Guide · Updated June 2026

The free LLM API in 2026: one endpoint, many models, $0

Most "free" AI APIs mean a trial, a credit card, or a tiny quota that runs out. CodeBurst is different: one OpenAI-compatible endpoint that routes across many models with automatic failover, and the free tier runs entirely on $0 models — no card, no trial cliff.

What "free" usually hides

When you search for a free LLM API, you mostly find paid services with a free trial: credits that expire, a card on file, or a handful of requests before the wall. CodeBurst's free tier is built on a hard rule — a model only joins the free chain if it's verified to cost $0 in and $0 out, and it's auto-ejected the moment that changes.

One key, every model

curl https://codeburst.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"codeburst-best","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hi"}]}'

codeburst-best picks a strong free model and fails over automatically when a provider is slow or rate-limited — so your app stays up. Need a bigger window? codeburst-128k, codeburst-256k, codeburst-1m.

It's not just chat

The same free key also gives you model routing, free embeddings (codeburst-embed), free speech-to-text and text-to-speech, multi-model consensus to cut hallucinations, and a one-line website chatbot. One platform, $0.

How it compares

When you outgrow free

Free gets you building today. When you need more throughput, you simply bring your own provider key (CodeBurst keeps doing the routing, consensus and failover — with no markup), or top up credits. Start free, scale on your terms.

FAQ

Is it really free?
Yes — the free tier only uses $0 models, checked on a schedule. No card.

OpenAI-compatible?
Yes — change the base URL and key, your code works.