this is f*cking gold😳

a massive curated list of every provider offering FREE llm api keys - 23k+ stars, zero subscription fees👀

the free-llm-api-resources repo by cheahjs is the only api directory you'll ever need

"never pay for an api key to test an idea again" - that's the vibe here. it is a constantly updated master directory of every single platform offering free llm access.

what you get for $0:

→a highly curated, actively maintained list of free llm api providers

→direct links to generate free api keys for top-tier open and closed models

→clear breakdowns of rate limits, quotas, and free tier allowances for each provider

→a massive, community-backed database trusted by over 23,000 developers

what this replaces:

manual api hunting: spending hours googling and testing which providers actually have active free plans

accidental billing traps: putting your credit card into random apis and forgetting to cancel

api key exhaustion: hitting rate limits on your main provider and having no backup options

paid developer newsletters: spending money just to get resource roundups you can find here for free

how to use (30 seconds):

go to: http://github.com/cheahjs/free-llm-api-resources

scroll through the readme to find the categorized list of free api providers

click through to the platforms that match your specific model and throughput needs

generate your free api keys and drop them directly into your project

important:

-this is a directory of resources, not a single unified api tool

-free tiers change policies constantly, so always verify on the provider's official pricing page before signing up

-while the apis are free, most will still require you to create an account with an email address

-the best strategy is to grab keys from 3-4 different providers so you can seamlessly rotate if you hit a rate limit

pays hours of manual research and unexpected api bills vs $0 for a massive master list

bookmark this repo and star it so you never run out of api credits during your next weekend build