freellmcredits  home

Free Google AI credits (Gemini)

Google offers two routes to free Gemini access: an ongoing free tier on selected models through Google AI Studio, and a larger $300 trial credit on Google Cloud.

The short answer

For most people the Gemini API free tier is the place to start: selected Gemini and Gemma models at no cost, with limits shown in AI Studio. If you need more, the Google Cloud $300 trial credit covers Google’s own models in Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform (formerly Vertex AI) for 90 days — but not the standalone Gemini API, and not partner models such as Claude.

  • Google AI (Gemini) Student & education
    Open

    Google AI Pro student offer

    Eligible US college students get 12 months of Google AI Pro free. Read the terms: it is consumer Gemini app access rather than API credits, a payment method is required at sign-up, and it auto-charges $19.99/month afterwards.

    Free value
    No fixed amount
    Card required
    Card: conditional A valid form of payment is required to redeem the subscription; the terms do not require a card specifically for every supported payment route.
    Application deadline
    31 Dec 2026
    Credit validity
    12 months after activation — The period begins when the offer is redeemed.
    Who
    "The free Google AI Pro student offer is available to eligible U.S. college students ages 18+." Both new users and students whose 2025 AI Pro trial has expired can qualify. You verify student status through SheerID, use a personal Google Account, and "Eligibility must be verified each year to maintain access." The offer must be redeemed by 31 December 2026.

    Available subject to the provider eligibility and usage conditions.

    Check eligibility & claim Google AI Pro student offer (opens in a new tab) Details
  • Google AI (Gemini) Provider free tier
    Open

    Google AI Studio / Gemini API free tier

    Build with the Gemini API free tier on selected models, subject to model-specific and account limits. Check the Free Tier column before choosing a model; access to Google AI Studio does not make every model free.

    Free value
    No fixed amount
    Card required
    Card: not stated
    Application deadline
    No deadline stated
    Allowance resets
    See provider terms · reset time not stated · timezone not stated — Model-specific free tiers and account rate limits; no universal quota or reset timezone is stated here.
    Who
    Anyone aged 18 or over with a Google account in a supported country or territory — Google's Gemini API terms state "You must be 18 years of age or older to use the APIs".

    Available subject to the provider eligibility and usage conditions.

    Check eligibility & claim Google AI Studio / Gemini API free tier (opens in a new tab) Details
  • Google Cloud Cloud AI credits
    Open

    Google Cloud free trial — $300 credit

    New Google Cloud accounts get a $300 welcome credit to spend over 90 days — usable on Google's own Gemini models in Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform (formerly Vertex AI), but not on the standalone Gemini API or on third-party partner models. A payment method is required.

    Free value
    $300
    Card required
    Card: conditional A credit card or another supported payment method is required; available methods depend on country.
    Application deadline
    No deadline stated
    Credit validity
    90 days after signup
    Who
    New customers who have never been a paying user of Google Cloud, Google Maps Platform or Firebase, and who haven't signed up for the Free Trial before.

    Available subject to the provider eligibility and usage conditions.

    Check eligibility & claim Google Cloud free trial — $300 credit (opens in a new tab) Details
  • Google Cloud Startup program
    Open

    Google for Startups Cloud Program

    Eligible startups get Google Cloud credits — up to $2,000 on the Start tier, or up to $200,000 over two years on the Scale tier (year 2 covers 20% of usage). AI-first startups can reach $350,000. Third-party models are not covered.

    Free value
    Up to $200,000
    Card required
    Card: conditional A Cloud Billing account is required. Self-serve accounts use a supported payment method; separately approved invoiced accounts are another option.
    Application deadline
    No deadline stated
    Credit validity
    Start: 12 months; Scale/AI: coverage over two years, with 20% of eligible spend covered in year two. Award-specific start and expiry dates are not stated here.
    Who
    Apply to the tier matching your stage. Google's Start page requires an MVP, a clear business model, plans to seek venture funding, founding within 24 months, and no credits beyond the free trial. The Scale page requires recent pre-seed to Series A funding, founding within five years, and no more than $5,000 of prior Google Cloud credits. The overview gives a broader three-to-five-year criterion depending on tier; use the specific tier page and application for your eligibility. A company domain and Google Cloud billing ID are required.

    Available subject to the provider eligibility and usage conditions.

    Check eligibility & claim Google for Startups Cloud Program (opens in a new tab) Details

Frequently asked questions

How do I get free Google Gemini API access?
Sign in to Google AI Studio with a Google account; AI Studio creates a project and API key for new users. The Gemini API free tier covers selected models — Gemini 3.8 Flash, Gemini 2.5 Pro and Gemma 4 among them — within per-model rate limits that Google shows only in AI Studio. You must be 18 or over.
Does the Gemini free tier need a credit card?
Google does not say. It lists the free tier’s only qualification as an “Active project or free trial” and asks for a payment method when you set up billing for the paid tier. We mark the card requirement as not stated rather than guess.
Which Gemini models are not free?
Google’s pricing page marks Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview, Gemini Omni Flash, the Nano Banana image models, Veo and Lyria as “Not available” on the free tier.
What about larger Google AI credits?
Google Cloud’s free trial gives new accounts a $300 credit to spend over 90 days, including on Google’s own Gemini models in Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform — the product Google called Vertex AI until April 2026. It excludes the standalone Gemini API and partner models such as Claude, and it requires a credit card or other payment method.
Is Google AI Pro for students the same thing?
No. It is a year of a consumer Gemini subscription for eligible US college students, not API access, and it needs a payment method at sign-up and auto-charges afterwards.