced RAM. Cannot upgrade after purchase on Apple Silicon.
Warning: Apple Silicon Mac Minis have unified memory (RAM) soldered to the chip. You cannot upgrade after purchase. Always buy more RAM than you think you need.
Network ports: Ethernet over Wi-Fi
All Mac Minis have Gigabit Ethernet. Use it. Wi-Fi works but introduces latency and connection drops. If your office has 10 Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure and you're serving 20+ users, the M2 Pro and M4 Pro models support 10GbE (optional upgrade). Otherwise, standard Gigabit Ethernet is fine.
Avoid older Intel Mac Minis
Intel Mac Minis (2018 and earlier) technically run OpenClaw but performance is poor. Apple Silicon (M-series) is 3-5x faster for AI workloads due to the Neural Engine. If you have an old Intel Mac Mini, consider it for testing only, not production.
Not sure which Mac Mini to buy?
Join the waitlist and we'll match you with an installer who can assess your team size and usage to recommend the right hardware.
Get matched with a specialist who can help.
Sign Up for Expert Help ā