OpenRouter
info Notes
~22 free models (marked with `:free` suffix). OpenAI SDK-compatible. [^4]
key How to get API key
General steps — follow the official OpenRouter page for exact details.
- Open the OpenRouter API key page ↗
- Create a new account, or sign in if you already have one.
- Generate an API key from the dashboard or settings.
layers Available models 11
| Model | Capabilities | Context | Output | Rate limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
`qwen/qwen3-coder:free`
`qwen/qwen3-coder:free`
|
Text (code)
|
1M | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
`nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b:free`
`nvidia/nemotron-3-ultra-550b-a55b:free`
|
description
|
1M | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
`nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b:free`
`nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b:free`
|
description
|
1M | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
`openai/gpt-oss-120b:free`
`openai/gpt-oss-120b:free`
|
description
|
131K | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
`openai/gpt-oss-20b:free`
`openai/gpt-oss-20b:free`
|
description
|
131K | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
`meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free`
`meta-llama/llama-3.3-70b-instruct:free`
|
description
|
131K | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
`nousresearch/hermes-3-llama-3.1-405b:free`
`nousresearch/hermes-3-llama-3.1-405b:free`
|
description
|
131K | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
`google/gemma-4-31b-it:free`
`google/gemma-4-31b-it:free`
|
Multimodal
|
262K | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
`poolside/laguna-m.1:free`
`poolside/laguna-m.1:free`
|
description
|
262K | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
`qwen/qwen3-next-80b-a3b-instruct:free`
`qwen/qwen3-next-80b-a3b-instruct:free`
|
description
|
262K | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
+ ~12 more free models
+-~12-more-free-models
|
Text / Image
|
Varies | — | 20 RPM, 200 RPD |
help Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! OpenRouter provides free API access or free developer credits. Refer to the model list table above for context window and rate limit details.
Most free tier providers in our directory (including OpenRouter) do not require a credit card for developer key activation. Check their official developer portal for exact signup requirements.
If your application exceeds the RPM (Requests Per Minute) or RPD (Requests Per Day) quota, the API will respond with an HTTP 429 status code until your quota window resets.