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Smartoolbox ranks offers by practical value and verification quality—not commission. Every visible claim has an eligibility rule, official source, and recent verification date.

9 inference deals first, 15 other verified deals.

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Current deals

Showing 24 of 24; commission never affects ranking.

AI inference deals

Hosted model APIs, recurring free capacity, and inference credits. These stay first because limits and model availability change quickly.

Free Tier

Hetzner

Verified

Free experimental OpenAI-compatible inference

Hetzner's no-cost experimental OpenAI-compatible inference API now documents Qwen3.8-27B alongside Qwen/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-FP8. This is a meaningful model-catalog expansion to the already-known Hetzner experiment; availability is not guaranteed and the service should not be used for production.

Value
Free hosted inference during experimental status; two documented vision-capable models with 262,144-token context
Who qualifies
Hetzner customers with access to the Experiments platform who create an inference API token
Expiry
not stated; free while the Inference API remains experimental
Checked
Sep 20, 2026
PrototypingMultimodalOpenAI-compatible
Official source

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Free Tier

OpenRouter

Verified

Free-model router and zero-cost model variants

OpenRouter publishes a `openrouter/free` router that automatically picks a random free model from those matching the request's capabilities, giving zero-cost inference with one model string.

Value
Free router (`openrouter/free`) auto-selects from 20+ zero-cost models; no API key charges, no credit card; typical free-model limits around 20 requests/minute and 200 requests/day (per OpenRouter docs/community listings).
Who qualifies
Any OpenRouter account holder with an API key; no payment required for free router traffic
Expiry
Not stated
Checked
Sep 4, 2026
PrototypingModel TestingOpenAI-compatible
Official source

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Free Tier

Cloudflare Workers AI

Verified

10,000 Workers AI Neurons free each day

Cloudflare's Workers AI limits page, updated September 17, now quantifies default per-task throughput for the known 10,000-neuron daily free allocation. It lists 300 requests/minute for text generation, 3,000 for text embeddings, and 720 for text-to-image, with lower per-model limits possible for beta or paid-only models.

Value
10,000 neurons/day remains free; default limits include 300 text-generation RPM, 3,000 embedding RPM, and 720 text-to-image RPM
Who qualifies
Cloudflare accounts using Workers AI; the free allocation is available on Workers Free, while models marked paid-only use separate limits
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 17, 2026
PrototypingEdge AIMultimodal
Official source

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Free Tier

NVIDIA

Verified

Free hosted NIM APIs for prototyping

NVIDIA Build now lists Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 in its hosted NIM model catalog. NVIDIA states that Build models are free to prototype with and require signing in to generate an API key; hosted use is rate-limited and not positioned as production capacity.

Value
Free hosted Kimi K3 prototyping endpoint; exact model-specific quota not stated
Who qualifies
Developers who create and verify an NVIDIA Build account and generate an API key
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Aug 29, 2026
PrototypingModel TestingOpenAI-compatible
Official source

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Free Tier

Google Gemini API

Verified

Gemini API free tier for selected models

Google now lists Gemini 3.8 Flash on the Gemini Developer API free tier with free input, output, and context-caching tokens. This is a meaningful model-availability update to the existing generic Gemini API free-tier entry.

Value
Gemini 3.8 Flash input, output, and context caching are free on the limited free tier; numeric quotas are account/model dependent
Who qualifies
Developers and small projects using the Gemini API free tier through Google AI Studio
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 10, 2026
PrototypingMultimodalModel Testing
Official source

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Free Tier

GroqCloud

Verified

Free GroqCloud API tier

Groq's current official Free Plan Limits table still includes qwen/qwen3.8-27b, but its daily token cap is now 200,000 rather than the 2 million recorded in the master file. The current limits are 30 requests/minute, 1,000 requests/day, 8,000 tokens/minute, and 200,000 tokens/day.

Value
30 RPM, 1,000 RPD, 8K TPM, and 200K TPD; daily tokens reduced from 2M
Who qualifies
GroqCloud users on the Free plan
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 20, 2026
PrototypingLow LatencyOpenAI-compatible
Official source

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Free Tier

Nous Research

Verified

Nous Portal replaces Union Alpha with Space Bunny Alpha in its eight-model free catalog

The authenticated live Nous Portal catalog still contains eight zero-priced hosted models, but stealth/union-alpha has rotated out and stealth/space-bunny-alpha has appeared. This is a meaningful catalog-composition update while the free-model count remains unchanged.

Value
Eight hosted models at $0 prompt and completion pricing: inclusionai/ling-3.0-flash-fin:free, inclusionai/ling-3.0-flash-sante:free, meituan/longcat-2.0:free, poolside/laguna-s-2.1:free, poolside/laguna-xs-2.1:free, stealth/space-bunny-alpha, stepfun/step-3.7-flash:free, and upstage/solar-pro4:free
Who qualifies
Nous Portal account holders with access to the rotating model catalog
Expiry
not stated; catalog availability rotates
Checked
Sep 24, 2026
AI Inference
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Free Tier

OpenRouter

Verified

OpenRouter adds Space Bunny Alpha as a free 1M-context model

OpenRouter's official free-model collection now lists Space Bunny Alpha at zero input and output token cost. The stealth preview model supports multimodal input, coding, adjustable reasoning, and a 1M-token context window.

Value
$0/M input and $0/M output tokens with a 1M-token context window
Who qualifies
OpenRouter users with an API key, subject to free-model request caps and provider availability
Expiry
not stated; stealth preview and free-model availability may rotate
Checked
Sep 24, 2026
AI Inference
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Temporary Promotion

Replicate

Verified

Replicate's 30%-off Wan 3.0 promotion is still live on September 25

Replicate's official pricing page still displays its temporary Wan 3.0 hosted-inference discount on September 25, providing fresh proof that the known promotion remains claimable. The page states 30% off but does not publish the underlying rate or a calendar end date.

Value
30% off Wan 3.0 hosted inference; reconfirmed active on 2026-09-25
Who qualifies
Replicate users running Wan 3.0 while the promotion remains displayed
Expiry
this week; exact calendar deadline not stated (observed 2026-09-25)
Checked
Sep 25, 2026
AI Inference
Official source

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More verified deals

GPU credits, startup programs, developer infrastructure, databases, and other Deal Hunter findings that passed the public evidence gate.

Startup Grant

AIgateway

Verified

AIgateway offers $500 credit to hackathon teams

AIgateway offers participating hackathon teams $500 of multimodal API credit with no card required. Access is arranged through sponsored hackathons rather than a universal self-serve signup.

Value
$500 in multimodal AIgateway credit per participating hackathon team
Who qualifies
Teams at hackathons accepted into AIgateway's limited quarterly sponsorship program
Expiry
not stated; tied to the participating hackathon
Checked
Aug 27, 2026
Startup Credits
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Startup Grant

Arcee AI

Verified

Arcee Trinity Builders Program grants free inference credits

Arcee's Trinity Builders Program lets developers, researchers, and open-source builders apply for free Trinity-model inference on the Arcee API. Credit allocations depend on project scope and available program capacity.

Value
Free Trinity API inference credits; amount allocated by project scope
Who qualifies
Developers, researchers, and open-source builders working with Trinity models, subject to application approval
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Aug 27, 2026
AI Inference
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Startup Grant

AWS

Verified

AWS Activate raises startup credits to $200K and Founders ceiling to $5K

AWS now offers eligible pre-Series B startups up to $200,000 through Activate Portfolio, double the $100,000 ceiling in the master file. Its self-funded Founders route now starts with $1,000 and can reach $5,000, while invite-only AI startups may receive $200,000+.

Value
Up to $5,000 for self-funded founders; up to $200,000 for provider-backed startups; $200,000+ invite-only for scaling AI startups
Who qualifies
Pre-Series B startups founded within the last 10 years with a paid-tier AWS account; Portfolio applicants need an Activate Provider Org ID, while bootstrapped or self-funded startups may apply directly for Founders
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 18, 2026
Compute
Official source

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Startup Grant

FlexAI

Verified

FlexAI startup program includes $1,000 Token Factory credit

Accepted startups receive $1,000 in Token Factory credit, with 50% off the first three months and 30% off the next three. The program also advertises $10 per month in free credits for the first three months.

Value
$1,000 Token Factory credit plus staged discounts; $10/month for the first 3 months
Who qualifies
Startups accepted through FlexAI's apply-only startup program
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Aug 27, 2026
AI Inference
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Startup Grant

IBM / Lablab.ai

Verified

IBM Bob 2.0 hackathon prize pool increases to $12,000

The live Lablab event listing now advertises a $12,000 prize pool for the IBM Bob 2.0 online hackathon, up from the $10,000 stored in the master file. The 48-hour event runs September 25–27, 2026 and allows solo builders or teams.

Value
$12,000 total prize pool, increased from $10,000
Who qualifies
Developers who register before the kickoff; participants may build solo or join a team
Expiry
Register before kickoff; event runs September 25–27, 2026
Checked
Sep 24, 2026
AI Coding
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Startup Grant

Nebius

Verified

Nebius Builder Program now advertises $400+ in credits and discounts

Nebius now promotes its free AI Builder Program as providing more than $400 in credits and discounts, a broader value statement than the $25 Kimi K3 inference credit already recorded. The captured source does not break down which benefits are credits versus discounts.

Value
$400+ in combined credits and discounts; exact breakdown not captured
Who qualifies
AI builders who join the Nebius Builder Program; detailed qualification requirements are not stated in the captured evidence
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 17, 2026
Startup Credits
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Startup Grant

Notion

Verified

Notion opens a partner-free 3-month startup tier with AI

Notion's official startup page now spells out a three-month free Business-plan tier with Notion AI for qualifying startups that have a business website and company-domain email, without requiring affiliation with a selected startup partner. A six-month tier remains available to qualifying partner-affiliated startups.

Value
3 months free with Notion AI for qualifying non-partner startups; 6 months free for qualifying startups affiliated with a selected partner
Who qualifies
Non-paying Notion customers with fewer than 100 employees, a valid business website, and a company-domain email qualify for the 3-month tier; selected-partner affiliation is required for 6 months
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 16, 2026
Startup Credits
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Startup Grant

Regolo.ai

Verified

Regolo Builder Program offers 60 days of free model inference

Regolo's Builder Program advertises 60 days of free access to its open-source model catalog through an OpenAI-compatible API. The page states a ceiling of up to 50 million tokens per day, EU data residency, zero data retention, and no minimum-spend requirement.

Value
60 days free with up to 50,000,000 tokens/day; credits valid for one year
Who qualifies
Builders accepted into the Regolo Builder Program; no minimum spend requested
Expiry
60 days of free access after acceptance; application deadline not stated
Checked
Sep 15, 2026
AI Inference
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Startup Grant

Runway

Verified

Runway Builders Program offers up to 500K API credits

Runway's Builders Program offers accepted Seed-to-Series-C startups complimentary API credits plus early access and higher rate limits. The official program page advertises up to 500,000 API credits and Tier 5 access.

Value
Up to 500,000 free API credits plus Tier 5 rate-limit access
Who qualifies
Seed-to-Series-C startups accepted into the Runway Builders Program
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 15, 2026
Startup Credits
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Startup Grant

AssemblyAI

Verified

AssemblyAI startup program grants voice API credits

AssemblyAI's startup program offers an application-based fixed credit allocation usable across its voice AI infrastructure, including speech-to-text, streaming speech-to-text, and dictation APIs. The public page does not state the credit amount or detailed qualification thresholds.

Value
Fixed voice API credit allocation; amount not stated
Who qualifies
Startups accepted through AssemblyAI's startup-program application
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 19, 2026
Startup Credits
Official source

Smartoolbox does not currently earn a commission from this offer.

Startup Grant

Featherless.ai

Verified

Featherless.ai Hackathon Inference Grant provides free compute vouchers

Featherless.ai offers selected hackathon organizers and participants free compute vouchers and premium access. The offer describes full compute access for registered participants for the duration of an approved hackathon.

Value
Free unrestricted compute for the duration of an approved hackathon; numeric credit value not stated
Who qualifies
Selected hackathon organizers and registered participants accepted for the grant
Expiry
for the duration of the approved hackathon
Checked
Aug 27, 2026
AI InferenceCompute
Official source

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Startup Grant

Modal

Verified

Modal startup grant remains active but no longer states a $25K ceiling

Modal's current pricing page still offers free compute credits to early-stage startups, but the live text no longer states the up-to-$25,000 amount stored in the master file. The deal remains claimable, while its numeric value should be downgraded to unspecified until Modal republishes a ceiling.

Value
Free compute credits for early-stage startups; current amount not stated
Who qualifies
Early-stage startups that apply through Modal
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 17, 2026
GPUCompute
Official source

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Credits

Anthropic

Verified

Claude Code promotion gives Pro and Max users extra cloud-session credits

Anthropic's official Help Center describes a limited-time Claude Code promotion for parallel web and mobile sessions. Pro users receive $250 and Max users receive $1,000 in credits at API pricing, separate from normal usage limits.

Value
$250 for Pro users or $1,000 for Max users, restricted to Claude Code on web and mobile
Who qualifies
Claude Pro and Max subscribers; credits apply only to Claude Code on the web and mobile
Expiry
November 22, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT
Checked
Sep 24, 2026
AI Coding
Official source

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Credits

Context.dev

Verified

Context.dev restores free tier with 1,000 API credits

Context.dev has restored a no-card free tier for its web and research APIs. New free accounts receive a one-time pool of 1,000 API credits plus a separate 10,000-request Logo Link quota.

Value
1,000 one-time API credits plus 10,000 one-time Logo Link requests
Who qualifies
Anyone able to create a free Context.dev account; no credit card required
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 19, 2026
Web Data
Official source

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Free Tier

EdgeOne Makers

Verified

EdgeOne Makers gives new accounts 500K free model tokens

EdgeOne Makers offers a free LLM gateway with built-in models and 500,000 free tokens for new accounts. Bring-your-own-key routes have no gateway markup or platform fee, although the upstream model provider can still charge for usage.

Value
500,000 free tokens for new accounts; gateway has no platform fee
Who qualifies
New EdgeOne Makers accounts
Expiry
not stated
Checked
Sep 19, 2026
Hosting
Official source

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