Free LLM API Tiers Compared: Groq, Cloudflare Workers AI, OpenRouter, Gemini (Nov 2026)
Updated 2026-11-03
Short answer: For steady daily volume use Groq free (1,000 requests and 200K tokens/day on gpt-oss-120b); on Cloudflare use Workers AI (10,000 Neurons/day, resets 00:00 UTC); for model variety use OpenRouter (50 requests/day, 1,000 after a $10 lifetime top-up). Gemini free-tier limits are only shown in AI Studio, and free-tier content is used to improve Google products.
Free tier table
| Provider | Free allowance | Reset | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groq | 30 RPM, 1,000 RPD, 8K TPM, 200K TPD | Daily | Per organization |
| Cloudflare Workers AI | 10,000 Neurons/day | 00:00 UTC | $0.011 per 1K Neurons on Workers Paid |
| OpenRouter :free | 20 RPM, 50 RPD (1,000 after $10) | Daily | Free list changes often |
| Gemini API free | Shown in AI Studio | Midnight Pacific | Content used to improve products |
Chinese version: 免费大模型 API 对比.
FAQ
Do any need a credit card?
None of the four free tiers require one.
Where are Gemini free limits?
In Google AI Studio, per project; daily quotas reset at midnight Pacific.
Good for coding?
Fine for small jobs; success rates TBD by author.
Related
- Claude Code vs DeepSeek for Developers in China (Nov 2026)
- Codex vs Claude Code: Pricing and Usage Limits Compared (Nov 2026)
- AI 编程与大模型工具对比总表（2026-11 核对）
Sources
- Groq Rate Limits (checked 2026-11-03)
- Cloudflare Workers AI Pricing (checked 2026-11-03)
- OpenRouter 免费模型 (checked 2026-11-03)
- Gemini API 价格 (checked 2026-11-03)
- Gemini API Rate limits (checked 2026-11-03)