> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dgrid.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Free Models Router

> Use DGrid's free intelligent inference gateway for everyday AI tasks with automatic model routing and fair-use rate limits.

Free Models Router is DGrid's free intelligent inference gateway for users worldwide. Instead of choosing a specific free model manually, you call one stable model ID and let DGrid route the request to available model capacity based on service availability, response efficiency, and the task requirements.

<Info>
  Use model ID `dgridai/free` when you want DGrid to select an available free model automatically. See the [model detail page](https://dgrid.ai/models/dgridai/free) for the live model listing.
</Info>

## What it is for

Free Models Router is designed for general-purpose AI usage where fast access and low friction matter more than selecting a specific provider model.

It works well for:

* Everyday Q\&A and research assistance
* Multilingual writing, rewriting, and translation
* Coding help, debugging suggestions, and code explanation
* Logical analysis and structured reasoning
* Learning support and concept explanation
* Drafting, summarizing, and content creation
* Complex problem solving that benefits from a capable general model

## How routing works

DGrid aggregates multiple sources of free inference capacity behind a single routing layer. For each request, the router evaluates available model resources and schedules the request to a suitable backend.

Routing may consider:

* Current service availability
* Expected response speed
* Task type and prompt requirements
* Free compute availability across connected model sources
* Operational stability of the underlying route

This means the underlying model can change from request to request. If your application requires a fixed model identity, use a specific Model API model ID instead of `dgridai/free`.

## Quickstart

Free Models Router uses the same OpenAI-compatible chat completion interface as the rest of DGrid AI Gateway.

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.dgrid.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DGRID_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "model": "dgridai/free",
    "messages": [
      {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "Explain zero-knowledge proofs in simple terms."
      }
    ]
  }'
```

You can also use the OpenAI SDK by setting the DGrid base URL:

```typescript theme={null}
import OpenAI from 'openai';

const client = new OpenAI({
  baseURL: 'https://api.dgrid.ai/v1',
  apiKey: process.env.DGRID_API_KEY,
});

const completion = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: 'dgridai/free',
  messages: [
    {
      role: 'user',
      content: 'Help me outline a launch plan for a developer tool.',
    },
  ],
});

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

## Rate limits

To keep free access reliable and fair, DGrid applies request limits to Free Models Router. Limits are enforced per account.

| Access level     | Eligibility                                                   | Requests per minute | Requests per day |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------: | ---------------: |
| Standard access  | Account has not completed at least `$5` in qualifying top-ups |                  10 |              100 |
| Increased access | Account has completed at least `$5` in qualifying top-ups     |                  20 |            1,000 |

A qualifying top-up is a direct addition of funds to the account balance and is used to determine whether the account meets the `$5` threshold.

### Rate limit errors

Requests that exceed the applicable limit are rejected with:

```text theme={null}
Rate limit exceeded. Please try again later.
```

If your application needs predictable higher throughput, use a paid model route or contact DGrid support for production guidance.

## Operational guidance

* Treat `dgridai/free` as a convenience router, not a fixed model.
* Avoid relying on provider-specific behavior from the underlying routed model.
* Add retry logic with backoff for temporary rate-limit or availability responses.
* Use paid model IDs when you need deterministic model selection, higher throughput, stronger SLA expectations, or model-specific capabilities.
* Log `DGrid-Request-ID` from responses if you need to reconcile usage later. See [Get request billing details](/api-reference/usage-and-billing/get-request-billing-details) for request-level billing lookup.