Where to find free LLM APIs, and what the conditions are

Symptoms

• You want to learn or build a side project without paying first
• Free credit runs out or you get rate-limited

Common causes

• The conditions were not read: rate limits, daily quotas, region and identity restrictions, whether inputs are used for training

How to fix

1. Start with our Free models section: filter by type, provider and tool calling; every entry lists free conditions and a verification date
2. Permanent free tiers usually have strict rate and daily limits; good for learning and prototypes
3. For sensitive data, check whether the free tier uses inputs for training
4. To avoid quotas altogether, run open-weight models locally with Ollama and similar tools
5. Calling through a unified API such as OpenRouter or LiteLLM makes it easy to switch models when credit runs out

Notes

• Never use shared accounts, cracked keys or other “free” channels that violate terms of service