OpenRouter Free Models
OpenRouter Free Models
Free model variants (model IDs with the :free suffix) can be called free of charge through an OpenAI-compatible API; new accounts get 20 requests/minute and 50 requests/day, raised to 1,000 requests/d…
OpenRouter is a model-aggregation and routing platform: one API key accesses models from many providers, and appending :free to a model ID enables the free variant for quick evaluation and prototyping. Free variants usually have lower rate limits than paid ones, may queue, and can hit upstream provider 429s; platform-level limits change with policy (accounts with less than $10 in lifetime purchases get 50 requests/day, raised to 1,000 after $10). The OpenAI-compatible endpoint can be connected to ChatSpeed directly.
**Official site: ** https://openrouter.ai/docs/guides/routing/model-variants/free **Status: ** active **Last verified: ** 2026-08-30
Categories & Tags
- Categories:
general,coding,reasoning - Tags:
openrouter,free-models,api
Free Usage
- Access:
api - Requires login:
Yes - Has free tier:
Yes - Availability:
global
Free variants: 20 requests/minute; accounts with less than $10 in lifetime credit purchases get up to 50 requests/day, raised to 1,000 requests/day after $10 in lifetime purchases. Limits may change; check the official rate-limit documentation.
Per-model free quota
| Model | Free quota | Rate / frequency |
|---|---|---|
All free variants (model IDs ending in :free) | Free | 20 requests per minute |
| Accounts with less than $10 lifetime credit purchases | Free | Up to 50 requests per day |
| Accounts with $10+ lifetime credit purchases | Free | Up to 1,000 requests per day |
Registration & Limits
- Sign up: https://openrouter.ai/
- Registration limit: Sign up with email only; no credit card required. The free daily cap is low; you can raise it to 1,000 requests/day with $10+ in lifetime credit purchases (payment methods per official policy).
- Free policy doc: https://openrouter.ai/docs/api_reference/limits
ChatSpeed Import
This service includes a ChatSpeed provider config and can be imported directly. Call entry points:
- Protocol:
openai - Base URL:
https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 - Logo:
- Docs: https://openrouter.ai/docs
- Model list: https://openrouter.ai/models
- API key: https://openrouter.ai/keys
Data source
Resource file: resources/free-ai/openrouter-free-models.json. Content last verified on 2026-08-30; free quotas and service limits may change with official policies.