What this is
A cautious access directory
AI Access tracks free and low-cost ways to test models without treating free access as something to rely on for serious work.
Theme
AI Access
Free and low-cost ways to try LLMs.
A practical directory of LLM APIs, model gateways, and testing credits readers can compare before signing up.
Use this as a starting point for comparison, then check each provider directly before relying on any service.
How to use it
Start small, check terms
Use the cards to compare access type, best fit, caveats, and source links before testing a provider.
Important caveat
Free does not mean unlimited
Free quotas, model access, rate limits, privacy terms, and trial credits can change. Avoid sensitive data unless you have reviewed the provider terms.
Before relying on access
Check before relying on free access
Before testing, check the current free quota, model access, rate limits, provider terms, and privacy rules. AI Access is a general reference for discovery, not a recommendation or guarantee.
Recently added
New in the directory
Fresh AI access entries listed for careful browsing.
Model Provider APIs
Free trial API key / paid production key available
Cohere
cohere
A direct model-provider API for trying Cohere models and endpoints, including chat, embeddings, rerank, retrieval-oriented workflows, and related developer tools.
Inference Platforms
Free daily allocation / paid Workers plan available
Cloudflare Workers AI
cloudflare-workers-ai
A serverless AI inference platform for running supported machine-learning models on Cloudflare's global network.
Inference Platforms
Free API plan / paid developer tier available
GroqCloud
groqcloud
A fast AI inference platform for developers, with API access to supported text, audio, and vision models.
Model Gateways
Free model routing / paid credits available
OpenRouter
openrouter
A model gateway for trying many LLMs through one API, including selected free model options and a free-model router for experimentation.
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Model Gateways
Free and low-cost model access
1OpenRouter
openrouter
A model gateway for trying many LLMs through one API, including selected free model options and a free-model router for experimentation.
Best for
Learning, small experiments, model comparison, and early prototypes.
Free access note
OpenRouter describes openrouter/free as a router that sends requests to currently available free models, and also supports :free variants for specific models where a free variant exists.
Limits note
Source snapshot, May 2026: OpenRouter docs described free-model limits such as 50 requests per day for accounts that have purchased less than 10 credits, 20 requests per minute, and 1000 free-model requests per day after purchasing at least 10 credits. Check OpenRouter directly before relying on this.
Caution
Free model access can have lower limits, changing availability, provider-side throttling, and temporary unavailability. Do not treat free access as production capacity.
Privacy note
Avoid sensitive, private, or confidential data unless you have reviewed OpenRouter's current terms, data-policy details, and account settings.
Inference Platforms
Hosted and serverless AI inference
2Cloudflare Workers AI
cloudflare-workers-ai
A serverless AI inference platform for running supported machine-learning models on Cloudflare's global network.
Best for
Serverless AI experiments, edge-adjacent prototypes, lightweight inference workflows, embeddings, and developers already using Cloudflare Workers.
Free access note
Cloudflare Workers AI is available on Free and Paid Workers plans, with a daily free allocation for testing and small usage.
Limits note
Source snapshot, May 2026: Cloudflare docs described a free allocation of 10,000 Neurons per day. Usage above the free allocation requires the Workers Paid plan, and operations can fail after limits are exceeded. Check Cloudflare's current docs before relying on this.
Caution
Useful for serverless and edge-adjacent experiments, but the free allocation is not production capacity. Developers should understand Neurons, model availability, quota behavior, and failure handling before relying on it.
Privacy note
Avoid sensitive, private, or confidential data unless you have reviewed Cloudflare's current terms, data-handling details, and account settings.
GroqCloud
groqcloud
A fast AI inference platform for developers, with API access to supported text, audio, and vision models.
Best for
Fast API experiments, latency-sensitive prototypes, testing supported open models, and small developer projects.
Free access note
GroqCloud offers a Free plan for building and testing with its APIs, with paid developer and enterprise options available for higher-scale use.
Limits note
Source snapshot, May 2026: Groq docs describe rate limits using requests per minute, requests per day, tokens per minute, tokens per day, audio seconds per hour, and audio seconds per day. Limits can vary by model, account, organization, and tier, so check GroqCloud's current limits before relying on this.
Caution
Useful for testing and prototypes, but free-plan limits are not production capacity. Applications should handle rate limits and provider-side changes gracefully.
Privacy note
Avoid sensitive, private, or confidential data unless you have reviewed Groq's current terms, data-policy details, and account settings.
Model Provider APIs
Direct model provider APIs
1Cohere
cohere
A direct model-provider API for trying Cohere models and endpoints, including chat, embeddings, rerank, retrieval-oriented workflows, and related developer tools.
Best for
Testing Cohere's chat, embedding, rerank, multilingual, retrieval, and proof-of-concept API workflows.
Free access note
Cohere docs describe evaluation or trial API keys as free but limited, with production keys available for paid and higher-scale use.
Limits note
Source snapshot, May 2026: Cohere docs described trial keys as limited to 1,000 API calls per month, with listed trial Chat API limits such as 20 requests per minute for several chat models. Limits can vary by endpoint, model, key type, and account status, so check Cohere's current docs before relying on this.
Caution
Useful for evaluation and proofs of concept, but trial-key access is limited and should not be treated as production capacity. Developers should review Cohere's current rate limits, pricing, and production-key requirements before relying on it.
Privacy note
Avoid sensitive, private, or confidential data unless you have reviewed Cohere's current terms, data-handling details, and account settings.
Also in AI
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A good next step might be AI Resources for more tools and projects to explore, AI Guides for help with choosing and using AI tools well, AI Ballot for a clearer view of what readers are leaning toward.