Groq
AI API Gateways
Groq runs open-source LLMs on custom LPU chips that deliver 500+ tokens per second — the fastest inference API available, with a generous free tier and no credit card required.
★★★★☆4.2
Docs-based · official check ← All tools
Best Free AI API Tiers in 2026: Rate Limits & Model Access
Free AI API tiers sound great on paper — free GPT, free Claude, free Llama — but the daily rate limit decides what you can actually build (official limits pages, verified 2026-09-07). Groq is the only one with a permanent free tier you can run a real prototype against: 30 requests/minute, 6,000 tokens/minute and 14,400 requests a day across all models, no credit card. OpenRouter lists the broadest catalog — 374+ models, and free variants of DeepSeek R1, Llama 3.3 70B, Gemma 3 and Gemini Flash — yet caps free-model traffic at 20 requests/minute and 50 requests a day; the cap lifts to 1,000/day only after $10 of lifetime spend, and BYOK adds 1M free routing requests a month. DashScope bills in CNY with Qwen3.6-Flash at around $0.03/1M input tokens, and its free signup credits ride on rotating promotions, so check the live page before planning. Together AI is the tightest — a one-time $5 signup credit, no card required — but at $0.05/1M input for GPT-OSS 20B that credit runs you roughly 100K input tokens. The free tiers divide along two axes: how much you can call without paying, and what you pay when you outgrow it. Groq is the only permanent free tier here — 14,400 requests a day across all models with no card — so it is the one you can lean on for a real prototype that keeps running; past that it moves to pay-per-token with rate limits that rise as your spend rises, and the cheapest tokens sit on Llama-class open models. OpenRouter inverts the model: the breadth is the product (374+ models, including free variants of DeepSeek R1, Llama 3.3 70B, Gemma 3 and Gemini Flash), but the free-model traffic is throttled to 20 requests a minute and 50 a day until you have spent $10 lifetime, after which the daily cap climbs to 1,000 and bring-your-own-key adds a million free routing requests a month — so it is built for model-hopping, not for high-volume free builds. DashScope prices in CNY, with Qwen3.6-Flash near $0.03/1M input and roughly $0.17/1M output, and the free signup credits ride on rotating promotions rather than a standing free tier, which means the amount of free you get changes without notice — confirm the live page before you plan capacity. Together AI is the least free: a single $5 signup credit with no card required, and at $0.05/1M input that buys roughly 100K input tokens, so it is a trial rather than a running free tier. Net: Groq if you need a permanent free tier to build on; OpenRouter if you want the widest model catalog and will spend $10 to unlock the higher caps; DashScope if you are already paying in CNY and chase the Qwen open weights; Together only as a quick credit-funded trial.
How we rated
- Requests per day (real cap)
- Models available for free
- Credit card required?
- Token throughput limits
Groq
Best overall free tier (most generous)★★★★4.2
Groq's free tier gives you 30 requests per minute, 6000 tokens per minute, and 14,400 requests per day — all accessible models, no credit card required. That is enough to build and test real applications, not just run a few demos. The catch: only open-source models (no GPT or Claude), and the free tier speed limit is lower than paid.
Free tier: Yes
Paid from: $0.05/1M tokens (Pay-per-token, no monthly fees; free tier: 30 req/min, 6000 tokens/min, 14400 req/day, all models, no credit card; paid = Developer pay-as-you-go (rate limit increases with usage); cheapest: Llama 3.1 8B $0.05/$0.08 per 1M; flagship Llama 3.3 70B $0.59/$0.79 per 1M; Batch API + prompt caching each 50% off (~25% stacked))
OpenRouter
Most free models (but tight daily cap)★★★★4.3
OpenRouter offers 28+ free models including DeepSeek R1, Llama 3.3 70B, Qwen3 Coder 480B, Gemma 3 and Gemini Flash — more free models than any other gateway. But the daily limit is only 50 requests if you have spent less than $10 in total (jumps to 1000/day after $10+ lifetime spend). 20 req/min. No credit card required to start.
Free tier: Yes
Paid from: $0.07/1M tokens (Pay-per-token, no monthly fees; 374+ models; free models: 20 req/min, 50 req/day (under $10 lifetime credits) or 1000/day ($10+); BYOK 1M free routing requests/mo; cheapest free models (DeepSeek R1, Llama 3.3 70B, Gemma 3, Gemini Flash) all rate-limited; paid models start at ~$0.07/1M input for small open models)
DashScope
Best free tier for Chinese models (promo-dependent)★★★★3.8
DashScope offers signup free credits that vary by promotion — historically millions of tokens on certain Qwen tiers. Qwen3.6-Flash is priced very low (~$0.03/1M input) so the free credits go far. The catch: free tier terms have changed multiple times (was 1000 req/day, then shut down April 2026, then reintroduced as credits). Alibaba Cloud account required, billing in CNY.
Free tier: Yes · Free tier with token credits on new signup
Paid from: ¥0.20/1M tokens (~$0.03) (Pay-per-token in CNY; Qwen3.6-Flash ¥0.20/1M input / ¥1.20 output (~$0.03/$0.17); Qwen3.7-Plus ¥0.32/¥1.28 (~$0.05/$0.18); Qwen3.8-Max $2.00/$6.00 per 1M (GA Aug 2026); free signup credits vary by promotion (historical: free tier with RPM/daily caps); billing in CNY via Alibaba Cloud; full Chinese UI + docs)
Together AI
$5 signup credit (no permanent free tier)★★★★3.9
Together AI gives $5 in free credits on signup — no credit card required for the trial. $5 buys a lot of tokens on cheap models (Llama 3.1 8B at $0.18/1M = ~27M tokens), so it is enough for serious prototyping. But there is no permanent free tier — once the $5 runs out, you have to add payment details. Fine-tuning and dedicated GPUs are paid-only.
Free tier: No — trial only · $5 free signup credit
Paid from: $0.05/1M tokens (Pay-per-token, no monthly minimums; $5 free signup credit (no credit card required for trial); cheapest: GPT-OSS 20B $0.05/$0.20 per 1M; Llama 3.3 70B $0.88 flat per 1M; DeepSeek V3.1 $0.60/$1.70; DeepSeek V4 Pro $2.10/$4.40; fine-tuning LoRA extra; Batch API 50% off; dedicated GPU hours separate)
Bottom line
Bottom line: Groq wins the free tier comparison — it is the only one with a genuinely generous permanent free tier that you can build real prototypes on (14400 req/day, all models, no credit card). OpenRouter has more free models but the 50-request daily cap makes it more of a demo tier than a development tier until you spend $10+. DashScope is worth checking for Qwen/Chinese model work but the free terms keep changing. Together AI's $5 credit is plenty for a week of serious prototyping but is one-time only.
FAQs
Which free AI API has the highest daily limit?
Groq has the highest permanent daily limit at 14,400 requests per day on the free tier. OpenRouter goes up to 1,000/day but only after you have spent $10+ total — below that it is 50/day.
Can I use free tiers for production?
No — all free tiers have rate limits and no SLA guarantees. They are designed for prototyping, testing and low-volume personal projects. For production, move to a paid plan on the provider that best fits your workload.
Do any free tiers include GPT-4 or Claude?
OpenRouter includes some free model variants but GPT-4o and Claude Opus are paid-only on every platform. Free tiers cover open-source models (Llama, Qwen, Mistral, Gemma, DeepSeek) and sometimes entry-level proprietary models like GPT-4o Mini or Gemini Flash.