How to Get a Free GitHub Models API Key (2026)
13 free models available — no credit card required. Get your GitHub Models API key →
Overview
GPT-4o, o3, Llama 4, DeepSeek-R1 — free for all GitHub users.
GitHub Models provides free API access to 45+ models from OpenAI (GPT-4.1, o3, o4-mini), Meta (Llama 4), Mistral, DeepSeek, and Cohere for GitHub account holders. Rate limits depend on the GitHub Copilot subscription tier (Free/Pro/Pro+/Business). Tokens per request are limited (8K in/4K out), making it best suited for prototyping rather than production workloads.
- 45+ models including GPT-4.1 and o3
- Free for all GitHub accounts
- Includes Llama 4, DeepSeek-R1, Mistral
- Base URL: models.inference.ai.azure.com
API Compatibility: OpenAI SDK-compatible (Chat Completions)
Quick Start Guide
- 1 Sign in with GitHub account Every GitHub user gets free access.
- 2 Go to github.com/marketplace/models
- 3 Generate a personal access token with Models:read permission
- 4 Pick a model GPT-4.1, o3, Llama 4, DeepSeek — 45+ models available.
- 5 Configure OpenAI client Base URL: https://models.inference.ai.azure.com
All Free GitHub Models Models — Context Windows & Rate Limits
| Model | Context | Max Output | Modality | Rate Limit | Released | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gpt-4.1 | 1.0M | 32K | 10 RPM, 50 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| gpt-4.1-mini | 1.0M | 32K | 15 RPM, 150 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| gpt-4o | 128K | 16K | 10 RPM, 50 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| o3-mini | 200K | 100K | 10 RPM, 50 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| o4-mini | 200K | 100K | 10 RPM, 50 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| Llama-4-Scout-17B-16E | 512K | 4K | 15 RPM, 150 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| Llama-4-Maverick-17B-128E | 256K | 4K | 10 RPM, 50 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| Meta-Llama-3.3-70B | 131K | 4K | 15 RPM, 150 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| DeepSeek-R1 | 64K | 8K | 15 RPM, 150 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| Mistral-Small-3.1 | 128K | 4K | 15 RPM, 150 RPD | — | Online | Details | |
| Phi-4 | 131K | 0 | See provider page | — | Online | Details | |
| Mistral Large (24.11) | 131K | 0 | See provider page | — | Online | Details | |
| AI21 Jamba 1.5 Large | 256K | 0 | See provider page | — | Online | Details |
Pricing & Limits
Credit Card Not required
Free Tier Permanently free
Context Range 64K – 1.0M
Total Models 13 free
Rate Limits 10 RPM, 50 RPD · 15 RPM, 150 RPD
API Compatibility OpenAI SDK-compatible (Chat Completions)
Use Cases
What GitHub Models's free models are best for, based on aggregated model capabilities:
Limitations & Caveats
- Low per-request token limits (8K input / 4K output)
- Rate limits tied to GitHub Copilot subscription tier
- Not suitable for large-context or long-generation tasks