If you're trying to explore AI + n8n without spending much (or anything), here's what actually works right now: OpenAI still provides free tokens if you enable "share data for training" in your settings. Just make sure your account has a positive balance — even a small one — or the tokens won’t apply. OpenRouter has a bunch of models you can use without an API key. You can send HTTP requests directly from n8n. Models like LLaMA, DeepSeek, MythoMax, and others are available for free. Gemini API from Google gives free access to Gemini Flash (2.5). You can use it with an API key via Google AI Studio — generous daily limits and solid speed. Hugging Face offers some free inference credits if you're on a Pro plan. Not huge, but good enough for testing out flows. With this stack, you can already build working automations and demos without needing any paid API plans. Answer from IKDevMan on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/n8n › how can i benefit from the free api credits from openai?
r/n8n on Reddit: How can I benefit from the free API credits from OpenAI?
April 21, 2025 -
Hey guys - I know that there was (sometime ago) the possibility of getting your hands on some free credits for OpenAI api. I want to start working with n8n and I'm quite strapped for cash now.
I haven't seen any kind of new offers on the OpenAI chat and I was wondering if the promos are off the table or are available in some dark corner of the internet?
Thanks!
EDIT: Thank you all for your great inputs!
Top answer 1 of 10
13
If you're trying to explore AI + n8n without spending much (or anything), here's what actually works right now: OpenAI still provides free tokens if you enable "share data for training" in your settings. Just make sure your account has a positive balance — even a small one — or the tokens won’t apply. OpenRouter has a bunch of models you can use without an API key. You can send HTTP requests directly from n8n. Models like LLaMA, DeepSeek, MythoMax, and others are available for free. Gemini API from Google gives free access to Gemini Flash (2.5). You can use it with an API key via Google AI Studio — generous daily limits and solid speed. Hugging Face offers some free inference credits if you're on a Pro plan. Not huge, but good enough for testing out flows. With this stack, you can already build working automations and demos without needing any paid API plans.
2 of 10
9
Openrouter has a lot of free models you can try out.
18 before?
Yes, it is not only $5. It used to be $18, our internal data showed that people were able to make ~750 API calls with the $5 which was enough to get a feel for how to use the API (which is the whole goal of free trial c… I accepted n8n's offer for 100 credits for OpenAI API. How do I use this?
I accepted n8n’s offer of 100 free credits for an OpenAI API. I see this credential is now in my list of credentials in my current project. There is no key or way to manage this credential. When I try to use this in an OpenAI node, it does not show in the list of valid credentials. More on community.n8n.io
1
0
August 6, 2025Does OpenAI give free 100$ Free Usage Limit?
Is it true? If so, why I don’t see it at my billing pages? More on community.openai.com
1
December 31, 2024Any Latest OpenAI Programs Offering Free Credits?
Hi everyone, A while ago, OpenAI had a program where they gave out $1,000 in free credits, which was a fantastic opportunity for developers and enthusiasts to experiment with their tools and APIs. Does anyone know if OpenAI has recently launched or is planning to launch a similar program? More on community.openai.com
1
2
December 31, 2024How to Get $2500 in OpenAI Credits
Today I just found out that I can get $2500 in OpenAI Credits, but I don’t know the application URL. I Googled and found: https://openai.com/microsoft-for-startups, but the page shows a 404 error. More on community.openai.com
1
1
July 26, 2024OpenAI
help.openai.com › pt-br › articles › 8381046-free-trial-invites-faq
Free Trial Invites FAQ | OpenAI Help Center
6 days ago - Eligible ChatGPT Plus users can generate a limited number of unique referral codes to offer free trials of the Plus plan. An email with a referral link gets sent to anyone you invite. New users can sign up for an OpenAI account and use the code to activate a free trial of ChatGPT Plus...
Adobe
helpx.adobe.com › nz › creative-cloud › apps › generative-ai › generative-credits-faq.html
Generative credits FAQ
3 weeks ago - ... Users with an Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, or Creative Cloud free membership are provided with a limited number of generative credits at no cost. These credits allow access to generative AI features for users to play, experiment, and create the extraordinary.
Architjn
architjn.com › blog › free-openai-api-credits-how-to-get-and-use
Free OpenAI API Credits: Get & Use Guide
March 24, 2025 - OpenAI's free API credit program is a golden opportunity for businesses and research institutions, offering significant cost savings while contributing to AI model refinement.
Ramp
ramp.com › rewards › openai
Access up to $2500 in OpenAI API credits
Start hiring internationally with $1,500 in Deel credits! ... Ramp customers now save up to 50% every time they ship with UPS. ... Startups can receive up to $2,500 in OpenAI API credits to explore the possibilities of building on top of the OpenAI platform.
OpenAI Developer Community
community.openai.com › api
Does OpenAI give free 100$ Free Usage Limit? - API - OpenAI Developer Community
December 31, 2024 - Is it true? If so, why I don’t see it at my billing pages?
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
FREE OpenAI API Key: STOP PAYING! (Python Setup & Code for Beginners) - YouTube
Welcome to the ULTIMATE guide for getting your OpenAI API Key for FREE! 💰 Stop worrying about starting costs and dive into building with GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.T...
Published October 27, 2025
GitHub
github.com › dan1471 › FREE-openai-api-keys
GitHub - dan1471/FREE-openai-api-keys: collection for free openai keys to use in your projects
Here you can find a collection of free OpenAI API keys for your projects. Feel free to use them and share with others.
Starred by 3.1K users
Forked by 361 users
Startupcredits
startupcredits.org › home › openai offer
Openai Startup Credits | Get Free $2500 ChatGPT API Credits
November 20, 2024 - Yes, it’s 100% free if you want to get $2500 Openai Credit From Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub.
YouTube
youtube.com › parametriccamp
How to Add Credits to your OpenAI Account - Fun with AI - YouTube
In this video, I explain the recent changes to the OpenAI billing model, and how to add credits to your OpenAI Developer account.📝Series playlist: https://w...
Published March 25, 2024 Views 3K
YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Buy and Get OpenAI API Credits 2025 - YouTube
In this tutorial we will see how to buy and get openai api credits
Published February 14, 2025
OpenAI
openai.com › startups
OpenAI for Startups | OpenAI
If you’re not sure whether your VC (venture capital firm) is a partner, just ask them. They’ll know if they’re in our network and how to access OpenAI resources. If they are, your startup may be eligible for benefits like free API credits, rate limit upgrades, and time with our solutions engineers or other technical team members.
OpenAI Developer Community
community.openai.com › t › didn-t-receive-any-free-trial-credits › 693150
Didn’t receive any free trial credits? - Community - OpenAI Developer Community
March 21, 2024 - I’ve been trying to make an account to try the API since I knew OpenAI had a free trial, and went for it. But somehow every time I created a new account (which I created like 4 more to see if it would be fixed but it didn’t) it always shows “$0.00/$5.00 limit” but no credits granted.
OpenAI Developer Community
community.openai.com › api
Issue with Receiving Free Credit on OpenAI Account - API - OpenAI Developer Community
March 20, 2024 - I created an OpenAI account but did not receive the $5 free credit. The phone number I used is clean, meaning it is not associated with any other account. I am 100% certain of this. Additionally, the email address I used…
Checkmarx
checkmarx.com › blog › openai-allowed-unlimited-credit-on-new-accounts
OpenAI Allowed Unlimited Credit on New Accounts
June 9, 2024 - When OpenAI first allowed users to sign up for an account, it was offering a free credit as a trial to try their AI projects (around $7).