How to Get an OpenAI API Key for Free
Updated 27 October 2026.
In short: OpenAI's own API is not free. A new OpenAI Platform account shows a free trial with $0.00 credit, no credit grants, and asks you to add credits before the next request. OpenAI's open-weight models, gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b, are free on Groq, Cloudflare, Ollama, LLM7.io and NVIDIA. GPT-6 Luna is listed at no per-token charge on Experiential Labs' Free plan. ChatGPT has a free plan, but it is not an API.
OpenAI's own API: credits first
On a new account at platform.openai.com, checked on 27 October 2026, Billing → Overview shows Free trial with $0.00 credit remaining (box 1). Credit grants says "No credit grants found", and the menu asks to "Run your next API request by adding credits" (box 2). API credits are separate from a ChatGPT subscription.
OpenAI's pricing page lists the paid rates, per 1M tokens:
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
gpt-6-astra | $10.00 | $50.00 |
gpt-6.1-sol | $2.00 | $10.00 |
gpt-6.1-terra | $1.00 | $5.00 |
gpt-6-luna | $0.10 | $0.50 |
Where OpenAI models are free
gpt-oss is OpenAI's open-weight model family, so other services run it. GPT-6 Luna is an OpenAI API model offered by Experiential Labs.
| Where | OpenAI model | Free allowance | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groq | openai/gpt-oss-120b, openai/gpt-oss-20b | 1,000 requests a day each | A free account |
| Cloudflare Workers AI | @cf/openai/gpt-oss-120b, @cf/openai/gpt-oss-20b | Inside the 10,000 free Neurons a day | A free Cloudflare account |
| Ollama Cloud | gpt-oss:120b, gpt-oss:20b | A starter amount each month | A free account |
| LLM7.io | gpt-oss:20b | 100,000 tokens a day, shared | A free account; keys expire on a date you set |
| NVIDIA (build.nvidia.com) | openai/gpt-oss-20b | Up to 40 requests a minute | Phone verification, not offered in every country |
| Perplexity Agent API | openai/gpt-6-astra, openai/gpt-6.1-sol, openai/gpt-6-luna | A one-time $10 signup credit for some new accounts, 60 days | A Perplexity API account; no card |
| Experiential Labs | gpt-6-luna | Listed at no per-token charge on the Free plan, 1M tokens a day | A $1 card verification, credited to the balance |
The gpt-oss models on Groq, Ollama and LLM7 answered with a free key in October 2026. The full list of free AI APIs, with each limit and source, is on how to get AI API keys for free.
Inside apps, with no API key: ChatGPT Free includes GPT-6 chats, and the OmniRush desktop app includes GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Sol within a daily allowance. Both are on how to get free AI plans.
Use a free OpenAI model in an app made for OpenAI
Apps made for OpenAI accept another service's key when you change three settings:
| Service | Base URL | Model name |
|---|---|---|
| Groq | https://api.groq.com/openai/v1 | openai/gpt-oss-120b |
| Ollama Cloud | https://ollama.com/v1 | gpt-oss:120b |
| LLM7.io | https://api.llm7.io/v1 | gpt-oss:20b |
| Experiential Labs | https://api.experientiallabs.ai/v1 | gpt-6-luna |
To put several free keys behind one address on your own computer, the open-source OmniRoute gateway switches to the next key when one runs out.
Words to know
- API key: the password an app uses to call a model. See what is an API key.
- API credits: money paid into an OpenAI Platform account in advance; requests are charged from it.
- gpt-oss: OpenAI's open-weight models, which anyone can run, so other services offer them.
- Base URL: the address an app sends its requests to.
- Token: a piece of a word; the unit models read and write. See tokens and context windows.
Frequently asked questions
Is the OpenAI API free?+
No. A new OpenAI Platform account shows a free trial with $0.00 credit and no credit grants, and needs credits added before requests run. API credits are separate from ChatGPT.
Where can I use OpenAI models for free with an API key?+
gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b are free on Groq (1,000 requests a day), Cloudflare Workers AI, Ollama Cloud, LLM7.io and NVIDIA. GPT-6 Luna is listed at no per-token charge on the Experiential Labs Free plan after a $1 card check.
What is gpt-oss?+
OpenAI's open-weight model family, gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b. Because the weights are public, other services run it, several of them on free tiers.
Does a ChatGPT subscription include API credits?+
No. OpenAI's billing page says API credits are separate from ChatGPT.
How much does the OpenAI API cost?+
Per 1M tokens: GPT-6 Luna $0.10 input and $0.50 output, GPT-6.1 Terra $1 and $5, GPT-6.1 Sol $2 and $10, GPT-6 Astra $10 and $50.
More free API key tutorials
- How to get a Gemini API key for free
- How to get a Groq API key for free
- How to get a Cloudflare Workers AI API key for free
- How to get a Cohere API key for free
- How to get an OpenRouter API key for free
- How to get an Experimental Labs API key for free (with the $1 verification)
- How to get a Requesty API key for free
- How to use Kilo Code free models (no API key)
- How to get an LLM7 API key for free
- How to use a free AI API without an API key
- How to get an Ollama API key for free
- How to get a Gonka AI API key for free
- How to get a Perplexity API key for free
- Where Qwen is free
- Where Mistral models are free
- The Grok API, checked on a new account
- Where DeepSeek models are free
- Where GLM models are free
- Every free AI API and its daily limit
By model: DeepSeek · Claude · Grok · Perplexity · Mistral · Kimi · Qwen · GLM · MiniMax · Llama · Nemotron · Gemma · gpt-oss
Want to use these APIs in a desktop app? OpenCode is a free, open-source AI coding app for Windows, Mac and Linux. How to add free API keys to OpenCode and pick a model.