The Perkstack blog
Guides on getting free AI credits, using AI for free, and cutting your AI bill, plus a per-model API price tracker re-pulled weekly.
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Free AI API Credits in 2026: 11 Providers Compared
Free AI API credits in 2026 at a glance: 11 providers, amounts, and card requirements in one table, from a $5 no-card grant to $300 in cloud credit.
13 min readClaude for Startups Application 2026: $1K to $100K
How to apply to Claude for Startups in 2026: institutional funding, company under 4 years old. Base grant about $1,000, up to $100K via a partner VC referral.
7 min readGitHub Student Pack 2026: Lasts 2 Years, $700+ Free
The GitHub Student Developer Pack stays active about 2 years, then you re-verify. Full 2026 list: JetBrains at $289/yr, $200 DigitalOcean credit, and Copilot.
7 min readGuides
72 articlesHow Long Does the GitHub Student Developer Pack Last?
How long the GitHub Student Developer Pack lasts, how often GitHub re-checks your verification, what happens at graduation, and how long verification itself takes.
6 min readCreditsMicrosoft for Startups Founders Hub: The Azure Credit Mechanics
The mechanics behind Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Azure credits: the credit tiers, the exact eligibility requirements, the crypto-mining exclusion, and the investor referral code.
8 min readCreditsThe AssemblyAI Startup Program: Up to 200K Hours of Free Voice AI
How the AssemblyAI startup program works: up to 200,000 hours of free speech-to-text API credits, the Series B and funding-raised eligibility bar, and how to apply.
7 min readCreditsThe Baseten Startup Program: $27,500 in Inference Credits
How Baseten's startup program works: the Seed-to-Series-A eligibility bar, what the credits cover, the application steps, and what the low approval index actually means.
7 min readCreditsThe Cloudflare Startup Program: Three Tiers, Up to $350K in Credits
How Cloudflare for Startups actually works: the three funding-based tiers from $10K to $350K, the exact eligibility checks, and the application steps.
8 min readCostIs There a DeepInfra Startup Program? What Actually Exists in 2026
DeepInfra does not run a formal application-gated startup program. Here is what actually exists instead: pay-as-you-go open-model pricing with no minimums, and how that compares to providers that do run one.
7 min readCreditsHow to Apply to the Notion Startup Program: Tiers, Steps, Rejections
How the Notion startup program application works: the three tiers, the exact eligibility checks that sort you into each one, the submission steps, and the mistakes that cost founders months.
8 min readCostCheapest Inference Right Now (2026): The Price Table by Model
The cheapest AI inference available right now in 2026, ranked by price per model from our live rankings: open-weight LLMs from 4 cents per 1M output tokens.
8 min readCreditsHow to Apply to the Claude Startup Program: Eligibility, Steps, and Timeline
The application itself: the eligibility checklist Anthropic checks, what reviewers actually look at, the step-by-step submission, and what happens after approval.
9 min readCreditsThe Groq Startup Program Is Gone: What It Offered and What to Claim Instead
Groq for Startups is no longer published as of 5 August 2026. The full record of the $10,000 program, what Groq still offers, and the verified startup credits you can claim today.
8 min readCreditsxAI Startup Credits in 2026: What Grok Actually Offers Founders
What xAI gives startups building on the Grok API in 2026: the signup credit, the data-sharing monthly allowance, who qualifies, and how it compares to Anthropic.
8 min readCostHow Much Does the Claude API Cost in 2026? Real Numbers
Claude API pricing in 2026: Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku rates per million tokens, worked monthly bills, and the caching and batch levers that halve costs.
6 min readCostFireworks AI vs Together AI in 2026: Pricing and Platform Compared
Fireworks AI vs Together AI in 2026: verified per-token prices, fine-tuning support, startup credit programs, and which production host fits your workload.
7 min readCostGroq vs Cerebras in 2026: Speed, Prices, and Free Tiers Compared
Groq and Cerebras compared for 2026: custom hardware, tokens-per-second reputation, verified per-model prices, and what each free tier actually gives you.
6 min readCostDeepInfra vs Together AI 2026: Who Wins on Price
DeepInfra vs Together AI in 2026 on verified per-model prices for DeepSeek, Llama, Qwen and Kimi, plus model coverage, speed, and startup credits compared.
5 min readCreditsAWS Activate vs Google for Startups vs Microsoft for Startups (2026)
AWS Activate vs Google for Startups vs Microsoft for Startups in 2026: credit amounts, tiers, AI model coverage, expiry, and lock-in compared side by side.
6 min readCreditsClaude for Startups Application 2026: $1K to $100K
How to apply to Claude for Startups in 2026: institutional funding, company under 4 years old. Base grant about $1,000, up to $100K via a partner VC referral.
7 min readCreditsAzure Startup Credits 2026: How to Get $150K
Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub gives up to $150,000 in Azure credits in 2026. Apply in minutes, get the first tier fast, then unlock the top tier sooner.
7 min readCreditsGoogle for Startups: Up to $350K in Cloud Credits
Google for Startups in 2026: the $2K, $200K, and $350K AI-first credit tiers, what they cover on Google Cloud and Gemini, eligibility, and how to apply.
6 min readCreditsStartup Perks in 2026: The Complete Guide
What startup perks actually are in 2026: the 6 big categories, best-in-class programs, how expiry and eligibility work, and the order to claim them in.
8 min readCostHow Much Does the OpenAI API Cost in 2026? Real Numbers
Current OpenAI API prices for GPT-5.5, GPT-5.4, and mini, plus worked monthly bills for a chatbot, a RAG app, and an agent, and the levers that cut them.
6 min readCreditsNotion for Startups in 2026: Up to 6 Months Free Plus AI
Notion for Startups gives eligible teams up to 6 months of the Business plan free with AI. Who qualifies, what you get, and when paying beats applying.
7 min readCreditsGitHub Student Pack 2026: Lasts 2 Years, $700+ Free
The GitHub Student Developer Pack stays active about 2 years, then you re-verify. Full 2026 list: JetBrains at $289/yr, $200 DigitalOcean credit, and Copilot.
7 min readCreditsFree AI Perks in 2026: $4.2M+ in Credits, Free Tiers & Startup Programs
The complete map of free AI perks in 2026: signup credits, free tiers, startup programs, student packs and SaaS deals, hand-verified and dated. What each perk is worth, who qualifies, and the fastest ones to claim today.
9 min readCreditsStudent Developer Tools in 2026: Every Free Pack and Credit
Every legit free developer tool and credit for students in 2026: GitHub Student Pack, JetBrains, Cursor, Azure, Figma, Notion and more, with claim steps.
6 min readCostNovita AI Pricing in 2026: Model-by-Model Costs, Verified
What Novita AI charges in 2026 from our weekly verified checks: per-model LLM rates, how it compares to DeepInfra and Together, and its signup credit.
5 min readCostDeepInfra Pricing in 2026: What Every Model Actually Costs
DeepInfra costs in 2026, from our weekly verified price checks: per-model rates for Llama, DeepSeek, Qwen, gpt-oss and Whisper, and where it wins or loses.
6 min readCostCheapest Inference 2026: 88 Models From $0.04 per 1M
The cheapest inference in 2026 starts at $0.04 per 1M tokens. We rank 88 models by live per-provider price and recheck weekly, so the number stays current.
6 min readFree AIBuild a RAG Pipeline Entirely on Free Tiers in 2026
A complete free-tier RAG architecture for 2026: free embeddings, vector database free tiers, free LLM keys and hosting, plus the limits you hit first.
6 min readCreditsBeyond Cloud Credits: SaaS Startup Deals Worth Claiming in 2026
The non-cloud startup perks founders miss in 2026: Notion, Slack, HubSpot, Stripe fee credits, and bank marketplaces, plus how to qualify without VC funding.
6 min readFree AIOpenRouter Free Models in 2026: What You Get for $0
OpenRouter serves dozens of free models behind one API key. Here is how free routes work in 2026, the real rate limits, and when to move to paid APIs.
6 min readCostAI Coding Assistant Pricing in 2026: Claude Code vs Cursor vs Copilot
What Claude Code, Cursor, and GitHub Copilot actually cost in 2026, how their usage limits compare, and when API pay-as-you-go beats a subscription.
6 min readComputeFree PostgreSQL Hosting: 7 Options Compared (2026)
Every genuinely free PostgreSQL host in 2026 compared: Neon free tier limits, Supabase, Aiven, Railway and more, with the limits that actually matter.
7 min readComputeCloud GPU Pricing in 2026: H100 and B200 Rental Compared
What H100, B200, and consumer GPUs actually rent for in 2026 across RunPod, Lambda, Vast.ai, CoreWeave, Modal, and hyperscalers, plus spot vs on-demand.
6 min readFree AIFree AI Video Generation in 2026: Every Legit Option
Where to generate AI video free or nearly free in 2026: app free tiers, trial credits, and the cheap API routes that beat official pricing.
6 min readCostHow to Cut Your OpenAI API Bill by 80% in 2026
Seven levers that slash OpenAI API costs in 2026: batch, prompt caching, model right-sizing, routing, and when a different provider is the answer.
6 min readFree AIThe Vibecoding Stack: Ship Real Software Solo in 2026
A working stack for shipping production software solo with AI in 2026: coding agent, hosting, database, auth, payments, and where each layer is free.
6 min readCreditsThe $500K Startup Credits Checklist for 2026
A claim-in-order checklist of every major startup credit program in 2026: cloud, AI APIs, infra, data, and banking perks, with realistic totals.
7 min readFree AIEvery Free LLM API Key You Can Get in 2026
Every provider that hands out a genuinely free LLM API key in 2026: free tiers, trial credits, and free model routes, with the limits that matter.
6 min readCostLLM API Pricing in 2026: The Complete Cost Comparison
What every major LLM API actually costs in 2026, frontier and open weight, plus the batch and caching discounts that cut the real bill in half.
7 min readCreditsStartup Bank Perks: Free Software Deals from Mercury, Brex, Rho and Novo
Opening a free startup bank account can unlock a marketplace of partner deals worth thousands, from AWS and OpenAI credits to discounted Notion and Slack. Here is how they compare.
6 min readCreditsBusiness Cards With Free Software Credits (2026)
Which business credit cards include free software and AI credits in 2026, from ChatGPT to Adobe and Dell, and what each card-linked perk is actually worth.
6 min readFree AIThe Best Free AI Coding Assistants in 2026
You can get strong AI coding help without paying. Here are the best free AI coding assistants in 2026, their free-tier limits, and how to run one on open models for next to nothing.
6 min readCreditsFree AI Tools and Credits for Students in 2026
Students can get an enormous bundle of AI and developer tools for free, from GitHub to cloud credits and Perplexity. Here is the full student stack and how to claim it.
7 min readCreditsHow to Get AWS Activate Credits in 2026: Founders vs Portfolio (Up to $200k)
A builder's guide to AWS Activate in 2026 - the Founders self-serve path, the Portfolio partner path up to $200k, eligibility rules, and how to apply.
6 min readCostThe Cheapest Text-to-Speech (TTS) API in 2026
Compare the cheapest text-to-speech APIs in 2026, how per-character and per-second billing differ, and the free TTS tiers and credits to start with.
6 min readCostxAI Grok API Pricing and Free Credits in 2026 (Grok 4 and Grok 4 Fast)
How xAI Grok API pricing works in 2026, the Grok 4 vs Grok 4 Fast tiers, and the data-sharing free credits, with tips to keep token costs low.
6 min readFree AIIs the Mistral API Free? 2026 Free Tier and Prices
Yes, La Plateforme has a free Mistral API tier in 2026. What the free tier covers, real per-model prices from our weekly checks, and the cheapest host for each.
6 min readFree AIIs the Groq API Free? 2026 Limits, No Card Needed
Yes, Groq has a free tier in 2026 with no credit card and no waitlist. The real rate limits, how pricing compares, and the point where you outgrow the free tier.
6 min readCostNano Banana (Gemini Image) API: Pricing and the Cheapest Providers
Google's Nano Banana image model is everywhere in 2026. Here is how its API pricing works, what the Pro tier adds, and how to find the cheapest provider per image.
5 min readFree AIQwen API in 2026: Free Access, Pricing and the Cheapest Hosts
How to use Alibaba's Qwen models in 2026: the free ways to access Qwen3 and Qwen Coder, how pricing works, and how to find the cheapest host for each model.
6 min readCostWhisper API: The Cheapest and Free Ways to Run It in 2026
OpenAI's Whisper is open, so you rarely need to pay OpenAI's rate. Here are the cheapest Whisper API hosts in 2026, the free ways to run it, and when another STT model wins.
5 min readCostThe Cheapest Image Generation API in 2026 (FLUX, SDXL & More)
Compare the cheapest AI image generation APIs in 2026. The same model costs very different amounts per image across fal, Replicate and Together, so here is how to pay the least.
6 min readCostOpenRouter vs Going Direct: Is an LLM Router Cheaper?
LLM routers like OpenRouter promise one API for every model. Here is when a router actually saves money in 2026, when going direct is cheaper, and how to decide.
6 min readCostCheapest AI Video API 2026: Veo, Kling, Runway Ranked
The cheapest AI video generation API in 2026, ranked per second across Veo, Kling, Runway and Luma, with the price traps that burn credits fastest called out.
6 min readCostPrompt Caching and Batch APIs: Cut Your LLM Bill in Half
Two underused features, prompt caching and batch APIs, can cut LLM costs dramatically without changing your model. Here is how each works and when to use them in 2026.
6 min readComputeSelf-Host an LLM or Use an API? The 2026 Cost Breakdown
Self-hosting an open LLM looks cheaper than per-token APIs until you count GPUs, utilization and ops. Here is an honest 2026 cost comparison and how to decide.
6 min readCreditsIs the DeepSeek API Free? 2026 Pricing and Access
The DeepSeek API is not free, but it is close. 2026 pricing, the off-peak discount, the free ways to try it, and how to plug it into your existing OpenAI code.
6 min readCostThe Cheapest Embeddings API for RAG in 2026
Embeddings are cheap per call but add up fast in RAG. Here is how to pick the cheapest embeddings API in 2026, when an open model wins, and how to cut re-embedding costs.
6 min readFree AIFree AI Image Generation: The Best Free APIs & Tiers (2026)
How to generate AI images for free in 2026: the no-card free tiers, signup credits and open models that let you build text-to-image features at zero cost.
5 min readCreditsFree AI API Credits in 2026: 11 Providers Compared
Free AI API credits in 2026 at a glance: 11 providers, amounts, and card requirements in one table, from a $5 no-card grant to $300 in cloud credit.
13 min readCreditsHow to Get Free OpenAI API Credits in 2026 (and the Best Alternatives)
OpenAI no longer hands out standing free API credits: here's what's actually available, plus the free alternatives that let you test GPT-class models for $0.
6 min readFree AIHow to Use AI for Free in 2026: No Card Free Tiers
How to use LLMs, image, voice and agent tools for free in 2026: the best no-card free tiers, which signup credits are real, and how to combine them into a stack.
6 min readCreditsAre Claude API Credits Free? What You Get in 2026
Anthropic gives no standing free Claude API credits in 2026. What is real: the $1,000 startup grant, Claude Campus for students, and the free alternatives.
5 min readCostThe Cheapest Way to Run LLMs in 2026 (Without Burning Your Runway)
How to run large language models for the lowest cost in 2026: pick the cheapest provider per model, use open weights, and start on free credits.
7 min readFree AIGoogle Gemini API Free Tier (2026): Limits, Pricing & How to Use It Free
How to use the Google Gemini API for free: the free-tier limits, what you get with just a Google account, and when you'll need to upgrade.
5 min readCreditsHow to Get $100k+ in Startup Cloud Credits (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)
A founder's guide to the big cloud startup programs (AWS Activate, Google for Startups, Microsoft for Startups) plus the self-serve credits anyone can get.
8 min readCreditsAI Startup Grants & Accelerators: Non-Dilutive Credits and Funding in 2026
Where AI founders find non-dilutive support in 2026 (cloud and model credits, accelerator perks, and research grants) and how to stack them.
7 min readComputeWhere to Get Free GPU Compute for AI and ML in 2026
The real options for free or near-free GPU compute in 2026: monthly credits, signup grants, free notebooks, and how to use them without surprises.
6 min readCostCheapest Speech-to-Text API in 2026: Price Comparison
Every speech-to-text API price side by side: Fireworks at $0.0015/min, OpenAI gpt-4o-transcribe at $0.006/min, Deepgram Nova-3 at $0.0077/min, and more.
5 min readFree AIFree Vector Databases 2026: Best Free Tiers for RAG
The best free vector databases and embedding options for RAG in 2026: what each free tier includes, which need no credit card, and how to keep retrieval cheap.
6 min readComputeFree Tier Cloud Hosting 2026: The No Card $0 Stack
Free tier cloud hosting in 2026: which platforms need no credit card, what each free plan actually includes, and how to assemble a complete $0 stack that lasts.
6 min readAI API price trackers
89 modelsFor each model, the provider that serves it cheapest. Re-pulled weekly. Last updated 2026-08-05.
Browse all 89 models