Ollama (local + cloud preview) free tier
Truly unlimited, truly private — the only 'free tier' nobody can rate-limit.
| Free tier type | Free & local (unlimited) |
|---|---|
| What you get free | Local = unlimited, bounded only by your hardware. Ollama Cloud has a free preview tier for bigger models. |
| Credit card | None — runs on your machine |
| Signup | No key for local; cloud preview needs a free account — ollama.com |
| API endpoint | http://localhost:11434/v1 (OpenAI-compatible) |
| Top free models | Every open model you can fit: Llama, Qwen, Gemma, DeepSeek, Phi |
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="http://localhost:11434/v1" 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: http://localhost:11434/v1
# ~/.codex/config.toml model_provider = "custom" [model_providers.custom] base_url = "http://localhost:11434/v1" 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: http://localhost:11434/v1
Choose 'OpenAI Compatible' as the provider, then paste: Base URL: http://localhost:11434/v1 API key: your key Model: one of the models listed on this page
More free AI APIs like this
Ollama (local + cloud preview) — FAQ
Is Ollama (local + cloud preview) really free?
Ollama (local + cloud preview) is listed in our index as: Free & local (unlimited). Local = unlimited, bounded only by your hardware. Ollama Cloud has a free preview tier for bigger models. We last probed its API endpoint on 2026-08-19. Always confirm current limits on the provider's own pricing page.
Does Ollama (local + cloud preview) need a credit card?
None — runs on your machine. Signup: No key for local; cloud preview needs a free account.
How do I use Ollama (local + cloud preview) in my coding tool?
Ollama (local + cloud preview) exposes an OpenAI-compatible endpoint (http://localhost:11434/v1). 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