Which Free AI API Should You Actually Be Building On Right Now?

Everyone dey ask "wat free AI API should I use" like dere's one right answer. Dere isn't, dey're built different n free for different reasons.

Wat I've seen actually matter wen u're choosing:

1. Gemini API gives 15 requests a minute n a 1 million token context window, free, no card needed, best if u're prototyping someting dat needs long context.
2. Groq's free tier is fast enough n generous enough to actually build a real project on, not just test calls, best if speed matters for wat u're building.
3. OpenRouter caps at 20 requests a minute n 50 a day by default, but one $10 top-up jumps dat to 1,000 a day permanently.
4. Cloudflare Workers AI gives 10,000 free "neurons" a day, useful if u're already building on Cloudflare's infrastructure.
5. Whatever u pick, don't build ur entire workflow around one provider, dese free tiers change wit no warning, some get cut overnight.

If speed n dev experience matter most to u, Groq's console is worth starting wit: https://console.groq.com

Wat u building right now dat needs a free API, n wat you currently using for it?