If you're picking an AI coding tool, the three market leaders all offer genuine free entry points—no credit card, no payment info, just sign up and go. But their approaches couldn't be more different: some gate models, some gate usage, and some gate both.
This article sticks to facts from the official pricing pages. No hype, no speculation: what each free tier actually gives you, what it holds back, and which one fits your workflow.
ChatGPT Free: GPT-5.6 Terra access, but only through specific channels
ChatGPT Free is the most generous of the three in model access—free users get limited GPT-5.6 Terra via desktop Work and Codex, while standard chat runs on GPT-5.5 Instant with 27K context. OpenAI's free tier is the most generous of the three in one specific way: it lets free users touch the GPT-5.6 family (source).
According to ChatGPT's official pricing feature grid, here's the actual model access breakdown:
| Model | Free Access? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.5 Instant | ✅ | Main chat model, 27K context, ~12 pages input |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | ✅ (limited) | Only via desktop ChatGPT Work and Codex |
| GPT-5.6 Sol | ❌ | Requires Go or above |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | ❌ | Requires Go or above |
| GPT-5 Thinking Mini | ❌ | Requires Go or above |
This isn't a chat-only free tier. ChatGPT Free also includes Codex (limited), desktop ChatGPT Work (limited), Deep Research (limited), data analysis (limited), vision (limited), file uploads, and web search. Every feature is labeled "limited"—OpenAI doesn't publish exact numbers and throttles dynamically based on load and abuse detection.
One notable limitation: the pricing page explicitly marks Free tier response times as "bandwidth and availability constrained" (source). During peak hours, paid users get priority and you may wait longer. The official FAQ summary text still says "limited GPT-5.5 Instant access" without highlighting Terra availability, suggesting Terra on Free is a relatively recent adjustment that could change again.
Claude Free: fewer models, but the most complete tool ecosystem
Claude Free gives you Haiku and Sonnet but holds back Opus—what it lacks in model breadth it makes up for with the most complete free-tool ecosystem: web search, code execution, MCP connectors, and desktop extensions all included. Anthropic gives Free users Haiku and Sonnet but holds back Opus (source). Sounds modest on models, but Claude Free's tool chain is the most complete of all three:
- Web search: available on Free (source)
- Code execution: create files, run code—all on Free
- MCP connectors: integrate Slack, Google Workspace, and external services
- Desktop extensions: full macOS/Windows desktop app access
- Extended thinking: complex reasoning features included
- Cross-conversation memory: Memory feature on Free
Claude's strategy is to gate models, not tools. The goal is for you to experience the full ecosystem and upgrade because you want Opus, not because features are broken. Anthropic doesn't publish exact usage numbers—instead, a dual-layer "5-hour rolling window + weekly cap" system applies (source), with Free receiving roughly half the limits of paid tiers. If you stick to Haiku, that 50% quota goes a long way; Sonnet will feel the ceiling more quickly.
Compared to ChatGPT's approach of hiding GPT-5.6 Terra behind specific entry points, Claude Free is more transparent: models that are included work everywhere, and models that aren't are simply unavailable.
Cursor Hobby: the smoothest IDE-integrated experience
Cursor Hobby gates usage, not features—every editor capability is accessible on the free tier, but Agent requests and Tab completions are capped tight enough that it's for evaluation, not daily driving. Cursor's free tier is called Hobby—no credit card, download and start coding (source). Unlike the other two, Cursor's value isn't just in the models but in how deeply the editor and agent are integrated.
Per the official Cursor pricing page, Hobby's key constraints are:
- Agent requests: Limited
- Tab completions: Limited
- Composer: Available
Cursor doesn't publish exact Hobby limits ("Limited Agent requests"), but in practice, light daily use (a few agent requests plus tab completions) usually lasts the month. Continuous multi-round agent sessions will hit the ceiling fast. Hobby includes Cursor's first-party models (Grok 4.6, Grok 4.5, Composer 2.5, Auto routing), and third-party model usage draws from the same Hobby pool.
Cursor's strategy is to gate usage, not features. Every editor capability is accessible on Hobby—there's just not enough quota for daily driving. This is classic "try before you buy": experience how smooth Cursor's tab completions and Agent feel, then upgrade because the productivity gain is worth it.
Which free tier should you start with?
Start with ChatGPT Free to get coding fastest, pick Claude Free for model quality and tool ecosystem, or download Cursor Hobby for the best IDE integration—or combine all three at zero cost.
If you prioritize model quality and tool ecosystem: Claude Free. Sonnet delivers consistently good code quality, 200K context handles large files, and MCP connectors plug into your existing tool stack. If you code daily, Haiku's quota lasts much longer than Sonnet's.
If you want the best AI IDE integration: Download Cursor Hobby. The editor-agent synergy is something the other two can't replicate. While Hobby's agent and tab limits run out fast, it's enough to decide whether Cursor clicks for you.
The power-user combo: many developers run Claude Free for coding + Cursor Hobby for IDE experience + ChatGPT Free for quick Q&A and brainstorming. The three free tiers together cover most of the daily coding tool surface without spending a cent.