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Free AI21 Labs API Key, Base URL & Rate Limits

Model Provider

AI21 Labs provides free API access to its Jamba family of models (Large 1.

Function Calling
Save API Key Test API Key Get API Key

How to get a free AI21 Labs API key

  1. 1
    Sign up at studio.ai21.com Email or Google/GitHub login. No credit card.
  2. 2
    Go to Account → API Keys
  3. 3
    Create a new API key
  4. 4
    Choose a model Jamba Large 1.7 for complex tasks. Jamba Mini 2 for speed.
  5. 5
    Configure client Base URL: https://api.ai21.com/studio/v1. Uses AI21's own API format, not OpenAI-compatible by default.

Provider Snapshot

P Provider Type Model Provider
O OpenAI Compatible No
U Base URL https://api.ai21.com/studio/v1
F Free Tier Check provider
P Phone Required No
S Streaming Varies
T Function Calling Yes
V Vision Varies
L Last Updated 2026-05-23

Supported Models 2 models

View in directory →
Model ID Developer Context Availability Free Tier Use cases
jamba-mini-2
Jamba Mini 2
 AI21 Labs 256K Check provider Yes chat
jamba-large-1-7
Jamba Large 1.7
 AI21 Labs 256K Check provider Yes chat

Developer Tools

K Save API Key Never lose your API keys — save keys from all providers in one place. T Test API Key Test your API key and check quota.

Related Providers

View all →
OpenRouter Chutes.ai Glhf.chat Grok (xAI) Groq

AI21 Labs FreeLLM Score free API access score

How we score →
25 /100
🔹 Niche Provider — Consider for easy signup
Generosity Free limits and access terms
60
Access Signup and key availability
75
Model Breadth Free model coverage
0
Reliability Status and stability signals
0
Compatibility SDK and endpoint support
0
Quality Model capability signals
15

What is AI21 Labs?

Jamba models with 256K context — 200 RPM, 10 RPS free tier.

AI21 Labs provides free API access to its Jamba family of models (Large 1.7 and Mini 2), offering a generous 256K context window — among the widest of any free tier — and 200 RPM / 10 RPS rate limits. The API uses AI21's proprietary format (not OpenAI-compatible by default), and no credit card is required.

  • 256K context window on all free models
  • 200 RPM, 10 RPS — generous rate limits
  • Jamba Large 1.7 + Jamba Mini 2
  • No credit card required

API Compatibility: AI21 REST API (not OpenAI-compatible by default)

AI21 Labs Free Tier Limits & Pricing

Credit Card Not required
Phone Verification Not required
Free Tier Check provider
Context Range 256K
Total Models 2 listed
Rate Limits 200 RPM, 10 RPS
API Compatibility AI21 REST API (not OpenAI-compatible by default)

AI21 Labs API Setup Tutorials

Claude Code Environment variables and base URL setup Codex OpenAI-compatible config for local coding Gemini CLI Provider-specific API key routing notes

AI21 Labs 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 →

AI21 Labs Model Use Cases

What AI21 Labs's free models are best for, based on aggregated model capabilities:

Chat 2 models

AI21 Labs Limitations & Caveats

  • Not OpenAI-compatible by default — requires adapter layer
  • Limited model selection (2 models)
  • Smaller provider vs Groq/OpenRouter ecosystem

AI21 Labs FAQ

What makes Jamba models different from Llama or Qwen?

Jamba uses a hybrid Mamba-Transformer architecture that reduces memory usage for long-context tasks. The 256K context window is 2-8× larger than most free tier models, making it excellent for document analysis and long conversations.

Is the AI21 API compatible with OpenAI SDK?

Not by default — AI21 uses its own REST API format. You'll need to use the AI21 SDK or an adapter library. Some community projects provide OpenAI-compatible wrappers.

What's the difference between Jamba Large 1.7 and Jamba Mini 2?

Jamba Large 1.7 is the full-size model for complex tasks. Jamba Mini 2 is a distilled, faster version suitable for simpler use cases. Both share the 256K context window and free tier limits.