OpenRouter free tier: quotas, limits and gotchas
OpenRouter Free Tier
Last verified: 2026-10-06
Models and quotas
| Model | Quota | Window | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25+ free models (provided by each vendor) | 50 requests Daily | Resets daily | The list of free models is subject to change based on the supplier's policy, and the actual number of available models is determined by the official website at the time. |
What you get for free
| Feature | Free tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Number of free models | 25+ items | From 4 free providers |
| Daily request limit | 50 times | This is the main limitation of the free tier |
| Paid model access | No | Requires pre-paid points |
| Auto Price Comparison Route | Available | When the same model is available from multiple suppliers, it will automatically choose the cheaper or available one. |
| Customer support | Community only |
Limits at a glance
- Quota reset: Resets daily
- Commercial use: Allowed
- Conditions: Registration is required
Watch out for this
The free tier is most easily misunderstood as having "25+ free models", which sounds like a lot, but they all share a quota of 50 requests per day, which can be used up quickly with just a little testing. If you actually want to use it for work, you still need to pay for more.
When the free quota is insufficient, how much does it cost to pay for it?
| Plan | pricing | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | API pay-as-you-go (usage-based) | No monthly fee, no minimum consumption. A 5.5% platform handling fee is charged when purchasing points, and the model itself is billed at the original price of each supplier. It supports 500+ models, 80+ suppliers (updated on 2026-08-22: the scale has grown compared to previous records). It supports credit cards and cryptocurrencies (as of 2026-07-31, according to the official website openrouter.ai/pricing). BYOK (bring your own key) quota: within US$25,000 list price inference per month is free of handling fees, and 5% is charged for excess amounts. |
| Enterprise | API pay-as-you-go (usage-based) | Negotiable platform fee discounts, dedicated rate limits, SLA, and shared Slack channel; BYOK (bring your own key) quota: within US$200,000 list price per month for inference, no handling fee, 5% charge for excess (this is for BYOK Limits, not general usage) (Checked on 2026-07-31 from official website openrouter.ai/pricing) |
Checked 2026-10-06
Information for Taiwanese users
- Payment method:Payable; supports credit cards and cryptocurrencies
- Chinese support: partial
- Available platforms:web
Related
- OpenRouter full review: pricing and features
- OpenRouter alternatives
- All AI tools free tier comparison
Sources: OpenRouter official pricing page (last checked on 2026-07-31)
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