Is OpenAI API still free?
Yes, with limits Partly. OpenAI API had a free tier with notable restrictions on the vendor's public page on 2026-10-05.
The rate limits guide lists a Free usage tier for users in an allowed geography, but it does not say which models or how much usage are free of charge.
Free tier limits and listed figures
| Item | Value on the vendor page |
|---|---|
| Free tier qualification | user must be in an allowed geography |
| Free tier usage limit | $100 / month |
| Tier 1 qualification | $5 paid |
| Tier 1 usage limit | $100 / month |
| Free tier requests and tokens per minute | not stated by the vendor |
| Free credits | not stated by the vendor |
Card and commercial use
- Credit card required
- not stated by the vendor
- Commercial use allowed
- not stated by the vendor
Gotchas
- The guide does not state that Free tier usage is free of charge or list free credits
- Moving to Tier 1 requires $5 paid
- Rate limits apply at the organization and project level, and unsuccessful requests count toward the per-minute limit
Recent change
No recent change is noted on the vendor page that was read.
Alternatives to compare
- Is Google Gemini API still free? Yes, with limits
- Is OpenRouter still free? Yes, with limits
- Is Cohere API still free? Yes, with limits
More in this category: AI and LLM APIs.
Source
Vendor page read by software on 2026-10-05, written out as text so you can copy it into your browser:
https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/rate-limits