How to Get Free Claude API Credits
Free AI API credits · 2026
I'd wanted to mess around with Claude and GPT in my own projects for a while, but paying for API access before I'd even built anything always stopped me. Then I found AgentRouter. Free credits, no card, and I was running in about five minutes. Here's exactly how I did it.
At a glance
- What
- Free Claude & GPT API credits via AgentRouter
- Credit
- $50 free via a referral link
- Card
- Not required
- Login
- Sign in with GitHub
- Time
- Under 5 minutes
- Best for
- Learning & testing, not production
Contents
What AgentRouter is
So what is it? AgentRouter is a single AI gateway that sits in front of a bunch of providers. Instead of juggling separate accounts, billing, and keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, and the rest, you get one key and one endpoint that reaches all of them.
It's run as a non-profit "public-welfare" project, and the whole point is letting developers experiment without burning money, which is why the credits are free. I'll admit that made me skeptical at first. But it plugs straight into the usual tools (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Cline, Roo Code), and it just worked.
How much free credit you get
| How you sign up | What you get |
|---|---|
| Through a referral link | $50 free credit |
| The person who referred you | also gets $50 |
No credit card anywhere in the process, which surprised me. The exact numbers shift around, so once you're in, check your Wallet for your real balance. Mine showed zero for a second and then popped up after a refresh, so don't panic if that happens to you.
Supported models
The nice part is that one key covers a whole spread of providers. Here's what was in the dashboard when I checked:
| Provider | Model (as listed) |
|---|---|
| OpenAI | gpt-5.6-sol |
| Anthropic | claude-opus-4-8, claude-opus-5 |
| DeepSeek | deepseek-v4-flash |
| Zhipu | glm-5.3 |
One thing worth knowing: this is a relay, so those names are AgentRouter's own labels, not a promise you're hitting that exact official model. The list changes a lot too, so glance at the dashboard for what's actually live before you build around any of them.
Get your credits, step by step
Open the registration page
Use a referral link to sign up. That's what gets you the $50 to start with.
Sign in with GitHub
On the sign-up card, hit Continue with GitHub (there's a LinuxDO option too, but GitHub's the easy one). You'll see GitHub's permissions screen. That's normal: it just confirms who you are and never touches your password. Give it a read, then approve.
Check your Wallet
Head to Wallet and check your balance is there. If it's not showing yet, one refresh usually sorts it.
Copy your API key
Open the token console and copy your key. It starts with
sk-. Treat this like a password: don't share it, don't
commit it anywhere.
Use your API key
Because it's OpenAI-compatible, you usually change just two things and you're done:
- Base URL
https://agentrouter.org/v1- API key
- the key from your dashboard
In editor tools like Cursor, Cline, or Roo Code, just paste the base URL and key into the AI settings. For Claude Code, drop them in as environment variables and run it like normal. From there, every request comes out of your free credits instead of a paid account, which is the whole point.
Fire off one tiny test request first to make sure the key works. It'll save you debugging a bigger thing later.
What to know before you rely on it
Most "free credits" posts stop at the fun part. This is the bit that actually saves you a headache, so stick with me.
These free relays can reset their credits or disappear without much warning. Great for learning and side projects, but I wouldn't build anything a business depends on top of it.
Don't paste your key into public repos, screenshots, or group chats. Whoever has it can spend your credits, so guard it.
Using a relay instead of the official API is a bit of a gray area. For anything commercial or serious, go straight to the provider.
AgentRouter vs the official API
| AgentRouter | Official API | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Free ($50 credit) | Pay from day one |
| Credit card | Not needed | Usually needed |
| Models | Many, one key | One provider per account |
| Stability | Can change | Stable |
| Best for | Learning & testing | Production |
FAQ
Is AgentRouter safe?
From what I've seen, yes. It's a real service plenty of developers have used. Just remember it's a non-profit relay: keep your key private and don't lean on it for production.
Do I need a credit card?
Nope. All you need is a GitHub login.
Does it work with Claude Code and Cursor?
Yes. Drop the base URL and API key into the tool's settings and you're good.
Will the credits last forever?
No. Credits are limited and these offers can end anytime, so if you sign up, use them fairly soon.
Final thoughts
If you've been sitting on a project idea but didn't want to pay for API access just to try it, this is a low-risk way in. Go in knowing what it is: brilliant for learning and prototyping, not something to build a business on. Grab your credits and go make something small. That's the best way to find out if these models click for what you're building.
If you give it a try, let me know how you got on in the comments. I'm curious what you build.
Disclosure: this post contains a referral link. If you sign up through it, you get a $50 starting credit and I may earn $50 too, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I've actually used.