Weekly Free & Discounted AI APIs Roundup - Aug 28 2026
Every active AI API discount and free credit for the week ending Aug 28 2026: GLM-5.3-Flash 50% off, TokenRhythm ¥68 signup credit + DeepSeek V4 Pro 2.5x, Cursor/ChatGPT/Claude/Copilot annual savings, and free tier options from Gemini / NVIDIA NIM / Ollama.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the cheapest paid AI API right now?
As of August 28 2026, GLM-5.3-Flash at 50% off (¥0.4 per 1M input / ¥1.4 per 1M output) is the cheapest, with DeepSeek V4 Flash at ¥1/¥2 close behind. Both are dramatically cheaper than GPT-5.6 Luna ($0.20/$1.20).
How do I get free AI API credits?
Three reliable options: TokenRhythm gives ¥68 free credits on phone signup (no credit card). Google Gemini API offers a generous free tier with 1M context. NVIDIA NIM and Ollama are completely free for local/self-hosted use.
Is the GLM-5.3-Flash 50% off deal still active?
Yes, until September 30 2026. After that, pricing returns to standard. The discount applies to all input and output tokens, making it the most cost-efficient multimodal API on the market at ¥0.4/¥1.4 per 1M tokens.
Want more AI pricing comparisons?
Check our price changelog for daily updates on AI model pricing, new releases, and deprecations.