Google AI Studio (Gemini API) free tier
The strongest all-round free tier — long context, multimodal, generous enough to build real prototypes.
| Free tier type | Permanent free tier |
|---|---|
| What you get free | Rate-limited requests per minute and per day; caps vary by model and are raised on paid tiers. |
| Credit card | No card required |
| Signup | Free API key with a Google account — aistudio.google.com |
| API endpoint | https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/ (OpenAI-compatible) |
| Top free models | Gemini 2.5 FlashGemini 2.5 Flash-LiteGemini 2.5 Pro (limited free)Gemma 3 |
Copy-paste setup
Two things: the base URL above, and a free key from the provider's site. Pick your tool:
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/" export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key-here" # then pick one of the provider's models in your tool
Settings → Models → paste your key under the matching provider, or use 'Override OpenAI Base URL' with: https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/
# ~/.codex/config.toml model_provider = "custom" [model_providers.custom] base_url = "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/" env_key = "OPENAI_API_KEY"
Claude Code natively speaks the Anthropic API. To use the providers on this page, point it at a router/gateway (e.g. an OpenAI-to-Anthropic proxy) configured with: https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/
Choose 'OpenAI Compatible' as the provider, then paste: Base URL: https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/ API key: your key Model: one of the models listed on this page
More free AI APIs like this
Groq
The fastest inference you can get for free — custom LPU hardware makes chat feel instant.
OpenRouter (free models)
One key, hundreds of models — the easiest way to test which model fits your task for $0.
NVIDIA NIM (build.nvidia.com)
Trying heavyweight open models (incl. reasoning models) on serious hardware, free.
Mistral AI (La Plateforme)
Excellent European open models, including a dedicated code model, on a genuinely free tier.
Cerebras
Wafer-scale hardware — the fastest open-model generation we've ever benchmarked.
SambaNova Cloud
Fast RDU-chip inference on big open models without a credit card.
Cloudflare Workers AI
Free inference at the edge, same platform your sites already run on.
Cohere (trial keys)
Free, genuinely good embeddings + reranking — the quiet backbone of search/RAG projects.
Zhipu AI (GLM / z.ai)
A free flagship-adjacent chat model from one of China's top labs.
Pollinations.AI
Zero-friction prototyping — no signup, no key, call it from a browser.
Google AI Studio (Gemini API) — FAQ
Is Google AI Studio (Gemini API) really free?
Google AI Studio (Gemini API) is listed in our index as: Permanent free tier. Rate-limited requests per minute and per day; caps vary by model and are raised on paid tiers. We last probed its API endpoint on 2026-08-19. Always confirm current limits on the provider's own pricing page.
Does Google AI Studio (Gemini API) need a credit card?
No card required. Signup: Free API key with a Google account.
How do I use Google AI Studio (Gemini API) in my coding tool?
Google AI Studio (Gemini API) exposes an OpenAI-compatible endpoint (https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/). Paste that base URL plus your key into Cursor, Codex CLI, a Claude Code router, or any OpenAI-compatible tool — the snippets on this page are copy-paste ready.
Free APIs build the prototype.
Who's recommending your business?
AI assistants answer millions of “who should I hire” questions a day. Run the free scan and see what they say about you — in 60 seconds.
Get My Free AI Visibility Scan