How to Get a Free Cohere API Key (2026)
4 free models available — no credit card required. Get your Cohere API key → Test free models →
Cohere FreeLLM Score
Best suited for light testing or very specific narrow use cases.
What is Cohere?
Command A, Aya, and embed models — 1,000 API calls/month.
Cohere's free Trial API key gives access to Command A (111B), Command R, Command R+, Aya Expanse, and Embed v4 models. The free tier supports up to 1,000 API calls/month across all models, with a rate limit of 20 RPM. Suitable for prototyping, research, and non-commercial projects. No credit card required.
- Command A (111B) on free tier
- 1,000 API calls/month
- Embed and Rerank models included
- No credit card required
API Compatibility: OpenAI SDK-compatible (Chat Completions v2)
How to Get a Cohere API Key
- 1 Sign up at dashboard.cohere.com Email or Google/GitHub. No credit card.
- 2 Go to API Keys
- 3 Generate a Trial key
- 4 Choose a model Command A (111B) recommended for general tasks.
- 5 Configure OpenAI client Base URL: https://api.cohere.com/v2
All Free Cohere Models — Context Windows & Rate Limits
| Model | Context | Max Output | Modality | Rate Limit | Released | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Command A (111B) | 256K | 4K | 20 RPM | — | Online | |
| Command A+ (218B) | 128K | 4K | 20 RPM | — | Online | |
| Command R+ | 128K | 4K | 20 RPM | — | Online | |
| Command R7B | 128K | 4K | 20 RPM | — | Online |
Cohere Free Tier Limits & Pricing
Cohere API Setup Tutorial & Tools
Cohere is fully compatible with popular AI coding assistants like Cursor, Claude Code, and more. To see step-by-step API configuration instructions for your favorite tool, please visit our Global Configuration Guide →
Use Cases
What Cohere's free models are best for, based on aggregated model capabilities:
Limitations & Caveats
- 1,000 API calls/month is low for production use
- Trial key expires — not permanently free
- Limited to 20 RPM across all models
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Cohere Trial key last?
Cohere Trial keys don't have a fixed expiration date, but Cohere reserves the right to revoke them. For production use, upgrade to the Production tier which requires a paid plan.
What's the difference between Command A and Command R on Cohere?
Command A (111B) is Cohere's largest and most capable model, ideal for complex reasoning. Command R (35B) is faster and cheaper, better for simpler tasks and real-time applications. Both are available on the free tier.
Does Cohere support embeddings on the free tier?
Yes — Cohere's free tier includes Embed v4 and Rerank v3.5, making it one of the few free providers offering high-quality embedding models.