Free tiers of AI APIs, side by side
Five of the 9 AI API providers we checked describe a free way in: Google Gemini, Mistral, Groq and OpenRouter offer free tiers or free models, and Cohere a trial key that is not for production. OpenAI lists a tier named Free without saying calls cost nothing, Anthropic and DeepSeek do not describe a free tier, and xAI asks you to load credits. On Gemini's free tier your content is used to improve Google's products.
A free API tier is the cheapest way to try a model in your own code, but free tiers differ in what they give you and in what they take. We read the documentation, pricing pages and terms of 9 AI API providers and set down what each offers for free, with what limits, and what it says about the data you send.
Free tiers of AI APIs
From each provider's own documentation, pricing and terms, checked 2026-10-02. Click a name to open the source.
| Google Gemini API | Yes | Limited access to selected models, with rate limits | Free-tier content is used to improve products, and people may read it | “Content used to improve our products” |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mistral API | Yes | Included monthly usage within limits; no card needed | May be used for training; you can switch it off | “Free mode : API access is enabled by default with no credit card required.” |
| Groq | Yes | A $0 plan with per-model rate limits | Requests are not kept by default | “Great for anyone to get started with our APIs $0” |
| Cohere | Trial key | 1,000 calls a month; not for production or commercial use | Not stated | “trial keys are rate limited and are not permitted to be used for production or commercial purposes” |
| OpenRouter | Yes | Free model variants; limits depend on credits you have bought | Depends on each model's provider | “For free models, rate limits are determined by the credits that you have purchased.” |
| OpenAI API | A tier named Free; cost not stated | Lists a usage tier named Free; does not say calls cost nothing | Not used for training unless you opt in | “data sent to the OpenAI API is not used to train or improve OpenAI models (unless you explicitly opt in …” |
| Anthropic API | Not stated | New accounts may start in an Evaluation tier; not described as free | Not used for training, per its terms | “New organizations and organizations with limited usage history may start in the Evaluation tier” |
| DeepSeek API | Not stated | Mentions a granted balance; amount not stated | Not stated | “preference for using the granted balance first” |
| xAI API | No: load credits to start | No free credits found | Not used for training unless you opt in | “then load it with credits to start using the API” |
| Uncensored AI Tools API | $0.50 credit on your first key, valid 7 days | Then prepaid, no subscription: card or USDT/USDC, from $5 | Prompts and replies are never stored |
How we checked: we read each provider's own API documentation, pricing page and terms on the date above and quote them word for word. Statements about training that apply to the whole API, not only the free tier, are marked as general in the text. Free tiers, limits and models change often; we update the table every month.
Read next
On this page
How to read the table
The first column says whether the provider describes a free tier or trial. The second summarizes what the free tier includes, and the third what the provider says about the data you send. The last column quotes the provider word for word, with a link to the source.
Free tiers that really are free
Google's Gemini API starts new accounts on a free tier with rate limits on selected models. Mistral's free mode gives you API keys and included monthly usage, with no credit card required. Groq has a $0 plan with per-model limits, and OpenRouter offers free variants of some models, with limits that depend on the credits you have bought.
Trials and tiers that only sound free
Cohere's trial key is free, but limited to 1,000 calls a month and not permitted for production or commercial use. OpenAI's rate-limit page lists a usage tier named Free without saying the calls cost nothing. Anthropic says new organizations may start in an Evaluation tier, DeepSeek mentions a granted balance without an amount, and xAI's quickstart asks you to load credits.
What free costs in data
On Gemini's free tier, Google says your content is used to improve its products and that people may review it. Mistral says your inputs and outputs may be included in model training, with a setting to switch it off. OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI say in general that API data is not used for training without your permission, and Groq says requests are not kept by default.
Our own API
The last row is the API of this site: an OpenAI-compatible endpoint with $0.50 of free credit on your first key, valid for 7 days, then prepaid credit by card or USDT/USDC from $5, with no subscription. Prompts and replies are never stored.
Questions a buyer asks
Is the Gemini API free?
Google offers a free tier with rate limits on selected models. On the free tier, Google says your content is used to improve its products and may be read by human reviewers.
Does the OpenAI API have a free tier?
OpenAI's rate-limit page lists a usage tier named Free, but it does not say that calls on it cost nothing. We found no free credit described on the pages we read.
Which AI API needs no credit card?
Mistral says its free mode is enabled by default with no credit card required. Other providers do not say clearly whether a card is needed to start.
Is a free API tier safe for private data?
It depends on the provider. Gemini's free tier uses your content to improve Google's products, and Mistral may use it for training unless you switch that off. Read the data terms before sending anything private.
How often is this updated?
Every month. The date we last read the sources is shown above the table.
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