Phi-3.5-mini-instruct — Free AI Model & API

hugging-face/phi-3-5-mini-instruct

chat

Get API key →

Context Window 128K

Max Output 4K

Rate Limit ~1,000 RPD

Cost $0.00 FREE

Free Period Since May 10, 2026

Credit Card Not required

Status Online

Overview

Phi-3.5 Mini Instruct is Microsoft's efficient 3.8B open model, available free on Hugging Face's Serverless Inference API. Despite its small size, it delivers surprisingly strong reasoning and instruction-following for lightweight tasks, with a 128K context window that belies its compact footprint. Ideal for resource-constrained applications, simple Q&A, and as a baseline for model evaluation. Uses Hugging Face's native API format; approximately 1,000 requests per day on the free tier. Registration required.

Model ID

phi-3-5-mini-instruct

Base URL

https://api-inference.huggingface.co/models

Specifications

Context: 128K · Output: 4K · Modality: text · OpenAI Compat: No

Quick Start

Integrate Phi-3.5-mini-instruct with 3 lines of code. See the config generator for Claude Code, Cursor, and more.

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
 base_url="https://api-inference.huggingface.co/models",
 api_key="YOUR_API_KEY"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
 model="phi-3-5-mini-instruct",
 messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)

import OpenAI from "openai";

const openai = new OpenAI({
 baseURL: "https://api-inference.huggingface.co/models",
 apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY",
});

const completion = await openai.chat.completions.create({
 model: "phi-3-5-mini-instruct",
 messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Hello!" }],
});

console.log(completion.choices[0].message.content);

curl "https://api-inference.huggingface.co/models/models/phi-3-5-mini-instruct:generateContent?key=YOUR_API_KEY" \
 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
 -d '{
 "contents": [{"parts": [{"text": "Hello!"}]}]
 }'

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Qwen2.5-7B-Instruct

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Rate Limits & Constraints

Rate Limit ~1,000 RPD

Context Window 128K

Max Output Tokens 4K

Cost Free — since May 10, 2026

Credit Card Not required

OpenAI Compatible No — uses provider-native API

Hugging Face Platform Limitations

Cold starts common — first request may take 30s+
Models larger than 10GB may fail to load on free tier
No SLA — shared infrastructure, availability not guaranteed

Features & Use Cases

Best For

Chat

Modality Support

text

Hugging Face Highlights

Rotating selection of open models
~1,000 RPD free tier
No credit card required
Hugging Face Inference API format

Playground — Test Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

Test Phi-3.5-mini-instruct directly in your browser. Your API key is sent directly to Hugging Face — never stored.

Model: Phi-3.5-mini-instruct Get Key

🔒 Your key is never stored — sent directly to the model provider via our server proxy.

Ready to chat with Phi-3.5-mini-instruct.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get an API key for Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Sign up at Hugging Face to get your API key. No credit card is required — just an email sign-up. Once you have the key, use the code snippets in the Quick Start section above.

Is Phi-3.5-mini-instruct really free?

Yes. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is available on Hugging Face's free tier and has been free since May 10, 2026. Rate limits apply: ~1,000 RPD. Always check the provider's terms for any changes to the free tier.

What are Phi-3.5-mini-instruct's rate limits?

~1,000 RPD Context window: 128K. Max output: 4K. No credit card required.

What are the best free alternatives to Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Popular free alternatives include inclusionAI: Ring-2.6-1T, Baidu Qianfan: CoBuddy (free), Owl Alpha. You can also browse all 147+ free models on our site.