How to Get Free ChatGPT API Keys in 2026

The OpenAI API gives you programmatic access to GPT-4o, GPT-4o Mini, o1, o3, and other models for building applications. While it is a paid service, there are several legitimate ways to get free API credits and keys in 2026.

This guide covers every method to access the ChatGPT API for free, how to maximize your free credits, and the best free alternatives when OpenAI credits run out.

Understanding OpenAI API Pricing

Before looking at free options, here is what the API costs at standard pricing:

Model	Input (per 1M tokens)	Output (per 1M tokens)	Best For
GPT-4o	$2.50	$10.00	General purpose, high quality
GPT-4o Mini	$0.15	$0.60	Cost-effective, fast
o1	$15.00	$60.00	Complex reasoning
o3-mini	$1.10	$4.40	Reasoning at lower cost
GPT-4.1	$2.00	$8.00	Coding, instruction following
GPT-4.1 Mini	$0.40	$1.60	Balanced cost/performance
GPT-4.1 Nano	$0.10	$0.40	Cheapest option

Even small amounts of free credit go a long way, especially with GPT-4o Mini at $0.15 per million input tokens.

Method 1: OpenAI Free Tier Credits

OpenAI provides free credits to new API accounts.

How to Get Them

Go to platform.openai.com.
Create a new account (or sign in with Google/Microsoft/Apple).
Navigate to Settings > Billing.
New accounts receive $5 in free API credits.

Important Details

Free credits expire after 3 months.
You do not need to add a payment method to use free credits.
Credits are applied automatically to all API usage.
Once expired or depleted, you need to add a payment method to continue.

Maximize $5 in Free Credits

With GPT-4o Mini, $5 gets you approximately:

Usage	Token Count	With $5
Short responses (~100 tokens each)	~33M input + ~8M output	~33,000 requests
Medium responses (~500 tokens each)	~6.6M input + ~3.3M output	~6,600 requests
Long responses (~2000 tokens each)	~1.6M input + ~1M output	~1,600 requests

That is a lot of API calls for prototyping and testing.

Method 2: GitHub Student Developer Pack

If you are a student, the GitHub Student Developer Pack includes OpenAI API credits.

Apply at education.github.com/pack.
Verify your student status with a .edu email or enrollment documents.
Once approved, access the OpenAI benefit through the pack dashboard.
You receive additional API credits (historically $50-100 in credits).

This is one of the most generous free credit sources available.

Method 3: Microsoft Azure OpenAI Free Tier

Azure hosts the same OpenAI models with its own free tier:

Create a free Azure account at azure.microsoft.com/free.
You receive $200 in Azure credits for the first 30 days.
Apply for Azure OpenAI access at azure.microsoft.com/products/ai-services/openai-service.
Deploy GPT-4o or GPT-4o Mini models in your Azure portal.

Using Azure OpenAI API

import openai

client = openai.AzureOpenAI(
    api_key="your-azure-api-key",
    api_version="2024-10-21",
    azure_endpoint="https://your-resource.openai.azure.com"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gpt-4o-mini",  # Your deployment name
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Write a function to merge two sorted arrays."}
    ]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

The $200 Azure credit can cover significant API usage during the trial period.

Method 4: OpenAI Research Programs

OpenAI offers free API access through several research and education programs:

OpenAI for Education: Schools and universities can apply for free API access for educational use.
OpenAI Startup Program: Startups may qualify for API credits through OpenAI's partner programs.
Researcher Access: Academic researchers can apply for reduced-cost or free API access.

Check openai.com/research for current programs and application details.

Method 5: Use Free Alternatives (OpenAI-Compatible)

Several providers offer free API access with OpenAI-compatible endpoints, meaning you can use the same code with a different base_url:

Google Gemini (Free Tier)

import openai

client = openai.OpenAI(
    api_key="your-google-ai-key",
    base_url="https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gemini-2.0-flash",
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Explain RESTful API design principles."}
    ]
)

Google AI Studio provides free API access with generous rate limits for Gemini models.

Grok 3 Mini (Free $25/Month)

client = openai.OpenAI(
    api_key="xai-your-key",
    base_url="https://api.x.ai/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="grok-3-mini",
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Write a React hook for infinite scrolling."}
    ]
)

Mistral AI (Free Tier)

client = openai.OpenAI(
    api_key="your-mistral-key",
    base_url="https://api.mistral.ai/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="mistral-small-latest",
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Explain microservices architecture."}
    ]
)

Groq (Free Tier)

client = openai.OpenAI(
    api_key="your-groq-key",
    base_url="https://api.groq.com/openai/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="llama-3.1-70b-versatile",
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Write unit tests for a login function."}
    ]
)

Free Alternative Comparison

Provider	Free Tier	Best Model	OpenAI Compatible	Rate Limit
OpenAI	$5 initial credits	GPT-4o	Native	Standard
Google AI Studio	15 RPM free	Gemini 2.0 Flash	Yes	15 RPM
xAI (Grok)	$25/month	Grok 3 Mini	Yes	60 RPM
Mistral	Free tier available	Mistral Small	Yes	Moderate
Groq	Free tier available	Llama 3.1 70B	Yes	30 RPM
Together AI	$5 initial credits	Various open models	Yes	Standard
OpenRouter	Free credits	Multiple models	Yes	Varies
Ollama (Local)	Unlimited	Any open model	Yes	Unlimited

Method 6: Run GPT-Compatible Models Locally

For truly unlimited free usage, run open-source models locally with Ollama:

# Install Ollama
curl -fsSL https://ollama.ai/install.sh | sh

# Pull a high-quality model
ollama pull qwen3:8b

# Use it with OpenAI-compatible API
curl http://localhost:11434/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "qwen3:8b",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

This works with the OpenAI Python SDK by setting base_url="http://localhost:11434/v1".

Building a Fallback System

For production applications, set up a fallback chain that tries free options first:

import openai

PROVIDERS = [
    {"base_url": "https://api.x.ai/v1", "api_key": "xai-key", "model": "grok-3-mini"},
    {"base_url": "https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/", "api_key": "google-key", "model": "gemini-2.0-flash"},
    {"base_url": "https://api.openai.com/v1", "api_key": "openai-key", "model": "gpt-4o-mini"},
]

def chat(messages):
    for provider in PROVIDERS:
        try:
            client = openai.OpenAI(
                api_key=provider["api_key"],
                base_url=provider["base_url"]
            )
            response = client.chat.completions.create(
                model=provider["model"],
                messages=messages,
                timeout=30
            )
            return response.choices[0].message.content
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Provider failed: {e}")
            continue
    raise Exception("All providers failed")

result = chat([{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, world!"}])
print(result)

Frequently Asked Questions

Are free ChatGPT API keys legitimate? Yes, all methods listed here are legitimate. Avoid websites claiming to provide "leaked" or "shared" API keys -- those are scams or stolen credentials.

What is the difference between ChatGPT and the OpenAI API? ChatGPT is the consumer chat product. The API is a developer service for building applications. They use the same underlying models but have different pricing and interfaces.

Can I use the free API credits for commercial projects? Yes, OpenAI's free credits can be used for commercial projects. Check the terms of service for any restrictions.

How long do free credits last? OpenAI free credits expire after 3 months. Azure credits expire after 30 days. Other providers vary.

Is there a completely free unlimited option? Running models locally with Ollama is completely free and unlimited, though quality may be lower than GPT-4o. Cloud options like Google AI Studio and Grok offer generous but rate-limited free tiers.

Can I use the ChatGPT Plus subscription for API access? No. ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) is only for the ChatGPT web and mobile apps. API access is billed separately through the API platform.

Wrapping Up

Getting free ChatGPT API access in 2026 is straightforward. Start with OpenAI's $5 free credits, layer on alternatives like Grok ($25/month free) and Google AI Studio, and use local models via Ollama for unlimited offline access. For most development and prototyping needs, you may never need to pay for API access.

If you are building applications that need AI-generated media like images, video, or talking avatars, try Hypereal AI free -- 35 credits, no credit card required. Combine free LLM APIs with Hypereal for a complete AI application stack at minimal cost.