All coding subscriptions
Ollama Free
Ollamafree$0
Last checked: 2026-09-24
- First limit you hit
- Vendor publishes no figure
- Equivalent API value
- —
- Value multiple
- —
- When it runs out
- Use any cloud model with pay-as-you-go usage credits
- Scenario
- API use authorized
Allowances
Vendor publishes no figure
starter usage credits, amount not published
›The vendor's own wording
The Free card lists "Starter usage credits included" and "Includes access to starter models" with no amount; the FAQ says only "Free accounts include a starter amount of usage for a smaller set of starter models. Buying usage credits unlocks all models."Open the source page
Models included
| Model | Capability | Burn rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter models | untiered | — | "a smaller set of starter models", not named on any public page. Buying usage credits unlocks every cloud model. |
Subscription versus your own API key
This compares two ways of working the same way — in an IDE or CLI, where BYOK tools make a direct API key a real option. It is not a claim that subscriptions are cheaper than the API in general.
No API price to compare against
Usage terms
Quoted from the vendor's own terms. We do not give legal advice.
The docs publish the programmatic path: create an API key, then call "https://ollama.com/api/chat" with "Authorization: Bearer $OLLAMA_API_KEY", or use OpenAI or Anthropic clients — "No Ollama installation is required." The terms forbid "automated means to access our services without permission"; an issued API key is that permission.
Change history
- 2026-09-24Recorded from the seed file