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AI trial credits

Trial credits are a balance, not an allowance: you spend them once. They are still the fastest way to test a provider properly — as long as you know the number, the card requirement and the clock before you start.

The short answer

These are deliberately separated from the ongoing free API tiers, because the two answer different questions. A free tier answers “what can I run within a recurring allowance?”; a trial credit answers “what can I test properly before deciding to pay?”. Treat any figure here as a one-time budget.

Two things to check before you rely on one. First, the card: most trial credits sit on a billable account. Second, the clock: where a provider publishes an expiry we quote it, and where it does not we say so rather than implying the balance is open-ended. Fireworks AI’s $1 signup credit used to be listed here; in October 2026 its pricing page stopped offering it while a Fireworks blog post still did, so we have held it back until its pages agree.

If a trial credit is too small for what you are building, the honest alternatives are the free tiers for ongoing hobby use, the startup programmes if you have a company, and the cloud AI credits if you want a larger balance and can accept a 30-to-90-day window.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a trial credit and a free tier?
A free tier is an ongoing allowance that renews while the provider continues the programme. A trial credit is a one-off balance: you spend it and it is gone, and it often expires on a clock as well. Cerebras is the clearest example of the difference mattering — it used to be listed as a free tier, and its own docs now answer “Is there a permanently free tier? No.”
Do trial credits need a credit card?
Usually yes, and that is the main practical difference from the free tiers. Cerebras states its $5 arrives only “after adding a verified payment method”; Nebius states “Setting up a billing account requires a bank card”; Alibaba Cloud requires completed account information, which it says includes a payment method. Runway is the exception — “You can start free, with no credit card required.” Stability does not say either way.
How far do these trial credits go?
It varies more than the headline suggests. Stability’s 25 credits are 25 cents at its own rate of 1 credit = $0.01 — about three Stable Image Ultra images. Nebius’ $1 and Cerebras’ $5 are enough to prove an integration works, not to build on. Alibaba Cloud Model Studio is the largest: typically 1,000,000 tokens per eligible model, each with its own quota, but only in its Singapore region. Runway’s 125 credits are for its web app, not its API.
Which trial credits expire?
Cerebras states its $5 expires 30 days after being granted, Nebius states its $1 trial credit is “valid for 30 days”, and Alibaba’s free quota is valid for 90 days. Runway says its 125 credits do not expire but never refresh. Stability’s terms say unused service credits issued from 30 September 2026 expire one year after issuance unless otherwise specified, without naming the sign-up credits specifically.