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Try These Free, Unlimited AI API Keys for Cursor / Cline

Community Article Published April 12, 2025
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Lynn Mikami's avatar
lynn-mikami Lynn Mikami

In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, AI-powered coding assistants like Cursor and Cline have revolutionized the way developers work. With an increasing number of free ai assistants and ai api options available, developers can now access powerful language models without breaking the bank. This comprehensive guide explores the top 15 free, unlimited AI API keys that can dramatically improve your development workflow using tools like Cursor or Cline.

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1. Hugging Face Inference Free API

Hugging Face offers one of the most developer-friendly free tiers for AI model access, making it an excellent choice for Cursor/Cline integration. If you're looking for free ai api keys, this should be at the top of your list.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Access to thousands of open-source models including stable diffusion api capabilities
  • Reasonable rate limits that are sufficient for many development needs
  • No credit card required to get started, truly free apis to use

Usage Limits:

  • Free tier has per-model rate limits
  • Upgrade to Pro for increased limits

Get Started: https://huggingface.co/inference-api

2. Google Gemini API

Google AI for developers provides impressive capabilities through their Gemini API. Is Gemini API free? Yes, they offer a generous free tier that makes it accessible for developers working with tools like Cursor and Cline.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Access to Gemini 1.0 Pro model
  • 60 requests per minute
  • No cost for the first tier of usage, making it a valuable free api key resource

Usage Limits:

  • Monthly quota applies to free tier
  • Rate limits on API requests

Get Started: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/api-key

3. OpenRouter - Gateway to Multiple Free APIs

OpenRouter provides a unified interface to access various ai apis including free llm api to use options like deepseek api, freegpt35 api, and even limited access to gpt 4o api.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Access to multiple free models including various free llm apis
  • Single API for multiple model providers including deepseek r1 api access
  • $5 in free credits for new users, perfect for testing gpt o1 api and gpt o3 api

Usage Limits:

  • 20 requests per minute on free tier
  • Model-specific token limits

Free AI Models:

Get Started: https://openrouter.ai/keys

4. Replicate (Some Free Models)

Replicate hosts numerous open-source AI models and provides api ai access with free starting credit. It's one of the best ai apis for accessing stable diffusion api and runwayml api services.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • $5 in free credits for new accounts
  • Wide variety of models including code-specialized ones
  • Simple integration for artificial intelligence apis

Usage Limits:

  • Credits expire after 14 days if not used
  • Rate limits apply based on model

Get Started: https://replicate.com/account/api-tokens

5. Ollama (Run LLM Locally, Support Local API)

While primarily known for local model hosting, Ollama also provides an artificial intelligence api interface that can be integrated with development tools, making it one of the free artificial intelligence api options worth considering.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Completely free to use
  • Local hosting means unlimited usage of various ai api's
  • No rate limits on self-hosted models including deepseek v3 api

Usage Limits:

  • Limited by your hardware capabilities
  • Requires local resources for model hosting

Get Started: https://ollama.com/download

6. Together AI (Free AI Models)

Together AI offers competitive free tier access to powerful models that can enhance your coding experience in Cursor or Cline. Their platform is considered among the best ai api services with free access to powerful language models.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • $25 in free credits for new users
  • Access to cutting-edge open models including limited qwen api access
  • Good for code generation and completion tasks

Usage Limits:

  • Credits expire if not used within the first month
  • Standard rate limits apply

Get Started: https://www.together.ai/pricing

7. Anthropic Claude API (Limited Free Access)

While Anthropic's claude api is generally paid, they occasionally offer free credits or limited-time access programs. The claude 3.7 sonnet api represents their cutting-edge offering with impressive coding capabilities.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Occasional developer programs with free access to claude api
  • High-quality reasoning capabilities through claude 3.7 sonnet api
  • Excellent for complex coding tasks

Usage Limits:

  • Time-limited access in most free programs
  • Usage caps on free credits

Get Started: https://www.anthropic.com/api

8. Mistral AI Free API

Mistral AI offers some free api artificial intelligence access to their impressive open-source models, making it a strong contender in the list of best ai apis.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Free access to select models via their platform
  • High-quality open weights models
  • Great for code generation

Usage Limits:

  • Rate limits apply to free tier usage
  • Token quotas per day

Get Started: https://mistral.ai/api/

9. OpenAI API (Limited Free Tier)

The openai api occasionally offers free credits to new developers. While their free tier is more limited than others, the access to powerful models like gpt 4o api makes it valuable for Cursor/Cline development.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Initial credits for new accounts ($5-$18)
  • Access to free gpt api models like GPT-3.5
  • Excellent documentation and support
  • Limited access to newer models like gpt o3 api

Usage Limits:

  • Credits expire after 3 months
  • Rate limits apply to free open ai api key usage

Get Started: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys

10. RunPod API

RunPod offers serverless GPU access and api.ai endpoints for running AI models, including support for leonardo ai api and novelai api integration.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Free credits for new users ($10)
  • Deploy custom models as API endpoints
  • Flexible usage options for AI models like stable diffusion api

Usage Limits:

  • Credits expire if not used
  • Compute time limits

Get Started: https://www.runpod.io/serverless-api

11. DeepSeek Free API

The deepseek free api offers impressive capabilities with their language models, including the advanced deepseek v3 api and deepseek r1 api for specialized tasks.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Limited free access to powerful models
  • Good for code generation and analysis
  • Competitive with other free llm apis

Usage Limits:

  • Token caps on free usage
  • Rate limiting applies

Get Started: https://platform.deepseek.com/

12. Google AI Studio Free APIs

Google ai apis include several free options beyond just Gemini, including experimental access to grok 3 api in select regions.

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Free tier across multiple AI services
  • No credit card required for many services
  • Includes specialized APIs for different tasks

Usage Limits:

  • Varying limits based on specific service
  • Some services require Cloud account verification

Get Started: https://cloud.google.com/apis

Setting Up Free AI API Keys in Cursor and Cline

Both Cursor and Cline allow you to configure custom API keys for free AI services to power your development environment. Here's a detailed guide on how to set up these integrations:

For Cursor:

Method 1: Using Settings Interface

  1. Launch the Cursor IDE application on your computer
  2. Click on the gear icon in the bottom-left corner to open Settings, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+, (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+, (Mac)
  3. In the Settings menu, select "AI" from the left sidebar
  4. You'll see a section titled "API Keys" with various provider options
  5. For OpenAI API:
    • Enter your openai api key in the "OpenAI API Key" field
    • Optionally, select your preferred model (gpt 4o api, gpt o1 api, etc.) from the dropdown
  6. For Claude API:
    • Find the "Anthropic API Key" section
    • Paste your claude api key or claude 3.7 sonnet api key
    • Select the specific Claude model version if prompted
  7. For DeepSeek API:
    • Locate the "DeepSeek" section
    • Enter your deepseek api key, which will work for deepseek v3 api and deepseek r1 api models
  8. For other providers (Gemini, Qwen API, etc.):
    • Find their respective fields in the API Keys section
    • Enter the appropriate credentials
  9. Click "Save" to apply your changes

Method 2: Using Command Palette

  1. Open Cursor IDE
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac) to open the Command Palette
  3. Type "AI: Configure API Keys" and select that option
  4. A configuration interface will appear where you can enter keys for various providers
  5. Enter your desired free ia api key in the appropriate field
  6. Save your configuration when complete

Method 3: Via Config File

  1. In Cursor, open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac)
  2. Type "Open Settings (JSON)" and select it
  3. In the JSON file, add or modify the API key entries:
{
  "ai.openai.apiKey": "your-openai-api-key",
  "ai.anthropic.apiKey": "your-claude-api-key",
  "ai.deepseek.apiKey": "your-deepseek-api-key",
  "ai.gemini.apiKey": "your-gemini-api-key",
  "ai.grok.apiKey": "your-grok-3-api-key"
}
  1. Save the file to apply changes

For Cline:

Method 1: Interactive Configuration

  1. Open your terminal or command prompt
  2. Run the command cline config to start the interactive configuration wizard
  3. You'll see a menu of supported AI providers (OpenAI, Claude, DeepSeek, etc.)
  4. Use arrow keys to select the provider you want to configure (e.g., for gpt 4o api, choose OpenAI)
  5. When prompted, paste your API key for that provider
  6. For model-specific settings:
    • If configuring OpenAI, you can select which model to use (gpt o1 api, gpt o3 api, etc.)
    • If setting up Claude, you can choose between claude api versions including claude 3.7 sonnet api
    • For DeepSeek, you can select between deepseek v3 api and deepseek r1 api
  7. Confirm your settings when prompted
  8. Repeat for any additional providers you want to configure

Method 2: Direct Configuration File Editing

  1. Locate your Cline configuration file:
    • On macOS/Linux: ~/.config/cline/config.json
    • On Windows: %APPDATA%\cline\config.json
  2. Open this file in your preferred text editor
  3. Add or modify the API key sections:
{
  "providers": {
    "openai": {
      "api_key": "your-openai-api-key",
      "default_model": "gpt-4o"
    },
    "anthropic": {
      "api_key": "your-claude-api-key",
      "default_model": "claude-3-7-sonnet"
    },
    "deepseek": {
      "api_key": "your-deepseek-api-key",
      "default_model": "deepseek-v3"
    },
    "gemini": {
      "api_key": "your-gemini-api-key"
    },
    "qwen": {
      "api_key": "your-qwen-api-key"
    },
    "grok": {
      "api_key": "your-grok-3-api-key"
    }
  },
  "default_provider": "openai"
}
  1. Save the file to apply your changes

Method 3: Environment Variables

  1. You can also set API keys through environment variables, which is useful for CI/CD pipelines or temporary usage
  2. Open your terminal or command prompt
  3. Set the environment variables before invoking Cline:
    • For OpenAI: export CLINE_OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key (Linux/Mac) or set CLINE_OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key (Windows)
    • For Claude: export CLINE_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-claude-api-key
    • For DeepSeek: export CLINE_DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=your-deepseek-api-key
  4. Run Cline as usual and it will use these environment variables

Testing Your Configuration

After setting up your api key free tokens in either Cursor or Cline, it's important to verify that they're working correctly:

For Cursor:

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+L (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+L (Mac) to open the AI Chat panel
  2. Type a simple query like "Test connection to [provider name]"
  3. If your key is configured correctly, you'll receive a response from the AI
  4. Check the response header to confirm which model is being used (e.g., gpt 4o api, claude 3.7 sonnet api, deepseek v3 api)

For Cline:

  1. In your terminal, run: cline "Test connection to verify my API key works"
  2. If configured properly, you'll receive a response from the default provider
  3. To test a specific provider, use the --provider flag:
    • cline --provider openai "Test OpenAI connection"
    • cline --provider anthropic "Test Claude connection"
    • cline --provider deepseek "Test DeepSeek connection"

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter problems with your API keys:

  1. Invalid API Key Error: Verify that you've copied the complete API key without any extra spaces
  2. Rate Limit Exceeded: Switch to a different provider or wait until your free tier limits reset
  3. Model Not Available: Ensure the model you're trying to access (like grok 3 api or qwen api) is included in your API access level
  4. Configuration Not Saving: Make sure you have write permissions for the configuration files
  5. Provider Not Found: Check that you're using the correct provider name in your configuration

By following these detailed steps, you'll be able to configure multiple free AI API keys in both Cursor and Cline, allowing you to leverage the power of models like gpt o3 api, claude api, and deepseek r1 api to enhance your development workflow.

Best Practices for Using Free AI APIs with Cursor/Cline

To maximize your experience with these free ai api keys in your Cursor or Cline development, consider these tips:

  1. Combine Multiple Providers: Don't rely on a single API provider. Since free tiers have limits, having accounts across multiple services like deepseek api, claude api, and openai api lets you switch when one reaches its limit.

  2. Optimize Your Prompts: Free tiers often have token limits, so craft efficient prompts for gpt o1 api or gpt o3 api that get the information you need without unnecessary tokens.

  3. Cache Responses: Implement caching for common queries to reduce API calls to services like claude 3.7 sonnet api and stay within free tier limits.

  4. Monitor Usage: Keep track of your API usage to avoid unexpected cutoffs when you reach free tier limits on services like qwen api or deepseek r1 api.

  5. Use Model-Specific Features: Different models excel at different tasks – gpt 4o api might be better for specific coding tasks than grok 3 api or deepseek v3 api depending on your needs.

Conclusion

The landscape of AI APIs is evolving rapidly, with more free artificial intelligence api options becoming available regularly. From established players offering openai api and claude api services to emerging options like deepseek r1 api, grok 3 api, and gpt o3 api, developers have more choices than ever.

This comprehensive list of free ai api keys should help you get started with enhancing your Cursor/Cline development workflow without significant investment. While each has limitations, strategic use of multiple providers from various free llm apis can give you robust AI assistance for your development needs.

The best ai api for your specific needs will depend on your project requirements, but having access to this variety of free llm apis ensures you can experiment and find the perfect fit. As AI technology continues to evolve with newer models like deepseek v3 api, qwen api, and gpt o1 api regularly being released, staying informed about the latest free ai apis will keep your development process cutting-edge and efficient.

Begin experimenting with these free api to use options today, and discover how AI can transform your development process with Cursor and Cline. The future of coding is here, and it's more accessible than ever through these free open ai api keys and alternative options.

Community

intisoto-ai

Thanks, Lynn!
This was super helpful—not just for the API list, but especially for including setup tips with Cursor and Cline.
Really appreciate the clarity and practicality.
Great work!
—Inti

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