// I want to solve · Individuals / Students / Developers

🎁 Find free AI resources and credits

Free APIs, open-weight models, limited-time offers and new-user credits, with conditions and verification dates; for student perks such as the GitHub Student Pack and free Copilot see the Students scenario.

4 steps3 alternatives2 stacks · 1 problemschecked 2026-10-22

How to do it

01Start with our Free Models and Free API pages; each entry has conditions and a verification date
02Students: apply for the GitHub Student Developer Pack and use Copilot free once verified
03Run open-weight models locally for zero call costs
04Avoid shady “free relays” and shared accounts

What it costs

Free start

Free APIs usually have rate and daily limits

Individual paid

Pay-as-you-go is often cheaper than a subscription when free quota runs out

School

Students and researchers should ask about institutional resources

Prices change; the vendor’s official page wins. Subscriptions compared · API prices

Alternatives: which to pick

Option	Choose it when
OpenRouter 免费模型	Try many free models with one key
Ollama	Free locally
GitHub Student Developer Pack	Student perks (official)

✓ Good fit

Learning, prototypes, personal projects

✗ Not a good fit

Production: free quotas can change any time

Ready-made stacks

All stacks

Low-cost indie developer Ship products with free models and open-source tools as much as possible. 4 tools Student learning stack Explain, practice, note-taking and exam review in one line. 4 tools

Software that helps

All software

This scenario is mainly about data and resources; see the related sections.

Problems & solutions

All problems

How-toWhere to find free LLM APIs, and what the conditions areFree access comes in several forms: permanent free tiers, open-weight models (free to self-host), limited-time offers and new-user credits. Policies change fast, so check the verification date and exact conditions.

Needs in this scenario

IND-01Verifiable free tiers and their change history

Individual developers & researchers · People search for: free llm api 2026; gemini free tier limits
IND-04Student and research perks

Individual developers & researchers · People search for: github student pack copilot; research credits ai
VEN-06One entry point for credits and free tiers

Model vendors · People search for: ai startup credits; free api credits llm

Official references

Compiled from official documentation on 2026-10-22; not reproduced in our own environment. Follow the official docs if they differ.