Free AI Tools That Are Actually Free
Updated August 5, 2026 · 23 tools with a real free plan, limits verified first-party
23AI tools currently run a genuinely usable free plan, and several famous ones don’t. “Free” below means a plan you can use indefinitely within the vendor’s stated limits, not a trial that expires. Every limit quoted is the vendor’s own, with the date we verified it.
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Tools with a real free plan
| Tool | What the free plan includes | Vendor-stated limits | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT OpenAI | Real free plan: limited access to GPT-5.5 Instant, limited messages, uploads, image generation, and deep research. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Claude Anthropic | Real free plan: chat on web and apps, code generation, web search, file creation, and connectors. Numeric usage caps not stated on the pricing page. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Google Gemini | Real free plan: Gemini 3.6 Flash access, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, and 15 GB storage. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Perplexity Perplexity AI | Real free plan; Perplexity does not publish numeric daily caps on a public pricing page. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Microsoft Copilot (Microsoft 365) Microsoft | Free Copilot at copilot.microsoft.com: web-grounded answers and image creation. Microsoft doesn't publish numeric free-tier caps on an official specs page. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Grok xAI | Real free plan: real-time web and X search, voice mode, connectors. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Notion Notion Labs | Real free plan: unlimited blocks for individuals, 5 MB file uploads, 10 guests; only a limited trial of Notion AI. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Grammarly Grammarly | Real free plan: core grammar and spelling, tone detection, 100 AI prompts. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Otter.ai Otter.ai | Real free plan: 300 transcription minutes/month, 1 concurrent meeting, 3 lifetime imports. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Fireflies.ai Fireflies.ai | Real free plan: unlimited transcription and AI summaries with 400 minutes of storage per team. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Fathom Fathom | Real free plan: unlimited recordings and transcriptions with instant AI call summaries. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Gamma Gamma Tech | Real free plan: up to 10 slides per prompt, 400 credits at signup, import/export included. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Zapier Zapier | Real free plan: 100 tasks/month, unlimited two-step Zaps, basic AI access. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Runway Runway | 125 one-time credits with watermarked output, a taste, not an ongoing allowance. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Pika Pika Labs | 80 monthly video credits, image-to-video only, watermarked, and explicitly no commercial use. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| ElevenLabs ElevenLabs | 10,000 credits/month, but no commercial license on the free plan. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Suno Suno | 50 credits/day renewing, and the plan is marked "No commercial use". |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Descript Descript | 60 minutes of media/month with 100 one-time AI credits; exports are watermarked. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| HeyGen HeyGen | Up to 3 videos per month, watermarked. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Synthesia Synthesia | Basic plan: 1,200 credits/month (about 10 minutes of video), no credit card required. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Canva Canva | Real free plan: 1.6M+ templates, core editor, and a shared AI allowance across Standard and Premium AI tools. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Adobe Firefly Adobe | No plan needed for free daily generations across image, video, and audio; limits refresh daily. |
| 2026-08-05 |
| Ideogram Ideogram | 10 slow credits/week with full commercial rights, generations are public (no private mode on free). |
| 2026-08-05 |
No free plan (trial only, or paid only)
These tools are sometimes described as free but currently offer no persistent free plan, only a trial, or paid plans alone:
- Jasper, No free plan, 7-day free trial of Pro only.
- Copy.ai, No free plan listed on the pricing page as of 2026-08-05 (a previously offered free tier no longer appears).
- Motion, No free plan, trial only (length not stated on the pricing page).
- Surfer SEO, No persistent free plan found, 'Start for Free' resolves to a trial/signup flow.
- Frase, No free plan for the core product, 7-day free trial only.
- Midjourney, No free plan, a paid subscription (Basic and up) is required to generate.
- Luma Dream Machine, No free plan appeared on the pricing page at verification.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI tools have a real free plan in 2026?
23 tools in our verified registry run a genuinely usable free plan (not a time-limited trial). The table on this page lists each with the vendor's own stated limits and the date we verified them.
What's the difference between a free plan and a free trial?
A free plan is usable indefinitely within its limits; a free trial expires and then requires payment. Several well-known AI tools offer only trials, we list those separately on this page so a trial is never presented as a free plan.
Can I use free-tier AI output commercially?
It depends on the vendor, and several restrict commercial use to paid tiers. Where a vendor states its policy we record it; where it doesn't, we say "not stated" rather than guessing. See our commercial-use guide for the per-tool terms.
Do free tiers change often?
Yes, limits shrink, grow, and occasionally whole free plans disappear. Every claim here carries its verification date (most recent: August 5, 2026); if a date looks old, confirm on the vendor's site.
Is the free tier of the big assistants enough for most people?
For casual use, often yes, the major assistants include real capability free, with caps on heavier usage and newer models. The per-tool limit notes in the table are the vendors' own words, so you can judge against your usage.
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