The Best Free AI Tools in 2026 (and Their Real Limits)

You can do a lot with AI without paying. These eight tools have free plans that are useful on their own. For each one, we list what the free plan includes, according to the company, and the limit you’ll hit first.

All details checked on October 18–19, 2026. Free plans change often, so check each link before you rely on one.

At a glance

1. ChatGPT Free: the best all-round free assistant

OpenAI says Free and Go users get “unlimited everyday text chats, subject to abuse-prevention safeguards.” Image creation, voice and deep research are limited. Free also includes limited Codex access in the desktop app. Upgrade when: you hit the image or tool limits, or you want Codex in your IDE. Go costs $8 and Plus $20 (OpenAI).

2. Claude Free: best for writing

Free “covers everyday questions” and allows up to 5 projects. It doesn’t include Claude Code. Upgrade when: you need Claude Code or hit session limits. Pro costs $20/month (Anthropic).

3. Gemini Free: the most features for $0

Gemini’s free plan includes Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas, Gems and image generation, plus 15 GB of Google storage. Upgrade when: you want video generation or higher limits. Google AI Plus costs $4.99/month (Google).

4. GitHub Copilot Free: AI in your current editor

2,000 completions and 50 chat requests a month, with auto model selection. The cloud agent isn’t included. Upgrade when: you run out of completions mid-month. Pro costs $10/month (GitHub).

5. Google Antigravity: a free coding agent

The Individuals plan costs $0 and includes “multiple agent models, unlimited Tab completions and Command requests” with basic weekly rate limits. It runs as a desktop app, a CLI, and extensions for VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Zed and Xcode (Antigravity docs).

6. Zed Personal: free if you bring your own key

Zed’s free plan gives “unlimited use with your API keys or external agents,” such as Claude Agent or Codex CLI. You pay your model provider directly.

7. Runway Free: try AI video

125 one-time credits that don’t expire, and 5 GB of storage, with access to a selection of models. Upgrade when: your credits run out. Standard costs $15/month, or $12/month billed annually (Runway).

8. ElevenLabs Free: AI voice for personal projects

10k credits a month and 3 Studio projects. The free plan doesn’t include a commercial license, so you need a paid plan for client or monetized work (ElevenLabs).

Bonus: Zapier Free

100 tasks a month with Zaps, Tables, Forms and Zapier Copilot. Enough to automate a few small workflows (Zapier).

How to choose

Our take

You can do a lot without paying: a free assistant, Copilot's free tier for coding and the free credits from Runway and ElevenLabs cover most people's first months. Upgrade when you hit the same limit every week, not before.

Our take

You can do a lot without paying: a free assistant, Copilot's free tier for coding and the free credits from Runway and ElevenLabs cover most people's first months. Upgrade when you hit the same limit every week, not before.

• One free assistant only: ChatGPT or Gemini, which have the most features on their free plans.
• Free coding help: GitHub Copilot Free in your current editor, or Antigravity for an agent.
• Creative work: Runway for video, ElevenLabs for voice, Gemini for images.

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Prices checked on October 18–19, 2026. Source: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, GitHub Copilot, Zed, Runway, ElevenLabs, Zapier.