How to Get a Free Cohere API Key (2026)
5 free models available — no credit card required. Get your Cohere API key →
Overview
Command A, Aya, and embed models — 1,000 API calls/month.
Cohere's free Trial API key gives access to Command A (111B), Command R, Command R+, Aya Expanse, and Embed v4 models. The free tier supports up to 1,000 API calls/month across all models, with a rate limit of 20 RPM. Suitable for prototyping, research, and non-commercial projects. No credit card required.
- Command A (111B) on free tier
- 1,000 API calls/month
- Embed and Rerank models included
- No credit card required
API Compatibility: OpenAI SDK-compatible (Chat Completions v2)
Quick Start Guide
- 1 Sign up at dashboard.cohere.com Email or Google/GitHub. No credit card.
- 2 Go to API Keys
- 3 Generate a Trial key
- 4 Choose a model Command A (111B) recommended for general tasks.
- 5 Configure OpenAI client Base URL: https://api.cohere.com/v2
All Free Cohere Models — Context Windows & Rate Limits
| Model | Context | Max Output | Modality | Rate Limit | Released | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Command A (111B) | 256K | 4K | 20 RPM | — | Online | Details | |
| Command R+ | 128K | 4K | 20 RPM | — | Online | Details | |
| Command R7B | 128K | 4K | 20 RPM | — | Online | Details | |
| Embed 4 | 131K | 131K | 2,000 inputs/min | — | Online | Details | |
| Rerank 3.5 | 131K | 131K | 10 RPM | — | Online | Details |
Pricing & Limits
Credit Card Not required
Free Tier Permanently free
Context Range 128K – 256K
Total Models 5 free
Rate Limits 20 RPM · 2,000 inputs/min · 10 RPM
API Compatibility OpenAI SDK-compatible (Chat Completions v2)
Use Cases
What Cohere's free models are best for, based on aggregated model capabilities:
Limitations & Caveats
- 1,000 API calls/month is low for production use
- Trial key expires — not permanently free
- Limited to 20 RPM across all models