The most useful free thing Google ships for builders: a real playground plus an API key you can point code at without a credit card. This is where a prototype starts.
Google's own pricing page confirms free-tier prompts are used to improve their products. Never put client data or anything confidential through the free API tier.
| What you get free | Free access to the model playground plus a free API tier with rate-limited requests |
| Where the limit sits | Google states free-tier content IS 'used to improve our products'; the paid tier explicitly is not |
| Credit card to start | No |
| Pricing type | Free tier |
| Last checked | 2026-07-30 · source |
| Platforms | web, api |
| Category | Code & dev · Agents & automation |
We recheck every entry. Subscribers hear first when a free tier quietly shrinks.