How to Get a Free AI API Key (Groq, Gemini, Cerebras)

You don't need a credit card to start using CesaFlow. Three providers offer genuinely free API tiers with no billing required:

Option 1: Groq (Recommended)

Groq offers Llama 3.3 70B and Mixtral 8x7B for free. It's the fastest inference available and has no credit card requirement.

1. Go to console.groq.com/keys
2. Sign up with Google or email
3. Click "Create API Key"
4. Copy your key (starts with gsk_...)

Rate limits: 30 requests/minute, 14,400 requests/day. More than enough for normal development.

Option 2: Google Gemini

1. Go to aistudio.google.com/app/apikey
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Click "Create API Key"
4. Copy your key (starts with AIza...)

Gemini 1.5 Flash is free with generous rate limits.

Option 3: Cerebras

1. Go to cloud.cerebras.ai
2. Sign up (no credit card)
3. Create an API key from the dashboard

Cerebras offers the world's fastest inference — ideal for iterative development.

Connecting to CesaFlow

1. Download CesaFlow IDE or go to cesaflow.ai/register
2. Select your provider (Groq, Gemini, or Cerebras)
3. Paste your API key
4. Click "Connect" — you're ready to build