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You can use AI from a terminal without paying, but the free options do not all give you literal “credits.” Gemini CLI offers a free daily request quota when you sign in with a personal Google account; Codex CLI includes plan-dependent usage for ChatGPT Free users. Anthropic’s $1,000 API-credit award is limited to selected AI safety and alignment researchers. For most people looking for a free place to start, Gemini CLI’s Google-account route is the clearest option.
Free AI access is not always a credit balance
Providers use different billing models. A request quota gives you a limited number of requests without charging you; plan-included usage is part of an account subscription or free plan; API credits are a balance applied to API charges. These are not interchangeable, and a request is not a fixed amount of work across providers.
The options below are based on provider documentation available as of October 2026. Quotas and account policies can change, so check the linked official usage page before relying on a particular limit.
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|---|---|---|
| Gemini CLI with Gemini Code Assist Individual | Daily model-request quota | Sign in with a personal Google account; up to 1,000 requests per user per day, shared across the Gemini model family as selected by Gemini CLI. Per-minute limits also apply. Google’s Gemini CLI quota documentation |
| Gemini CLI with an unpaid Gemini API key | Daily model-request quota | Up to 250 requests per user per day, limited to Flash model requests. This is a separate authorization route from Gemini Code Assist Individual. Google’s Gemini CLI quota documentation |
| Codex CLI with a ChatGPT Free account | Usage included in the Free plan | Usage limits vary by plan; OpenAI does not state one universal free-task or token allowance. OpenAI’s Codex plan guidance |
| Anthropic External Researcher Access Program | API credits awarded after an approved application | For qualifying AI safety and alignment researchers working in Anthropic’s high-priority areas. Successful applicants receive $1,000 in API credits; this is not a general Claude Code offer. Anthropic’s program details |
Set up Gemini CLI with a personal Google account
This route uses Gemini Code Assist Individual authorization rather than an API-credit balance. Google’s current quota documentation lists a maximum of 1,000 model requests per user per day. Requests draw across the Gemini model family as determined by Gemini CLI; per-minute limits apply, and availability can vary during high demand. The maximum is a quota, not a promise that every request will be served under every condition.
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- Install Gemini CLI using the instructions in the official Gemini CLI project.
- Start the CLI in your terminal using the command shown in the project’s installation instructions.
- Choose Google-account sign-in when prompted, then authenticate with your personal Google account to use the Gemini Code Assist Individual route.
- Check the current quota and usage conditions in the quota documentation before depending on a particular request volume.
Google’s launch announcement described personal-account sign-in as a way to get a free Gemini Code Assist license. Its launch-era figures included 60 requests per minute and 1,000 per day; use the current quota page, rather than those announcement-era caps, for present limits. Google’s Gemini CLI announcement.
Use a Gemini API key only if that route fits
Gemini CLI also supports an unpaid Gemini API key route. Google’s CLI quota documentation lists up to 250 requests per user per day for this route, limited to Flash models. It is not the same allowance as the personal Google-account route: the authorization method, model restriction, and quota differ.
Choose this route if you specifically want API-key authentication or need to configure the CLI around an API key. Review the applicable model and billing details before use in Google’s quota documentation and Gemini API billing FAQ. Do not assume that an unpaid quota converts into cash credits or that requests beyond it will remain free.
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OpenAI says Codex is included across ChatGPT plans, including Free and Go, and documents signing in to Codex CLI with a ChatGPT account. The allowance depends on the plan; the published help article does not provide a single fixed number of free tasks or tokens.
- Install Codex CLI using the official Codex plan instructions.
- Sign in with your ChatGPT account when prompted, and choose the Free plan account if that is the access route you want.
- Check your current allowance in the usage dashboard or by entering
/statusin the CLI. Your available usage is account- and plan-dependent.
Who can get Anthropic API credits?
Anthropic’s External Researcher Access Program is an application-based exception, not a general free tier for Claude Code. It is aimed at qualifying AI safety and alignment researchers whose work falls within Anthropic’s high-priority areas. Successful applicants receive $1,000 in API credits, according to the program details dated March 16, 2026. Those credits cover API use, not the Claude web app. See Anthropic’s eligibility and application information.
Anthropic’s billing guidance says Claude API and Claude Code use prepaid credits. Purchased credits expire one year after purchase and are non-refundable. Anthropic’s billing documentation.
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Why Google Cloud’s $300 welcome credit is not a dependable Gemini API route
Google Cloud advertises a $300 welcome credit for eligible new customers, but its Gemini API billing FAQ says that credits cannot be used for Gemini API or AI Studio charges for accounts opened after March 2, 2026. Eligible credits received before that restriction may remain usable until they expire. The billing FAQ governs whether a Google Cloud balance can pay for those services; the general free-trial offer is not proof that it can. Google’s Gemini API billing FAQ and Google Cloud’s free tier page.
Choose a route by how you plan to use the terminal
- Want a straightforward no-cost starting point? Try Gemini CLI with personal Google-account sign-in and verify its current quota.
- Prefer ChatGPT account access? Use Codex CLI with your ChatGPT Free account, then check
/statusor the usage dashboard for the allowance attached to your plan. - Need an API key and can work within Flash-only limits? Consider Gemini CLI’s unpaid API-key route, keeping its separate request quota in mind.
- Are you an eligible AI safety or alignment researcher? Review Anthropic’s application requirements; the API-credit award is not open as a general promotion.
Do not compare the request counts as if they represent equivalent tokens, coding tasks, or compute. The providers describe different models, limits, and account arrangements, and the cited sources do not establish a common task-capacity benchmark.
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