Free alternatives to Claude Code and Cursor, with real limits
By Quotadex Research Desk · Published 2026-10-22 · Last verified 2026-10-27
Correction: On Oct 27, 2026 we removed LongCat 2.5 Preview Free from the OpenCode line because OpenCode no longer lists it as free. See the changelog.
Claude Code isn't included in Claude's Free plan, and Cursor Free has limited agent and Chat requests. Free options with published limits: GitHub Copilot Free (2,000 completions a month plus limited chat and agent credits), Kiro Free (50 credits), Codex Free (GPT-6 Luna in the desktop app, subject to rollout), and open-source agents like Cline paired with a free API tier such as OpenRouter's :free models or Groq.
Free plans from the vendors
- GitHub Copilot Free: 2,000 completions a month plus a limited allowance of AI credits for chat and agents (GitHub doesn't publish the amount). Works in the editor, CLI and agent mode.
- Kiro Free: 50 credits on open-weight models and Claude Sonnet 4.5, rate limited.
- OpenAI Codex Free: GPT-6 Luna at Standard speed in the desktop app, subject to rollout.
- Windsurf (Devin Desktop) Free: a light agent quota, limited models, unlimited Tab and inline edits.
- Cursor Free: limited agent and Chat requests.
- Amp Hobby: all features at $0 if you bring your own API keys or ChatGPT/Claude subscription, with no Amp token fees.
- Warp Free: the terminal and Warp Agent CLI. Agent usage is pay-as-you-go, or you can bring your own inference.
Open-source agents plus a free API tier
Cline is a free, open-source coding agent for VS Code and the CLI. You pay only for inference, or you point it at a free API tier:
- OpenRouter :free models: 20 requests/minute, and 50 requests/day until you've bought at least 10 credits, then 1,000/day.
- Groq free plan: for example, openai/gpt-oss-120b at 30 requests/min, 1K requests/day, 8K tokens/min and 200K tokens/day, per organization.
- Gemini API free tier: free tokens on models including gemini-3.8-flash, gemini-2.5-pro and gemini-2.5-flash, not Gemini 4 Argon. Free-tier content is used to improve Google's products.
- Gemini CLI: its quota page still lists 250 requests/user/day, Flash only, with an unpaid Gemini API key. But the same page says that for unpaid-tier users, Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI on June 18, 2026, so don't count on this route.
Base URLs and setup steps for each are on our free tiers page.
Agents with free models built in
- OpenCode: its console lists several models at $0 for a limited time, including DeepSeek V4.1 Flash Free and GLM-5.3-Flash Free (zero data retention, per its docs). Some free models, such as Flint 40B Free, may use your data to improve the model.
- Kilo Code: an Auto Free router and models labeled (free). Kilo warns that Auto Free may route to providers that log prompts.
- Freebuff: an ad-funded coding agent. Its Free plan is $0 with no card and gives 30 hours of usage a day in full-access countries (for example about 10 hours of DeepSeek V4.1 Flash); other regions get a smaller limited mode.
These promos change often. We track the current list, with sources, on the free tiers page.
Free plans for app builders
- Bolt Free: 300K tokens/day and 1M tokens/month, with Bolt branding.
- Lovable Free: 5 build credits/day (up to 30/month) plus 20 Cloud credits/month.
- v0 Free: $5 of one-time credits and 7 messages/day.
- Base44 Free: 25 message credits/month and up to 5 apps.
If you outgrow Bolt Free, new Bolt users who sign up through our referral link get 20% off, through Bolt's official referral program. Bolt sets the terms. This doesn't change the order of this list.
Before you rely on a free tier
- Limits change often. Every number here links back to an official page on our tool pages, with the date we checked it.
- Your data may be used for training. Google uses Gemini API free-tier content to improve its products. GitHub may use Copilot Free, Pro and Pro+ interactions for training unless you opt out.
- There's no free Claude Code. The cheapest way to get it is Claude Pro at $20/mo ($17/mo billed annually).
Ready to pay a little? See the cheapest way to vibe code, student discounts on Deals, and every plan's limits on Usage limits.
FAQ
Is there a free version of Claude Code?
No. Claude's Free plan doesn't include Claude Code. The cheapest plan with it is Claude Pro at $20/mo, or $17/mo billed annually.
Is Cursor free?
Cursor has a Free plan with limited agent and Chat requests. Its cheapest paid plan is Plus at $8/mo, with Grok models only.
Can I use Cline for free?
The Cline extension and CLI are free and open source. You pay for inference, at cost or with your own API keys, or use a free API tier such as OpenRouter's :free models.
How much does GitHub Copilot Free include?
2,000 completions a month plus a limited allowance of GitHub AI Credits for chat and agents, with Auto model selection only. GitHub doesn't publish the size of the credit allowance.
All prices come from official pricing pages and match our live tracker. Some links are affiliate links (disclosure).