Last updated: 11 September 2026. Checked against Google's own docs that day, plus a test with our own API key.
The Gemini API still has a free tier with no credit card in September 2026: create a key in Google AI Studio and call Gemini 3.x Flash, Gemini 2.5 Flash or Gemma 4 for nothing. What changed is everything around it:
- The $300 Google Cloud trial no longer pays for the Gemini API in AI Studio for accounts opened after 2 March 2026. It still covers Gemini on Vertex AI.
- The paid tier is prepaid: you add at least $5 before you leave the free tier, and other Cloud credits only apply after that.
- Google no longer publishes the free-tier rate limits. Each project sees its own in AI Studio.
- Gemini 2.5 Pro and 2.5 Flash-Lite are closed to new users. Our key got "no longer available to new users" for both.
- Free Gemini CLI and Gemini Code Assist for individuals ended on 18 June 2026.
- Vertex AI is now called Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. It has a 90-day no-billing "express mode".
Startup credits still cover Gemini: $2,000 at the Start tier, up to $200,000 at Scale, and up to $350,000 for AI-first startups.
Every free Gemini route at a glance
| Route | What you get | Card | Who |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini API free tier | Free calls to 3.x Flash, 2.5 Flash, Gemma 4 | No | Anyone with a Google account |
| Google AI Studio (web) | Free prompting and testing | No | Anyone |
| Vertex AI express mode | 90 days free within quotas, no billing account | No | New Google Cloud users with @gmail.com |
| Google Cloud Free Trial | $300 for 90 days | Yes | New Cloud customers; Vertex only, not the AI Studio API |
| Google for Startups: Start | $2,000 for 12 months | - | Founded within 24 months, working MVP |
| Google for Startups: Scale | Up to $200,000 over 2 years | - | Pre-seed to Series A, institutional investor |
| Google for Startups: AI | Up to $350,000 over 2 years | - | Same, with AI at the core |
| Google Cloud research credits | $5,000 | - | Faculty, PhD students, postdocs |
| Google AI Pro / Ultra | $10 / $40 / $100 a month in Developer Program credits | Subscription | Subscribers |
Gemini API free tier
- Free models: Gemini 3.8, 3.7, 3.6 and 3.5 Flash, 3.5 and 3.1 Flash-Lite, 3 Flash Preview, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemma 4 (31B and 26B A4B), plus embeddings, live, TTS and transcription models. Gemma 4 is free only; it has no paid tier.
- Not free: Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, the Nano Banana image models, Veo and Lyria.
- Closed to new users: Google's pricing page still lists Gemini 2.5 Pro and 2.5 Flash-Lite as free, but on 11 September both returned HTTP 404 to our key: "This model models/gemini-2.5-pro is no longer available to new users. Please update your code to use models/gemini-3.1-pro-preview". For 2.5 Flash-Lite it pointed to 3.5 Flash-Lite. Gemini 2.5 Flash, 3.8 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite and 3.1 Flash-Lite all answered.
- Rate limits: not published any more. Google's rate limits page says they "can be viewed in Google AI Studio", per project. The daily quota resets at midnight Pacific. The "1,500 requests a day at 10 RPM" still quoted around the web, including by this page in June, is not an official figure now.
- Card: none. A Google account is enough.
- Your data: on the free tier Google may use prompts and responses to improve its products, and human reviewers may read them. In the EEA, UK and Switzerland the paid-tier data terms apply even to free usage, and the terms allow only paid services if you serve end users there.
- Grounding with Google Search: on the free tier only the 2.5 models get it, up to 500 requests a day.
- Start: aistudio.google.com -> Get API key.
Google AI Studio itself, the web app, is free: "Google AI Studio usage is free of charge in all available regions" unless you link a paid key.
The paid tier: prepay first
Since 23 March 2026 the Gemini API bills new accounts in advance. "Upgrading from the Free Tier to the Paid Tier means linking a billing account and prepaying to add a minimum of $5." The prepaid balance can go up to $5,000, and bought credits expire after 12 months.
| Tier | How you qualify | Monthly spend cap | Spend limit per 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | An active project | - | - |
| Tier 1 | Link an active billing account | $250 | $10 |
| Tier 2 | $100 paid + 3 days since first payment | $2,000 | $50 |
| Tier 3 | $1,000 paid + 30 days since first payment | $20,000 to $100,000+ | $200 |
Tiers 2 and 3 count your total Google Cloud spend, not just Gemini. Per-model rate limits for paid tiers are, like the free ones, shown only in AI Studio.
Gemini API prices
| Model | Input / 1M tokens | Output / 1M tokens | Batch in / out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.8, 3.7, 3.6 Flash (promo to 31 Dec 2026) | $0.75 | $3.75 | $0.375 / $1.875 |
| Gemini 3.8, 3.7, 3.6 Flash (from 2027) | $1.50 | $7.50 | - |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | $1.50 | $9.00 | $0.75 / $4.50 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | $0.30 | $2.50 | $0.15 / $1.25 |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | $0.25 | $1.50 | $0.125 / $0.75 |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview (up to 200K) | $2.00 | $12.00 | $1.00 / $6.00 |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | $0.30 | $2.50 | $0.15 / $1.25 |
| gemini-embedding-2 (text) | $0.20 | - | $0.10 |
Source: Google's pricing page, 11 September 2026. Note the odd ordering: while the promotion lasts, 3.6 to 3.8 Flash cost half as much as the older 3.5 Flash. Search grounding on 3.x models is 5,000 free requests a month on paid tiers, then $14 per 1,000.
Can Google Cloud credits pay for the Gemini API?
It depends on the credit and on where you call Gemini.
- The $300 Free Trial: not for the Gemini API in AI Studio. Google's trial page: "The $300 credit can't pay for Gemini API in AI Studio costs." The Gemini billing FAQ adds: "If you opened your account after March 2, 2026, you can't use these credits to pay for Gemini API and AI Studio usage." Older trial credits can still be spent until they expire. The trial does cover Vertex AI, which has the same Gemini models: "New customers get up to $300 in free credits to try Agent Platform."
- Other Cloud credits (startup, Developer Program): yes for the Gemini API, but only after you prepay. "Prepay users must first purchase Prepaid credits before any eligible Google Cloud credits can be applied to Gemini API usage." Google for Startups says its credits are "to use towards your Gemini API usage as you scale".
- Third-party models: Google's startup credits do not cover them. Claude on Vertex, for example, is billed separately (Claude for Startups has the Claude routes).
The practical rule: on a new account, use the free tier in AI Studio, or put the $300 into Gemini on Vertex AI, not into an AI Studio key.
Vertex AI, now Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform
Google renamed Vertex AI on 22 April 2026; cloud.google.com/vertex-ai now redirects to Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform. It serves the same Gemini models with Google Cloud's IAM, audit logs, VPC controls and regional deployment. Two free ways in:
- Express mode: "New users to Google Cloud can sign up for an express mode account in a free tier to try Agent Platform for free for up to 90 days, within the specified quotas. You don't need to provide billing information." You need a @gmail.com account, and the free tier disappears if you already use Google Cloud or enable billing. It is a preview feature, and its quota table was out of date when we checked (it still lists 2.5 models at 10 requests a minute).
- The $300 trial, card required, as above.
Google for Startups Cloud Program
| Tier | Credits | Who qualifies |
|---|---|---|
| Start | $2,000, valid 12 months | Founded within the last 24 months, working MVP, no Cloud credits beyond the free trial |
| Scale | Up to $200,000: 100% up to $100,000 in year 1, then 20% up to $100,000 more in year 2 | Pre-seed to Series A from an institutional investor, founded within 5 years, at most $5,000 in earlier credits |
| Scale for AI startups | Up to $350,000: 100% up to $250,000 in year 1, then the same year-2 terms | As Scale, with "AI built into your startup's foundational structure" |
- Funding that counts: institutional rounds and SAFEs; angel money, friends and family, crowdfunding and grants do not. Seed rounds must be within the last 5 years, or Series A within the last 12 months.
- What the credits cover: "Google's state-of-the-art models like Gemini and Gemma. Note: Third-party models are billed directly and are not covered."
- Extras: $12,000 in Enhanced Support credits, 12 months of Workspace Business Plus, $600 a month for Maps, and a partner perk of $1,000 in OpenRouter credits for Google models.
- Apply: at cloud.google.com/startup, with your 18-character billing account ID and an email domain that matches your website.
Google's two startup sites disagree on age limits (startup.google.com still says 5 years, or 10 for Scale); cloud.google.com is the newer. Tier walkthrough in Free Google Cloud Credits.
Other free routes
- Research credits: "$5,000 in research credits" for faculty, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in eligible countries, valid one year.
- Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers get monthly Google Developer Program credits: $10 with AI Pro ($19.99 a month), $40 with AI Ultra 5x ($99.99), $100 with AI Ultra 20x ($199.99). They can pay for Cloud services "including the Gemini API", once your prepaid balance is above zero. The subscriptions themselves include no API usage.
- Students: US students can get a 12-month Google AI Pro trial (SheerID, redeem by 31 December 2026, then $19.99 a month); about 90 other countries get discounts. Plan benefits "apply only within the Google AI Studio web interface" and do not include the API.
- Coding tools: free Gemini CLI and Gemini Code Assist for individuals stopped serving requests on 18 June 2026. The replacement, Antigravity, has a $0 individual plan with "basic weekly rate limits" on Gemini 3.x Flash and 3.1 Pro; the limits are not published.
What changed since this page's June version
| June version said | September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Free tier: 1,500 requests/day, 10 RPM on Flash | Limits not published; AI Studio shows them per project |
| Free models: 2.5 Flash and 2.5 Flash-Lite | 3.5 to 3.8 Flash, 3.x Flash-Lite, 2.5 Flash, Gemma 4; 2.5 Flash-Lite and 2.5 Pro closed to new users |
| Adding billing moves you to paid | Prepay at least $5 first (since 23 March 2026) |
| Cloud credits usable for Gemini | $300 trial excluded from the AI Studio API (accounts after 2 March 2026); others only after prepaying |
| Vertex AI: no free route | Express mode: 90 days free, no billing account |
| Startups: Start $2K-$20K, Scale $25K-$100K, AI-first $350K | Start $2,000, Scale up to $200,000, AI up to $350,000 |
| (not covered) | Free Gemini CLI and Code Assist for individuals ended 18 June 2026 |
How Gemini compares with other free APIs
Gemini is still the strongest free option from a frontier lab: current Flash models, no card, and a free tier that does not expire. Neither OpenAI nor Anthropic gives any free API credit to new accounts. For raw daily volume without a card, Groq and Cloudflare Workers AI are the other places to look. See Free LLM APIs 2026 for all seven no-card options, and OpenAI Free Credits and Claude for Startups for the other two labs.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Gemini API free in 2026? Yes. The Gemini API has a free tier with no credit card: create a key in Google AI Studio and call Gemini 3.x Flash, 3.x Flash-Lite, Gemini 2.5 Flash or Gemma 4 within your project's free limits. Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is paid only, and Gemini 2.5 Pro and 2.5 Flash-Lite are no longer available to new users.
What are the Gemini API free tier rate limits? Google no longer publishes them. Its rate limits page says your limits can be viewed in Google AI Studio, per project, and the daily quota resets at midnight Pacific time. Older figures such as 1,500 requests a day at 10 requests a minute are not official any more.
Can I use the $300 Google Cloud free trial for the Gemini API? Not in AI Studio if your Cloud account was opened after 2 March 2026: Google excludes Gemini API usage from the $300 trial. You can still use the trial for Gemini on Vertex AI (now Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform), which serves the same models.
Does Vertex AI have a free tier? Yes, through express mode: new Google Cloud users with a @gmail.com account can use it free for up to 90 days within set quotas, without a billing account. New customers can also get the $300 Google Cloud trial, which covers Vertex AI.
How do I get Gemini startup credits? Apply to the Google for Startups Cloud Program at cloud.google.com/startup. The Start tier gives $2,000 to startups founded within 24 months with a working MVP; the Scale tier gives up to $200,000, or $350,000 for AI-first startups, to companies with institutional funding from pre-seed to Series A. The credits cover Gemini and Gemma, including Gemini API usage.
Can Google Cloud credits pay for Gemini API usage in AI Studio? Eligible credits can, such as Google for Startups and Developer Program credits, but only after you have bought prepaid Gemini API credits (minimum $5). The $300 welcome credit is not eligible for accounts opened after 2 March 2026.
Is Gemini CLI still free? No. Free Gemini CLI and Gemini Code Assist for individuals stopped serving requests on 18 June 2026; the CLI now needs a paid Gemini API key or a paid Code Assist license. Google's replacement, Antigravity, has a free individual plan with weekly rate limits.
Related guides
- Free LLM APIs 2026 - every free tier checked, which need no card
- Free Google Cloud Credits - the full Google Cloud ladder
- OpenAI Free Credits 2026: Startup Credits, Codex, Azure
- Claude for Startups Program 2026 - who qualifies, how to apply
- Groq API Free Tier Rate Limits and Pricing 2026
- OpenRouter Free Tier 2026: Rate Limits, Free Models Tested
- Best Free LLM 2026 - chat and free API tiers ranked
- Free Startup Credits 2026: Complete Guide
