Groq at a glance
- Provider
- Groq
- Models
- Models on GroqCloud (e.g. openai/gpt-oss-120b, gpt-oss-20b, qwen/qwen3.8-27b, Whisper)
- What's free
- GroqCloud has a Free tier: you can create an API key and call models without adding a payment method. You add a payment method only to upgrade to the Developer tier.
- Limits
- Groq doesn't publish separate free-tier numbers. Its rate-limits page lists base limits for the Developer plan (for example 30 RPM, 1K requests/day, 8K tokens/minute and 200K tokens/day for openai/gpt-oss-120b) and says your exact limits are on the Limits page of your account. Limits apply per organization.
- Deadline / expiry
- Ongoing (no end date published)
- Extended?
- Not applicable
- Commercial use?
- Not specified on the official page; check the provider's terms.
- Card required?
- No for the Free tier. Upgrading to Developer requires a credit card, US bank account or SEPA debit.
- Phone required?
- Not stated on the official page.
- Region
- Not stated on the official page
- Last verified
- Official source
- GroqDocs: Rate limits ↗
How to get it (official steps)
- Sign up at console.groq.com
- Create an API key
- Check your organization's exact limits on the Limits page in settings
- Upgrade to Developer only if you need higher limits (a payment method is required)
Use one account per person and follow the provider's terms. We don't cover multiple accounts, bulk sign-ups or reselling keys; providers ban them and often pull free offers because of abuse.
How we verified this
We checked this offer on Oct 9, 2026 against the provider's own official docs: GroqDocs: Rate limits ↗. Where the provider doesn't publish a number, we say “not published” and don't guess. Offers change often; the official page always wins.
Frequently asked questions
Is Groq really free?
GroqCloud has a Free tier: you can create an API key and call models without adding a payment method. You add a payment method only to upgrade to the Developer tier.
What are the Groq free limits?
Groq doesn't publish separate free-tier numbers. Its rate-limits page lists base limits for the Developer plan (for example 30 RPM, 1K requests/day, 8K tokens/minute and 200K tokens/day for openai/gpt-oss-120b) and says your exact limits are on the Limits page of your account. Limits apply per organization.
When does it end?
Ongoing (no end date published)
Do I need a credit card or phone number?
Card: No for the Free tier. Upgrading to Developer requires a credit card, US bank account or SEPA debit. Phone: Not stated on the official page.
Can I use it commercially?
Not specified on the official page; check the provider's terms.
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