1stTop pick
Researched 44d agoGemma 4 31B IT
- MMLU-Pro
- 85.2%
- Output (from)
- Free
Best Free LLMs You Can Use Right Now (2026)
Last refreshed 2026-07-15. Next refresh: weekly.
Free LLMs you can use right now: zero-cost hosted tiers first, then open-weight models you can self-host. Updated as free tiers change.
Need the self-host and license-first view? Compare the open-source leaderboard for open-weight models ranked separately from hosted free-tier availability.
Verdict
Use Gemma 4 31B IT for free-tier work today.
Gemma 4 26B A4B IT is the runner-up, 3 points back on MMLU-Pro.
2ndShortlist
Researched 44d agoGemma 4 26B A4B IT
- MMLU-Pro
- 82.6%
- Output (from)
- Free
3rdShortlist
Researched 60d agoLaguna XS.2
- Capability signal
- —
- Output (from)
- Free
How we rank
Free leaders prioritize models with a current zero-dollar hosted tier, then fall back to open-weight models you can self-host without token fees.
- Eligibility — Models qualify if at least one current public/self-serve provider row lists both input and output token pricing as $0, or if the model is open-weight/self-host-capable under the same license flags used by /best/open-source.
- Primary ranking — Zero-cost hosted availability comes first. Within the hosted-free and open-weight fallback groups, rows sort by MMLU-Pro, then GPQA Diamond, then MMLU, then newer release. Podium cards keep hosted $0 routes ahead of open-weight fallback rows; a fallback card is labeled as self-host/no-token-fee rather than paid hosted output.
- Variant collapse — We keep one row per model family (`familySlug` + parameter tier). When headline scores tie within ±0.5 pt (±10 Elo on Chatbot Arena), we pick the canonical SKU by lowest tracked input price, then GA over preview or limited access, then newest `release`. A folded sibling within the benchmark noise band can show a "Tied within margin" chip on that score cell.
- Open-weight fallback — Open-weight fallback rows represent local or self-hosted use where the model itself has no token fee; you still need to budget your own compute.
- Related view — Use /best/open-source when the decision is license and self-host posture first; this free page answers what you can use at zero dollars right now.
| # | Model | Input $/1M | Output $/1M | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gemma 4 31B IT VisionTools Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 85.2% | Free | Free | |
| 2 | Gemma 4 26B A4B IT VisionTools Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 82.6% | Free | Free | |
| 3 | Nemotron 3 Nano Omni Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 71.8% | Free | Free | |
| 4 | Gemma 4 E4B IT Tools Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 69.4% | Free | Free | |
| 5 | Gemma 4 E2B IT Tools Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 60% | Free | Free | |
| 6 | gpt-oss-120b Tools Capability signal: GPQA Diamond 78.2% | Free | Free | |
| 7 | gpt-oss-20b Tools Capability signal: GPQA Diamond 68.8% | Free | Free | |
| 8 | CoBuddy ReasoningTools Capability signal: — | Free | Free | |
| 9 | Laguna XS.2 Capability signal: — | Free | Free | |
| 10 | Laguna M.1 Capability signal: — | Free | Free | |
| 11 | T5Gemma Tools Capability signal: — | Free | Free | |
| 12 | Gemma 3 Capability signal: — | Free | Free | |
| 13 | Gemma 3n Capability signal: — | Free | Free | |
| 14 | MedGemma VisionTools Capability signal: — | Free | Free | |
| 15 | MedSigLIP VisionTools Capability signal: — | Free | Free | |
| 16 | Qwen3.6-Plus VisionTools Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 88.5% | $0.33 | $1.95 | |
| 17 | Qwen3.6 Max Preview PreviewReasoningVisionTools Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 88.5% | $1.04 | $6.24 | |
| 18 | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ReasoningVisionTools Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 87.8% | $0.39 | $2.34 | |
| 19 | DeepSeek V4 Pro ReasoningTools Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 87.5% | $0.43 | $0.87 | |
| 20 | Qwen3.5-122B-A10B ReasoningVisionTools Capability signal: MMLU-Pro 86.7% | $0.26 | $2.08 |
Honorable mentions
Next seats in this ranking. Lines below are from each model's stored description in LLMReference seed data—spot-check the model page before relying on a capability claim.
Poolside Laguna M.1 — medium-tier coding-focused language model, available as a free preview on OpenRouter.
—
Capability signal
- #5T5Gemma
T5Gemma is Google's open encoder-decoder model family based on Gemma 2, not a Gemma 3 proprietary decoder-only model.
—
Capability signal
- #6Gemma 3
Lightweight, state-of-the-art open model built from the same technology that powers Gemini models. Available for free local deployment via Hugging Face and other hosting providers.
—
Capability signal
Compare Top Picks
Side-by-side comparison of the top picks by price, benchmark, and API access.
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Frequently asked questions
Which LLM is best for free-tier use?
Gemma 4 31B IT is the current LLMReference top pick for free-tier use. The verdict uses the stored category signal MMLU-Pro: 85.2%. Output pricing is listed as Free. Review the linked model and provider pages before production use because availability and pricing can change.
How does Gemma 4 31B IT compare to Gemma 4 26B A4B IT for free-tier use?
Gemma 4 31B IT leads Gemma 4 26B A4B IT in the visible shortlist on MMLU-Pro: 85.2% versus 82.6%. The pricing cards show Gemma 4 31B IT: output pricing is listed as free and Gemma 4 26B A4B IT: output pricing is listed as free.
How does LLMReference rank LLMs for free-tier use?
LLMReference ranks LLMs for free-tier use from stored model, benchmark, freshness, and pricing data. The current methodology summary is: Free leaders prioritize models with a current zero-dollar hosted tier, then fall back to open-weight models you can self-host without token fees.
How often is this list updated?
The LLM rankings on this page are updated daily as new benchmark scores, provider availability, and pricing data are tracked. The "as of" date at the top of the page shows the most recent refresh.
How do you decide which models appear in the top 3?
The podium picks are driven by the primary benchmark signal for this category (shown in the Methodology section), filtered to non-deprecated models with confirmed API availability. In ties, we prefer the more recently released model.
Are preview or beta models included?
Preview models appear in the "Watch list" section but are not in the main ranked podium unless the category explicitly allows it (e.g., /best/coding and /best/agents, where preview models often lead benchmarks).
Can I compare two specific models head-to-head?
Yes — use the Compare tool at llmreference.com/compare for a side-by-side breakdown of context window, pricing, benchmarks, and provider availability.
Is the pricing data real-time?
Pricing is tracked from provider documentation and updated regularly. It reflects the best available public data, not live API quotes — always verify before billing.