DrafterPlus AI believes every developer should have access to AI. That's why we offer a generous free tier - no credit card required, no trial period, free forever.

What You Get for Free

Every DrafterPlus AI account includes:

• 20 chat requests per day - enough to prototype and test ideas
• 3 image generations per day - create AI-generated images
• 1 API key - for integrating into your projects
• Access to Haiku models - fast, capable AI for most tasks

How to Get Started

Getting your free credits takes less than a minute:

• Visit ai.drafterplus.nl and sign in with Google
• Go to API Keys and create your first key
• Start making API requests immediately

Your free credits reset every day at midnight UTC. There's no accumulation - use them or lose them.

Need More?

If 20 requests per day isn't enough, our Pro plan gives you 100 requests/day plus access to Sonnet models for just €7.49/week. Try it free for 3 days.

For power users, the Plus plan offers 500 requests/day with access to all models including Opus. Start with a 1-day free trial.

Why Free?

We want developers to build with AI without worrying about costs. Many great projects started as free-tier experiments. Our free tier isn't a demo - it's a full-featured development environment.

This guide walks you through everything you need to start building with DrafterPlus AI, from creating an account to making your first API call.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Head to ai.drafterplus.nl and click "Continue with Google." Your account is created instantly with free credits ready to use.

Step 2: Generate an API Key

Navigate to the API Keys tab in your dashboard. Click "Create Key," give it a name, and you'll receive your API key. Keep it secret - anyone with your key can make requests on your behalf.

Step 3: Make Your First Request

Use the API key in your requests:

curl -X POST https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-haiku",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

Step 4: Build Something Amazing

The API is OpenAI-compatible, so most libraries and tools that work with OpenAI will work with DrafterPlus AI. Just change the base URL to https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1.

Node.js Example

const response = await fetch('https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/chat/completions', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    model: 'claude-haiku',
    messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }]
  })
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data.choices[0].message.content);

Python Example

import requests

response = requests.post('https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/chat/completions',
    headers={'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'},
    json={
        'model': 'claude-haiku',
        'messages': [{'role': 'user', 'content': 'Hello!'}]
    }
)
print(response.json()['choices'][0]['message']['content'])

When you see a verified badge on an application in DrafterPlus AI, it means the app has been reviewed and approved by our team.

Verification Criteria

• Identity confirmed - the developer's identity has been verified
• Terms compliance - the app follows our developer terms of service
• Security review - proper OAuth2 implementation and data handling
• No abuse - no spam, no automated bot creation, no misuse of the API

First-Party Apps

Apps built by DrafterPlus itself (like the DrafterPlus AI Bot) are automatically verified. These apps are maintained by our team and have the highest level of trust.

How to Get Verified

Verification is currently invite-only. As the platform grows, we'll open up a verification request process. For now, focus on building a quality app and following the developer terms.

OAuth2 lets your application access DrafterPlus AI services on behalf of users. This guide covers the full flow from creating an app to handling tokens.

Creating Your Application

• Go to the Applications tab in your dashboard
• Click Create Application
• Set a name, icon, redirect URL, and redirect-back URL
• Save your client ID and generate a client secret

The Authorization Flow

1. Redirect to Consent

https://ai.drafterplus.nl/oauth/authorize?client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&redirect_uri=YOUR_REDIRECT_URI

2. User Approves

The user sees a consent page showing your app's name and icon. They click "Allow" to grant access.

3. Handle the Callback

After approval, the user is redirected to your redirect URI with an authorization code. Exchange this for an access token.

4. Use the Token

Include the access token in your API requests to act on behalf of the user.

Best Practices

• Always use HTTPS for your redirect URI
• Store client secrets securely - never expose them in client-side code
• Request only the permissions you need
• Handle token expiration gracefully

DrafterPlus AI provides access to Anthropic's Claude model family. Each model is optimized for different use cases.

Claude Haiku

Available on: Free, Pro, Plus

The fastest Claude model. Ideal for quick responses, simple tasks, and high-volume applications. Best for chatbots, content classification, and real-time interactions.

Claude Sonnet

Available on: Pro, Plus

The balanced model. Great for most development tasks - code generation, analysis, creative writing, and complex conversations. Our most popular model.

Claude Opus

Available on: Plus only

The most capable model. Use it for complex reasoning, research, detailed analysis, and tasks requiring the highest accuracy. Best when quality matters more than speed.

Choosing the Right Model

• Prototyping? Start with Haiku - it's fast and free
• Production app? Sonnet offers the best balance of speed and quality
• Complex analysis? Opus delivers the most thorough results

Image Generation

DrafterPlus AI also supports image generation and editing. All plans include image generation credits that reset daily.

Anthropic's Claude is one of the most capable AI models available today. But accessing it typically requires an API subscription and credit card. DrafterPlus AI changes that.

Access Claude for Free

Every DrafterPlus AI account comes with free daily access to Claude Haiku, Anthropic's fast and efficient model. No credit card, no trial period, no catch. Just sign up with Google and start making API calls.

What is Claude Haiku?

Claude Haiku is Anthropic's fastest model. It's designed for quick responses and high-throughput applications. Despite being the smallest in the Claude family, it's remarkably capable for most development tasks including:

• Chatbots and conversational AI
• Content classification and analysis
• Code generation and debugging
• Text summarization
• Translation and language tasks

Upgrade for More Power

Need Claude Sonnet for balanced performance? The Pro plan unlocks it with a 3-day free trial. For the full Claude Opus experience, the Plus plan gives you access to Anthropic's most powerful model.

But for many projects, Haiku is more than enough to build something great.

Every other AI API provider asks for your credit card before you can even test their service. We think that's backwards.

Zero Barrier to Entry

Sign up with Google. Get your API key. Start building. That's it. No payment details, no surprise charges, no "free trial" that becomes a bill.

What You Get

The free tier includes 20 chat requests and 3 image generations per day. Credits reset every midnight UTC. It's enough to prototype, experiment, and build real applications.

Who Is This For?

• Students learning AI development
• Indie developers prototyping ideas
• Hobbyists building side projects
• Anyone who wants to experiment with AI without financial risk

When you're ready to scale, our paid plans start at just 7.49 EUR/week with free trial periods.

If your app already uses the OpenAI API, switching to DrafterPlus AI takes exactly one line of code. Our API follows the same format, same endpoints, same response structure.

How to Switch

Change your base URL from https://api.openai.com/v1 to https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1 and swap your API key. Everything else stays the same.

Compatible Libraries

Any library that works with OpenAI works with DrafterPlus AI:

• OpenAI Python SDK
• OpenAI Node.js SDK
• LangChain
• LlamaIndex
• Any HTTP client

Why Switch?

Free daily credits. No billing surprises. Access to Claude models instead of GPT. And a developer-first platform that puts simplicity above everything else.

Want to add AI to your Discord server? With DrafterPlus AI, you can build a Claude-powered Discord bot for free.

What You Need

• A Discord bot token (from the Discord Developer Portal)
• A DrafterPlus AI API key (free, takes 30 seconds)
• Node.js installed on your machine

Quick Setup

npm install discord.js node-fetch

Create your bot file and add the AI integration:

const { Client, GatewayIntentBits } = require('discord.js');

const client = new Client({ intents: [
    GatewayIntentBits.Guilds,
    GatewayIntentBits.GuildMessages,
    GatewayIntentBits.MessageContent
]});

client.on('messageCreate', async (message) => {
    if (message.author.bot) return;
    if (!message.mentions.has(client.user)) return;

    const response = await fetch('https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/chat/completions', {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: {
            'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        },
        body: JSON.stringify({
            model: 'claude-haiku',
            messages: [{ role: 'user', content: message.content }]
        })
    });
    const data = await response.json();
    message.reply(data.choices[0].message.content);
});

client.login('YOUR_DISCORD_TOKEN');

DrafterPlus AI Bot

We built our own Discord bot this way. The DrafterPlus AI Bot uses OAuth2 to let users link their accounts and chat with Claude directly in Discord. It's a verified app on our platform.

Generate AI images through a simple API call. Every DrafterPlus AI account includes free daily image generation credits.

How It Works

Send a text description, get an image back. The API supports both generation (text to image) and editing (modify existing images).

Example

curl -X POST https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/images/generations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt": "A modern glass door with steel frame, minimalist design"}'

Daily Limits

• Free: 3 images/day
• Pro: 25 images/day
• Plus: 50 images/day

Perfect for prototyping visual features, creating content, or building image-generation tools.

Anthropic offers three Claude models, each with different strengths. Here's when to use each one.

Claude Haiku

Best for: Speed-sensitive applications, chatbots, simple queries, high-volume tasks.

Haiku is the fastest Claude model. It responds in milliseconds and handles most everyday tasks well. Available on all plans including Free.

Claude Sonnet

Best for: Code generation, creative writing, analysis, most production applications.

Sonnet is the sweet spot. It's significantly more capable than Haiku while still being fast enough for real-time use. Available on Pro and Plus plans.

Claude Opus

Best for: Complex reasoning, research, detailed analysis, tasks requiring the highest accuracy.

Opus is Anthropic's most powerful model. Use it when quality matters more than speed. Available exclusively on the Plus plan.

Quick Decision Guide

• Building a chatbot? Start with Haiku
• Writing code or content? Use Sonnet
• Complex analysis or research? Go with Opus
• Not sure? Start with Haiku (it's free) and upgrade if needed

Your API key is like a password. If someone gets it, they can use your credits. Here's how to keep it safe.

2FA Verification

DrafterPlus AI requires email verification to view or copy your API key. Even if someone accesses your dashboard, they need your email to see the key.

Key Rules

• Never commit keys to Git. Use environment variables or .env files
• Never expose keys in client-side code. Always call the API from your server
• Rotate keys regularly. Delete old keys and create new ones
• Use separate keys for different projects. If one is compromised, the others are safe

If Your Key Is Compromised

Delete it immediately from your dashboard. Any requests made with the old key will stop working instantly. Then create a new key and update your application.

Learning AI development shouldn't require a budget. DrafterPlus AI is built for students and indie developers who want to experiment without financial pressure.

Perfect for Learning

20 free requests per day is plenty for coursework, tutorials, and personal projects. And because the API is OpenAI-compatible, skills you learn here transfer directly to other platforms.

Build Your Portfolio

Use your free credits to build AI-powered projects that stand out. A chatbot, a content generator, an image creation tool - all buildable with the free tier.

No Surprise Bills

We get it. Students have budgets. Our free tier never converts to a paid plan automatically. You decide when to upgrade, and paid plans come with free trial periods so you can test before committing.

DrafterPlus AI uses a daily credit system instead of per-token billing. Here's how it works.

Daily Reset

Credits reset every day at midnight UTC. Unused credits don't carry over. Each API call (chat or image) uses one credit from your daily allowance.

Plan Limits

• Free: 20 chat + 3 images per day
• Pro: 100 chat + 25 images per day
• Plus: 500 chat + 50 images per day

When You Hit the Limit

The API returns a 429 status code with a message explaining the limit. Your credits will reset at the next midnight UTC. Check your usage anytime in the dashboard.

Tips

• Cache responses when possible to avoid redundant calls
• Use streaming for long responses (counts as one credit)
• Check your usage dashboard to plan your daily budget

DrafterPlus started as a steel door manufacturer. We build custom glass doors with intricate designs. So why are we running a free AI platform?

It Started with Our Own Needs

We needed AI tools for our business. Image generation for door designs, chatbots for customer support, automation for our workflows. Building our own platform was the natural step.

Sharing What We Built

Once we had a working AI platform, we realized other developers could benefit from it too. Instead of keeping it internal, we opened it up with a generous free tier.

Sustainable Model

Our paid plans cover the infrastructure costs. The free tier is subsidized by paying users who need more power. It's a model that works: developers get free access to experiment, and those who need production-level usage pay a fair price.

The Future

We're committed to keeping the free tier available. As the platform grows, we'll expand what's possible at every tier. AI should be accessible to everyone, not just those with corporate budgets.

DrafterPlus AI uses Nano Banano Pro for image generation - a powerful model from Google designed for high-quality image creation from text prompts.

What is Nano Banano Pro?

Nano Banano Pro is Google's image generation model that powers all image creation on DrafterPlus AI. It handles text-to-image generation with impressive quality, detail, and creative range.

What You Can Generate

• Logos and brand assets
• Blog post illustrations
• Social media content
• Product mockups and visualizations
• Architectural visualizations
• Marketing materials
• Concept art and creative work

How to Use It

Image generation is available through the API:

curl -X POST https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/images/generations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt":"A modern minimalist logo design","size":"1024x1024"}'

Tips for Better Results

• Be specific in your prompts - "a red sports car on a mountain road at sunset" beats "a car"
• Include style references - "in the style of watercolor", "photorealistic", "minimalist"
• Specify composition - "centered", "close-up", "wide angle"
• Mention colors and lighting when relevant

Free Tier

The free plan includes 3 image generations per day. Pro and Plus plans include 25 and 50 respectively. No credit card needed to start.

Ready to try it? Get your free API key and start generating images. See the API docs for full endpoint details.

There are several ways to access AI models through an API. Here's how DrafterPlus AI compares to using OpenAI or Anthropic directly.

Pricing

OpenAI: Pay-per-token. No free tier (trial credits expired quickly). GPT-4 can cost $0.03-0.06 per 1K tokens. Costs add up fast for active projects.

Anthropic Direct: Pay-per-token. Requires credit card and prepaid billing. Claude Opus can cost $15/1M input tokens. Powerful but expensive for individual developers.

DrafterPlus AI: Daily credit system. Free tier with 20 requests/day forever. Paid plans from 7.49 EUR/week. No per-token billing means predictable costs.

Free Tier

OpenAI: No longer offers meaningful free credits for new accounts.

Anthropic: No free tier. Credit card required to start.

DrafterPlus AI: 20 free requests/day + 3 image generations. No credit card needed. Free forever.

Models

OpenAI: GPT-4, GPT-4o, GPT-3.5, DALL-E

Anthropic: Claude Opus, Sonnet, Haiku

DrafterPlus AI: Claude Haiku, Sonnet, Opus (via Anthropic) + the Nano Banano Pro image model

Compatibility

DrafterPlus AI uses the OpenAI-compatible format. If your code works with OpenAI, it works with us. Just change the base URL. Anthropic's direct API uses a different format that requires code changes.

When to Use Each

• DrafterPlus AI: Best for free access, prototyping, predictable costs, and Claude models without per-token billing
• OpenAI Direct: Best if you specifically need GPT models or OpenAI-exclusive features
• Anthropic Direct: Best for enterprise use cases with high volume and custom contracts

Customer support chatbots are one of the most practical applications of AI. Here's how to build one from scratch using DrafterPlus AI.

What We're Building

A chatbot that:

• Answers common questions about your product
• Remembers conversation context
• Escalates complex issues to human agents
• Works through a simple web interface

Step 1: Set Up the Backend

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
app.use(express.json());

const API_KEY = process.env.DRAFTERPLUS_API_KEY;
const BASE_URL = 'https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1';

// Store conversation history per session
const sessions = new Map();

app.post('/chat', async (req, res) => {
    const { sessionId, message } = req.body;
    
    // Get or create conversation history
    if (!sessions.has(sessionId)) {
        sessions.set(sessionId, [{
            role: 'system',
            content: `You are a helpful customer support agent for [Your Company].
            Be friendly, concise, and helpful. If you cannot answer a question,
            suggest the user contact [email protected].`
        }]);
    }
    
    const history = sessions.get(sessionId);
    history.push({ role: 'user', content: message });
    
    const response = await fetch(BASE_URL + '/chat/completions', {
        method: 'POST',
        headers: {
            'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + API_KEY,
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        },
        body: JSON.stringify({
            model: 'claude-haiku',
            messages: history,
            max_tokens: 500
        })
    });
    
    const data = await response.json();
    const reply = data.choices[0].message.content;
    
    history.push({ role: 'assistant', content: reply });
    
    // Keep history manageable (last 20 messages)
    if (history.length > 21) {
        sessions.set(sessionId, [history[0], ...history.slice(-20)]);
    }
    
    res.json({ reply });
});

app.listen(3000);

Step 2: Add the Frontend

Create a simple chat interface with HTML and JavaScript. Send messages to your /chat endpoint and display the responses. You can use any frontend framework or plain HTML.

Step 3: Customize the System Prompt

The system message is the most important part. Include:

• Your company name and what you do
• Common FAQs and their answers
• Tone guidelines (formal, casual, etc.)
• Escalation rules (when to suggest human support)

Step 4: Deploy

Deploy your backend to any Node.js hosting (Vercel, Railway, your own VPS). The DrafterPlus AI free tier gives you 20 conversations per day to start. Upgrade when you're ready to scale.

Cost Estimate

With the free tier, you can handle about 20 customer conversations per day at zero cost. The Pro plan bumps this to 100/day for 7.49 EUR/week. That's significantly cheaper than most chatbot platforms.

Nobody wants to stare at a loading spinner for 10 seconds. Streaming lets you show the AI's response as it's being generated, word by word.

How Streaming Works

When you enable streaming, the API sends the response as a series of small chunks using Server-Sent Events (SSE). Each chunk contains a few tokens of the response. Your frontend can display each chunk as it arrives, creating a smooth typing effect.

Enable Streaming

Add stream: true to your request:

const response = await fetch('https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/chat/completions', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
        'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
        model: 'claude-haiku',
        messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Tell me a story' }],
        stream: true
    })
});

Handle the Stream

const reader = response.body.getReader();
const decoder = new TextDecoder();

while (true) {
    const { done, value } = await reader.read();
    if (done) break;
    
    const chunk = decoder.decode(value);
    const lines = chunk.split('\n');
    
    for (const line of lines) {
        if (line.startsWith('data: ')) {
            const data = line.slice(6);
            if (data === '[DONE]') break;
            
            try {
                const parsed = JSON.parse(data);
                const content = parsed.choices[0]?.delta?.content;
                if (content) {
                    // Append to your UI element
                    document.getElementById('output').textContent += content;
                }
            } catch (e) {}
        }
    }
}

Performance Benefits

• Users see the first word in under a second
• Perceived latency drops dramatically
• Long responses feel fast because the user is reading as it generates
• You can cancel mid-stream if the user navigates away

When to Use Streaming

Use streaming for any user-facing chat interface. Skip it for background processing, batch jobs, or when you need the complete response before acting on it.

The quality of your AI output depends heavily on how you write your prompts. Here are practical techniques that work with Claude models on DrafterPlus AI.

Use System Messages

The system message sets the AI's behavior for the entire conversation. Be specific:

// Bad
{ "role": "system", "content": "You are helpful." }

// Good
{ "role": "system", "content": "You are a technical documentation writer. 
Write concise, accurate explanations. Use code examples when relevant. 
Target audience: intermediate developers. Avoid jargon unless necessary." }

Be Specific About Format

Tell Claude exactly what format you want:

• "Respond in JSON format with keys: title, summary, tags"
• "Give me a bulleted list, max 5 items"
• "Write exactly 3 paragraphs"
• "Respond in markdown"

Few-Shot Examples

Show Claude examples of what you want:

messages: [
    { role: "system", content: "Classify customer feedback as positive, negative, or neutral." },
    { role: "user", content: "The product works great!" },
    { role: "assistant", content: "positive" },
    { role: "user", content: "It broke after two days." },
    { role: "assistant", content: "negative" },
    { role: "user", content: "It arrived on time." },
    // Claude will follow the pattern
]

Temperature Control

• temperature: 0 - Deterministic, consistent outputs. Best for classification, data extraction, factual Q&A
• temperature: 0.5 - Slightly creative but mostly consistent. Good default for most tasks
• temperature: 1.0 - Creative and varied. Best for brainstorming, creative writing, generating options

Common Mistakes

• Being too vague: "Write something about AI" gives unfocused results. "Write a 200-word introduction for a blog post about using AI in customer support" gives great results.
• Not setting context: Claude doesn't know about your specific product unless you tell it in the system message.
• Ignoring conversation history: For multi-turn conversations, include relevant previous messages for context.
• Using the wrong model: Don't use Opus for simple tasks. Haiku handles most things well and is much faster.

Looking for a free Claude API key? You're in the right place. DrafterPlus AI gives you free access to Anthropic's Claude models through an OpenAI-compatible API. No credit card required. No trial that expires. Free forever.

What You Get with a Free Claude API Key

When you sign up for DrafterPlus AI (free), you immediately get:

• 20 chat requests per day using Claude Haiku
• 3 image generations per day using the Nano Banano Pro model
• OpenAI-compatible API format - works with existing OpenAI SDKs
• Streaming support for real-time responses
• Thinking modes (medium, high, max) for complex reasoning

This isn't a trial. There's no countdown timer. Your free Claude API key works forever with daily limits that reset at midnight UTC.

Step 1: Create Your Free Account

Go to ai.drafterplus.nl and click "Sign In with Google". That's it. No email verification forms, no credit card, no phone number.

Step 2: Get Your API Key

Once logged in, navigate to "API Keys" in the sidebar. Click "Create Key", give it a name (like "my-project"), and copy your key. It looks like dp_...

Important: Store your API key securely. Never put it in client-side code or commit it to Git.

Step 3: Make Your First Request

Test your free Claude API key with cURL:

curl -X POST https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"claude-haiku","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello Claude!"}]}'

Using Your Free Claude API Key with Python

from openai import OpenAI

# Use the official OpenAI Python SDK
client = OpenAI(
    api_key="YOUR_FREE_API_KEY",
    base_url="https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="claude-haiku",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Explain quantum computing simply"}]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

Yes, you read that right. The official OpenAI Python library works directly with your free Claude API key. Just change the base_url.

Using Your Free Claude API Key with Node.js

import OpenAI from 'openai';

const client = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: 'YOUR_FREE_API_KEY',
  baseURL: 'https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1'
});

const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: 'claude-haiku',
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Write a haiku about coding' }]
});

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

Free vs Paid: What's the Difference?

• Free: Claude Haiku, 20 requests/day, 3 images/day
• Pro (7.49 EUR/week): Claude Sonnet, 100 requests/day, 25 images/day
• Plus (14.99 EUR/week): Claude Opus, 500 requests/day, 50 images/day

The free tier is generous enough for personal projects, learning, prototyping, and low-traffic applications. Many developers never need to upgrade.

Why Not Use Anthropic Directly?

Anthropic's direct API requires a credit card and charges per token. Claude Haiku costs $0.25/$1.25 per million tokens. For a student or hobby developer, that's a barrier. DrafterPlus AI removes that barrier entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the free Claude API key really free forever?
Yes. No trial period, no surprise charges. 20 requests/day, every day.

What model do I get for free?
Claude Haiku - Anthropic's fastest model. Great for most tasks.

Can I use it in production?
Absolutely. Just respect the 20 requests/day limit on the free tier.

Is it OpenAI compatible?
Yes. Same API format, same SDKs. Change the base URL and it works.

Ready to start? Get your free Claude API key now. Read the full documentation for all features.

Finding a genuinely free AI API in 2026 is harder than it sounds. Most providers either killed their free tiers or made them so limited they're useless. This guide covers every real option available right now.

The Free AI API Landscape in 2026

Here's what happened: OpenAI removed meaningful free access. Anthropic never had a free tier. Google has one but it's limited to their models. The gap in the market is real - developers need free access to capable AI models for learning, prototyping, and small projects.

DrafterPlus AI - Best Free AI API Overall

DrafterPlus AI offers a permanent free tier with Claude Haiku (Anthropic's fast model). What makes it stand out:

• 20 free chat requests per day
• 3 free image generations per day
• OpenAI-compatible format (drop-in replacement)
• Streaming support
• Thinking modes for better reasoning
• No credit card, no trial, no expiration

Quick start:

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="your_free_key",
    base_url="https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1"
)

# Works exactly like OpenAI
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="claude-haiku",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)

Google AI Studio - Free Gemini Access

Google offers free access to Gemini models through AI Studio. The catch: it uses Google's own API format (not OpenAI-compatible), rate limits are strict, and the models are different from what you get with Claude.

Groq - Free Llama Access

Groq provides free inference for Meta's Llama models. Extremely fast inference but limited to open-source models. No image generation.

Comparison Table

• DrafterPlus AI: Claude Haiku, 20/day, OpenAI compatible, images included
• Google AI Studio: Gemini Flash, rate limited, Google API format only
• Groq: Llama 3, fast but no images, OpenAI compatible
• Mistral: Mistral 7B, very limited free tier
• OpenAI: No meaningful free tier anymore
• Anthropic Direct: No free tier, credit card required

Which Free AI API Should You Use?

For most developers, DrafterPlus AI is the best choice because it combines Claude models with OpenAI compatibility and includes image generation. If you specifically need Llama models, try Groq. If you need Gemini, use Google AI Studio.

Get your free AI API key - takes 2 minutes. Check the documentation for all available endpoints.

OpenAI's free tier is effectively gone. The trial credits expired and new accounts get almost nothing for free. If you need a free alternative to OpenAI's API, here are your best options ranked.

1. DrafterPlus AI (Recommended)

The closest thing to a free OpenAI replacement. Uses Anthropic's Claude models which many developers prefer over GPT for coding and reasoning tasks.

• Free Claude Haiku access (20 requests/day)
• Free image generation (3/day with the Nano Banano Pro model)
• OpenAI-compatible API - literally change one URL in your code
• Works with OpenAI SDKs (Python, Node.js)
• No credit card required

# Switch from OpenAI to DrafterPlus AI - change 2 lines
client = OpenAI(
    api_key="your_drafterplus_key",       # changed
    base_url="https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1"  # changed
)

# Everything else stays the same
response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="claude-haiku",  # or keep "gpt-3.5-turbo" format
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)

2. Groq

Blazing fast inference for Llama models. Free tier is generous but no image generation and models aren't as capable as Claude for some tasks.

3. Google AI Studio

Free Gemini access but uses Google's API format, not OpenAI-compatible. More work to integrate.

Why Claude Over GPT?

Many developers switching from OpenAI find Claude models better for:

• Following complex instructions
• Code generation and debugging
• Long context understanding
• Honest, nuanced responses

Start free at ai.drafterplus.nl.

Claude is one of the best AI models available, but Anthropic doesn't offer a free API tier. DrafterPlus AI solves this by providing free Claude access through an OpenAI-compatible API.

The Claude Model Lineup

• Claude Haiku (claude-haiku) - Fast and efficient. Available on the free tier. Great for most tasks including coding, Q&A, summarization, and conversation.
• Claude Sonnet (claude-sonnet) - Balanced power and speed. Pro tier. Best for complex tasks that need both quality and reasonable response times.
• Claude Opus (claude-opus) - Most capable. Plus tier. For research, complex analysis, creative writing, and tasks where quality matters most.

Getting Started (2 Minutes)

1. Visit ai.drafterplus.nl
2. Sign in with Google
3. Go to API Keys, create a key
4. Use it in your code

Advanced Features (Also Free)

Even on the free tier, you get access to:

• Streaming - Real-time token-by-token responses ("stream": true)
• Thinking modes - Let Claude reason before answering ("thinking": "medium")
• System messages - Customize Claude's behavior
• Multi-turn conversations - Full conversation history support

Example: Streaming + Thinking

const response = await fetch('https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/chat/completions', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_FREE_KEY',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    model: 'claude-haiku',
    messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Solve: 15% of 340 + 22% of 180' }],
    thinking: 'medium',
    stream: true
  })
});

Claude will think about the math problem first, then stream the answer in real-time. All on the free tier.

Ready? Get free Claude access now. Full API docs at /docs.

DrafterPlus AI supports thinking modes that let Claude reason internally before responding. This dramatically improves accuracy on math, logic, and complex tasks.

How Thinking Modes Work

When you enable thinking, Claude gets a "thinking budget" - tokens it uses to reason through the problem before writing its response. This thinking is hidden from the output but improves the final answer.

The Three Levels

• Medium (~2,000 thinking tokens) - Quick reasoning. Good for simple math, basic logic, straightforward analysis. Adds minimal latency.
• High (~8,000 thinking tokens) - Deep reasoning. Good for code review, complex explanations, multi-step problems. Moderate latency increase.
• Max (~32,000 thinking tokens) - Maximum reasoning. For research, complex algorithms, nuanced analysis. Significant latency increase but best accuracy.

Usage

{
  "model": "claude-haiku",
  "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "What is 37 * 43 + 156 / 12?"}],
  "thinking": "medium"
}

No Extra Cost

Thinking tokens don't count toward your daily usage quota. A request with thinking enabled counts as 1 request, same as without thinking. Use it freely.

When to Use Each Level

• Skip thinking: Simple Q&A, translations, summarization, creative writing
• Medium: Math problems, simple code bugs, factual analysis
• High: Complex code review, detailed explanations, multi-step logic
• Max: Research synthesis, algorithm design, complex debugging

Try it in the API docs or sign up free to test.

Chat Models

claude-haiku (alias for claude-3-5-haiku-20241022)

• Fastest Claude model
• Available on Free tier
• Best for: quick tasks, classification, simple coding, Q&A
• Context window: 200K tokens

claude-sonnet (alias for claude-sonnet-4-20250514)

• Balanced speed and intelligence
• Available on Pro tier
• Best for: complex coding, analysis, detailed writing
• Context window: 200K tokens

claude-opus (alias for claude-opus-4-20250514)

• Most capable Claude model
• Available on Plus tier
• Best for: research, complex reasoning, creative work
• Context window: 200K tokens

Image Models

nano - Fastest generation. Good quality. Best for prototyping.

Nano Banano Pro - Google's image generation model. Used for all images on DrafterPlus AI.

pro - Highest quality. Best for professional/client work.

Features Available on All Plans

• Streaming ("stream": true)
• Thinking modes ("thinking": "medium|high|max")
• System messages
• Temperature control (0-1)
• Stop sequences
• Max tokens control

Full API documentation at /docs.

Need a free image generation API? DrafterPlus AI includes 3 free image generations per day using the Nano Banano Pro model from Google.

About Nano Banano Pro

Nano Banano Pro is a single image generation model by Google that powers all image creation on DrafterPlus AI. It produces high-quality images from text descriptions across a wide range of styles.

API Usage

curl -X POST https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/images/generations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_FREE_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt":"A modern logo design","size":"1024x1024"}'

Python Example

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="YOUR_FREE_KEY",
    base_url="https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1"
)

response = client.images.generate(
    prompt="A minimalist mountain landscape at sunset",
    size="1024x1024"
)

print(response.data[0].url)

Free Tier

• Free: 3 images per day
• Pro: 25 images per day
• Plus: 50 images per day

Each generation uses 1 image credit. No credit card needed for the free tier. Get started.

AI development doesn't have to be expensive. With smart model selection, caching, and free tiers, you can build production AI applications that cost almost nothing.

Strategy 1: Use the Right Model for the Job

Don't use Claude Opus when Haiku will do. For 90% of tasks, the fast model is good enough:

• Simple classification - Haiku
• Customer support bot - Haiku
• Code generation - Sonnet
• Research analysis - Opus

Strategy 2: Cache Responses

If users ask similar questions, cache the responses. A simple Redis cache can reduce your API calls by 30-50%.

Strategy 3: Use Thinking Wisely

Thinking modes are free (no extra cost), but they add latency. Use "medium" by default. Only escalate to "high" or "max" when the task truly needs deep reasoning.

Strategy 4: Start Free, Scale Smart

Build and test on DrafterPlus AI's free tier (20 requests/day). When you're ready to launch, the Pro plan at 7.49 EUR/week gives you 100 requests/day. That's enough for many small SaaS products.

Cost Comparison

• OpenAI GPT-4: ~$30-60/month for moderate use
• Anthropic Direct: ~$20-50/month for moderate use
• DrafterPlus AI Free: $0/month (20 requests/day)
• DrafterPlus AI Pro: ~30 EUR/month (100 requests/day)

Start building free. Full docs at /docs.

DrafterPlus AI is free to start, but you can go further by earning extra credits through a set of simple actions. This guide covers every method available today.

What Are Credits?

Credits are the currency behind DrafterPlus AI requests. Each API call spends credits. When your daily allowance runs out, the system checks your credit balance before refusing the request.

Daily Login Bonus

Simply signing in each day rewards you with bonus credits. The streak builds over time, so consistent logins add up quickly. Make it a habit - open the dashboard, collect your credits, and get back to building.

Share on X (Twitter)

Share a post about DrafterPlus AI on X and link your account in the Earn Credits panel. Once verified you receive a one-time credit reward. A quick shout-out takes thirty seconds and pays off in extra API calls.

Invite Friends

Your unique invite link is:

https://ai.drafterplus.nl/?invite=YOUR_USER_ID

Replace YOUR_USER_ID with the ID shown in your dashboard. Every friend who signs up through your link earns you 10 credits. There is no cap - invite ten friends, earn 100 credits.

Join Discord

Connect your Discord account and join the DrafterPlus AI server. The bot verifies your membership and credits your account automatically. You also get early access to announcements and discount codes.

Star on GitHub

Star the DrafterPlus AI repository on GitHub. Link your GitHub account in the dashboard and the system confirms the star, crediting your account within minutes.

Submit Feedback

Constructive feedback helps the platform improve. Submit a meaningful suggestion or bug report through the in-app feedback form and earn credits as a thank-you. Low-effort submissions do not qualify.

What Are Global Credits?

Global Credits are a backup pool that kicks in automatically when your daily allowance is exhausted. If you have earned credits through the reward system and your daily limit runs out mid-project, Global Credits keep you going without an upgrade. Think of them as overflow fuel for busy days.

Ready to Start?

Sign up free at ai.drafterplus.nl. No credit card required. Your Earn Credits dashboard appears immediately after login.

Removing a background used to mean Photoshop, expensive SaaS subscriptions, or hours of manual work. DrafterPlus AI exposes a single API endpoint that handles it in milliseconds.

The Endpoint

POST /api/v1/images/remove-background

Send an image file as multipart/form-data and receive a PNG with a transparent background. The result is clean, precise, and ready to use.

Rate Limits by Plan

• Free: 20 background removals per day
• Pro: 100 background removals per day
• Plus: 1000 background removals per day

Python Example

import requests

API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"
IMAGE_PATH = "photo.jpg"

with open(IMAGE_PATH, "rb") as img_file:
    response = requests.post(
        "https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/images/remove-background",
        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
        files={"image": img_file}
    )

if response.status_code == 200:
    with open("result.png", "wb") as out:
        out.write(response.content)
    print("Background removed - saved as result.png")
else:
    print(f"Error: {response.status_code}", response.text)

Node.js Example

import fs from "fs";
import fetch from "node-fetch";
import FormData from "form-data";

const API_KEY = "your_api_key_here";
const IMAGE_PATH = "photo.jpg";

const form = new FormData();
form.append("image", fs.createReadStream(IMAGE_PATH));

const response = await fetch(
    "https://ai.drafterplus.nl/api/v1/images/remove-background",
    {
        method: "POST",
        headers: {
            Authorization: `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
            ...form.getHeaders()
        },
        body: form
    }
);

if (response.ok) {
    const buffer = await response.buffer();
    fs.writeFileSync("result.png", buffer);
    console.log("Saved result.png");
} else {
    console.error("Error:", response.status, await response.text());
}

Use Cases

• Product photos: clean white or transparent backgrounds for e-commerce listings
• Profile pictures: remove messy backgrounds before uploading avatars
• Presentations: drop subjects onto brand-coloured slides without a designer
• Batch processing: automate background removal for entire product catalogues

Get your free API key at ai.drafterplus.nl. No credit card required.

Word-of-mouth is powerful. DrafterPlus AI turns your recommendations into real, usable credits. Every friend you bring on board earns you more API requests at zero cost.

How Invite Links Work

Every DrafterPlus AI account gets a unique invite URL:

https://ai.drafterplus.nl/?invite=YOUR_USER_ID

When someone clicks your link and creates an account, the system ties their registration to you. Once they verify their email and sign in for the first time, your reward is credited automatically.

How Much Do You Earn?

You earn 10 credits per successful invite. A successful invite means the person completed sign-up through your link. There is no cap on how many people you can invite.

• 5 invites = 50 credits
• 20 invites = 200 credits
• 100 invites = 1000 credits

Where to Find Your Link

Log in at ai.drafterplus.nl and open the Earn Credits section of your dashboard. Your invite URL is displayed there, ready to copy.

Stack Credits for More API Usage

Referral credits add to your Global Credits pool. When your daily request allowance runs out, Global Credits automatically top up your balance, keeping your integrations alive without an upgrade. Share with your team, your community, or your Twitter followers and turn conversation into compute.

Ready to start? Sign up free and grab your invite link from the dashboard today.

The free tier gives you 20 API requests per day. That is a solid start - but if you need more, you have options before you ever open your wallet.

1. Complete Daily Tasks

The Earn Credits panel in your dashboard lists daily and one-time tasks. Completing them builds your Global Credits balance:

• Daily login streak
• Share on X (Twitter)
• Join the Discord server
• Star the GitHub repository
• Submit feedback

2. Invite Friends

Each successful invite earns you 10 credits. Invite five colleagues and you have effectively doubled a full day of free requests. Your invite link is at:

https://ai.drafterplus.nl/?invite=YOUR_USER_ID

3. Use a Discount Code

Discount codes on the Plans page can cut the cost of Pro or Plus, making an upgrade far cheaper than paying full price. Watch Discord and the blog for new codes.

4. Upgrade Your Plan

When free credits genuinely are not enough, upgrading unlocks significantly higher daily limits:

• Free: 20 requests/day
• Pro: 100 requests/day
• Plus: 500+ requests/day

What Are Global Credits?

Global Credits are separate from your daily allowance. They are earned through the rewards system and act as overflow capacity. When your daily limit hits zero, the platform dips into Global Credits automatically - no manual action needed. This means a good referral streak can effectively give you unlimited extra requests on busy days.

Comparison: Free vs Paying

• Active free user (tasks + referrals): 30-50 requests/day at no cost
• Pro (7.49 EUR/week): 100 requests/day, all models
• Anthropic direct: Pay-per-token, no free tier
• OpenAI: No free API tier, credit card required

Start free at ai.drafterplus.nl and hit the Earn Credits panel as your first stop.

Upgrading to Pro or Plus unlocks more daily requests, better models, and higher image generation limits. Discount codes make the upgrade even cheaper - sometimes dramatically so.

How Discount Codes Work

A discount code is a short alphanumeric string that you enter before checkout. It reduces the price either as a percentage off or as a fixed amount off the plan price. The discount applies to the first billing period unless stated otherwise.

Where to Enter Your Code

1. Go to ai.drafterplus.nl and sign in.
2. Navigate to the Plans page.
3. Find the discount code input field near the plan selection.
4. Type or paste your code and click Apply.
5. The updated price appears before you confirm payment.

Types of Discounts

• Percentage off: e.g. 20% off Pro - reduces the plan price by a proportion
• Fixed amount off: e.g. 2 EUR off any plan - flat reduction regardless of plan price
• Free trial extension: occasionally codes unlock a longer trial period

Where to Find Codes

• Discord: the #announcements and #deals channels are the fastest source of new codes
• This blog: we publish codes alongside product updates and new feature launches
• Community events: hackathons, product hunts, and community milestones sometimes come with exclusive codes
• Email: subscribers to the DrafterPlus AI newsletter receive codes directly

Stay Updated

The best way to never miss a discount is to join the Discord server and turn on notifications for the announcements channel. Codes are time-limited - they often expire within 24 to 72 hours of being shared.

No code right now? Start free at ai.drafterplus.nl - 20 free requests per day with no card required.