Free Gemini API Key (2026) — Get Your Key in 1 Minute
Google AI Studio gives every developer a free Gemini API key — 15 free models with up to 1,048,576 token context. No credit card required. Updated Aug 6, 2026.
How to Get a Free Gemini API Key — Step by Step
- Go to Google AI Studio — aistudio.google.com — sign in with Google account.
- Click "Get API Key" in the left nav
- Create API key in a new or existing project
- Pick a Gemini model — Gemini 2.5 Flash recommended for best free limits.
- Configure client — Native base URL: https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta. OpenAI-compatible base URL: https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai
Free Gemini API Models — Compare 15 Models
| Model | Context | Max Output | Rate Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 3.6 Flash | 1.0M | 65K | 15 RPM, 1,500 RPD | Get key → |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 1.0M | 65K | 15 RPM, 1,500 RPD | Get key → |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | 1.0M | 65K | 30 RPM, 1,500 RPD | Get key → |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite | 1.0M | 65K | 30 RPM, 1,500 RPD | Get key → |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | 1.0M | 65K | 15 RPM, 1,500 RPD | Get key → |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite | 1.0M | 65K | 30 RPM, 1,500 RPD | Get key → |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro | 1.0M | 65K | 5 RPM, 50 RPD | Get key → |
| Gemini 3 Flash (Preview) | 1.0M | 65K | Preview limits | Get key → |
| Gemini Flash-Lite Latest | 1.0M | 66K | Get key → | |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite | 1.0M | 66K | Get key → | |
| Gemini Flash Latest | 1.0M | 66K | Get key → | |
| Gemma 4 26B A4B IT | 262K | 33K | Get key → | |
| Gemma 4 31B IT | 262K | 33K | Get key → | |
| gemini-robotics-er-1.6-preview | 131K | 4K | Get key → | |
| gemini-robotics-er-2-preview | 131K | 4K | Get key → |
Why Choose the Free Gemini API?
- Gemini 2.5 Flash: 1M context window
- Multimodal: text, image, audio, video
- Up to 500 RPD on Flash-Lite:
- No credit card required:
Gemini Free Tier Limitations
- 10 RPM is tight for production or multi-user apps
- Free tier prompts may be used for product improvement
- Some features (Grounding, Search) not available on free tier
Frequently Asked Questions — Free Gemini API Key
Does Google use my free tier API prompts for training?
Google's free tier terms state that prompts may be used for product improvement. If this is a concern, use the paid tier which has a no-training guarantee.
Why am I getting 429 errors on Gemini free tier?
The free tier has both per-minute (RPM) and per-day (RPD) limits. Gemini 2.5 Flash allows 15 RPM / 1,500 RPD. Flash-Lite allows 30 RPM / 1,500 RPD. Space out your requests or implement exponential backoff.
What's the difference between Google AI Studio and Vertex AI for Gemini?
Google AI Studio is the free developer playground — easier signup, no GCP project needed. Vertex AI is the enterprise platform with SLAs, VPC support, and higher rate limits. For free tier usage, stick with AI Studio.
How do I get a free Gemini API key?
Go to aistudio.google.com, sign in with your Google account, click "Get API Key" in the left sidebar, and a new key is generated instantly. No credit card required.
Is Gemini API really free?
Yes. Google AI Studio offers a permanent free tier for Gemini models. The free tier includes 15 models with rate limits ranging from 5-15 RPM and up to 500 requests per day. No credit card is needed to sign up.
Can I use Gemini API for commercial projects?
Google allows free tier usage for development and testing. For production/commercial use, Google's free tier terms state that prompts may be used for product improvement. If this is a concern, upgrade to the paid tier which has a no-training guarantee.