Free AI Coding Agent
VibeKit's free tier runs on OpenRouter's free model pool, a pinned chain of free models that hands off when one is busy, $0 per token, $0 platform markup. The only genuinely-free AI coding agent that ships real apps to real URLs. No credit card. No trial period.
Why this works (and why it's actually free)
OpenRouter operates a "free models" pool: models their providers publish at $0/token. VibeKit sends free-tier requests to a pinned chain of those free models on a gateway-level key, so when the first model is busy, the next one in the chain answers. Our platform markup is 20% over OpenRouter cost. 20% of zero is zero. You get the agent, the container, and the deployment for $0.
How good are the free models, honestly?
The pool's free models are smaller than the flagship Claude and GPT models. For the everyday agent workflow, "fix this bug", "add a route", "tweak this CSS", "scaffold a CRUD page", they're perfectly capable. Where they lag is large-context reasoning (very long files), complex architectural decisions, and certain niche frameworks. For those, switch that one workspace's model to Claude Sonnet or GPT in its model picker; it takes five seconds and runs on your credits.
The honest comparison
| Provider | Per-call cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free pool (rotating free models) | $0 | Everyday agent loops, prototypes, tweaks |
| DeepSeek | ~$0.04-0.10 | High-volume / cost-sensitive serious work |
| Claude Sonnet | ~$0.10-0.30 | Best reasoning, large refactors, complex bugs |
| GPT | ~$0.03-0.15 | Best for OpenAI-flavored ecosystems |
Per-call costs are typical agent tasks ("fix a 500", "add a route") at platform-fallback pricing (OpenRouter cost + 20%). With BYOK on Anthropic / OpenAI you pay the provider directly, VibeKit's markup goes to zero too.
Switching to the Free tier
- Open VibeKit on iPhone → Profile > AI provider, or on the web → Settings > AI providers
- Pick Free from the provider list (alongside Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google and xAI)
- Your next agent message goes to the free models on OpenRouter
- That's it. No key, no payment, no setup.
What's still included
- AI sessions. 10 a month on the Free plan. With no credits, chat on the free models has a daily allowance.
- Real hosting. 2 workspaces, 512 MB RAM, 10 GB disk, on AWS Fargate at
yourname.vibekit.bot. Free apps sleep when idle and wake on the next visit. - Real GitHub. Auto-created repo, auto-redeploy on push, full Git history.
- Real SSL. HTTPS through Cloudflare from the first deploy.
- The iOS app and web dashboard, same UX whether you're on the free tier, Claude, or anything else.
When to upgrade
If you find yourself bumping into the free model's limits on a specific task ("the agent isn't getting this architectural change right"), switch that one workspace's model to Claude Sonnet for the day, paid from your credits, fix the thing, switch back; your other workspaces stay on the free pool. Already pay for Claude Pro / Max? Connect it once and every workspace runs on Claude with no VibeKit charge; that use counts against your plan's limits. Granular, not all-or-nothing.
FAQ
Is the free AI coding agent really free?
Yes. VibeKit's free tier routes to OpenRouter's free model pool, a pinned chain of free models served at $0 per token. VibeKit charges zero markup on top, the platform fee for non-BYOK calls is 20%, but 20% of zero is still zero. No credit card. No trial. At a $0 balance you get a daily free allowance.
How good are the free models compared to Claude or GPT?
The free pool runs a pinned chain of free models, smaller than the flagship Claude and GPT models. For frontend tweaks, CRUD apps, debugging, and most agent-loop tasks they're perfectly usable. For complex architectural reasoning or large refactors, Claude Sonnet or GPT will outperform. When you need the upgrade, switch one workspace's model to one of those, paid from your credits, or change your AI provider (Profile on iPhone, Settings on the web) for every workspace at once.
Why would a platform give away an AI agent for free?
Because the free models cost VibeKit nothing: OpenRouter serves them at $0 per token. We pass that through unchanged. We earn on paid plans (Starter, Builder, Pro) and on platform calls to Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok or DeepSeek (20% above OpenRouter cost); BYOK calls carry no markup. The free tier is the always-free anchor that means nobody has a billing reason to bounce off VibeKit.
Do I still need a credit card or paid subscription?
No. Sign up with Apple / Google, pick Free under Profile > AI provider (Settings > AI providers on the web), start chatting. The Free plan includes 10 AI sessions a month, and hosting (2 workspaces, 512 MB RAM, 10 GB disk) is also free. Nothing asks for payment unless you want more workspaces, more sessions or premium models, or use up a day's free allowance at a $0 balance.