VibeKit
Enter App
Free AI Coding Agent
VibeKit's free tier runs on OpenRouter's free model pool — open-weight models like Qwen3 Coder and Llama, $0 per token, $0 platform markup. The only genuinely-free AI coding agent that ships real apps to real URLs. No credit card. No trial period.
Why this works (and why it's actually free)
OpenRouter operates a "free models" pool sponsored by the model providers themselves — open-weight models (Qwen3 Coder, Llama, and others) published at $0/token as a marketing investment for their open families. VibeKit routes free-tier requests through OpenRouter's free auto-router on a gateway-level key, so you land on whichever free model is healthy. Our platform markup is 20% over OpenRouter cost. 20% of zero is zero. You get the agent, the container, and the deployment for $0.
How good are the free models, honestly?
The pool's open-weight models (Qwen3 Coder among them) are roughly comparable to Claude Haiku and GPT-4o-class models on coding benchmarks. For the everyday agent workflow — "fix this bug", "add a route", "tweak this CSS", "scaffold a CRUD page" — they're perfectly capable. Where they lag is large-context reasoning (very long files), complex architectural decisions, and certain niche frameworks. For those, switch to Claude Sonnet or GPT-5 per-app — five seconds in Settings.
The honest comparison
| Provider | Per-call cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free pool (Qwen3, Llama…) | $0 | Everyday agent loops, prototypes, tweaks |
| DeepSeek v3.1 | ~$0.04–0.10 | High-volume / cost-sensitive serious work |
| Claude Sonnet | ~$0.10–0.30 | Best reasoning, large refactors, complex bugs |
| GPT-5 | ~$0.10–0.30 | Best for OpenAI-flavored ecosystems |
Per-call costs are typical agent tasks ("fix a 500", "add a route") at platform-fallback pricing (OpenRouter cost + 20%). With BYOK on Anthropic / OpenAI you pay the provider directly — VibeKit's markup goes to zero too.
Switching to the Free tier
- Open VibeKit on iPhone or web → Settings → AI Provider
- Pick the Free tier from the four options (Anthropic / OpenAI / DeepSeek / Free)
- Your next agent message routes to OpenRouter's free pool (
openrouter/free) - That's it. No key, no payment, no setup.
What's still included
- Real hosting. 1 app, 512 MB RAM, 1.5 GB workspace, on AWS Fargate at
yourname.vibekit.bot. - Real GitHub. Auto-created repo, auto-redeploy on push, full Git history.
- Real SSL. Let's Encrypt cert from second one.
- The iOS app, web dashboard, and CLI — same UX whether you're on the free tier, Claude, or anything else.
When to upgrade
If you find yourself bumping into the free model's limits on a specific task ("the agent isn't getting this architectural change right"), switch that one app to Claude Sonnet for the day, fix the thing, switch back. With BYOK on a Claude Pro / Max subscription you can even do this for free. Different apps can use different providers — granular, not all-or-nothing.
FAQ
Is the free AI coding agent really free?
Yes. VibeKit's free tier routes to OpenRouter's free model pool — open-weight models like Qwen3 Coder and Llama, served at $0 per token. VibeKit charges zero markup on top — the platform fee for non-BYOK calls is 20%, but 20% of zero is still zero. No credit card. No trial. No quota games.
How good are the free models compared to Claude or GPT?
The free pool runs open-weight models (Qwen3 Coder among them) that are competitive with Claude Haiku / GPT-4o-class models on standard coding benchmarks (HumanEval, MBPP). For frontend tweaks, CRUD apps, debugging, and most agent-loop tasks they're perfectly usable. For complex architectural reasoning or large refactors, Claude Sonnet or GPT-5 will outperform. Switch providers per-app in Settings when you need the upgrade.
Why would a platform give away an AI agent for free?
Because the cost to VibeKit is zero — OpenRouter sponsors the free pool. We pass that through unchanged. We earn on paid plans (Builder, Pro), on BYOK premium model markup is zero, and on platform-fallback calls to Claude / GPT / DeepSeek (20% above OpenRouter list). The free tier is the always-free anchor that means nobody has a billing reason to bounce off VibeKit.
Do I still need a credit card or paid subscription?
No. Sign up with Apple / Google, pick the Free tier in Settings → AI Provider, start chatting. Hosting (1 app, 512 MB RAM, 1.5 GB workspace) is also free. There is literally no part of the flow that asks for payment unless you choose to upgrade for more apps or premium models.