Blog · 2026-07-12

Free Groq API: The Fastest Free LLM Inference in 2026

If you want a free Groq API that answers in milliseconds, you no longer need a credit card or a paid plan, just a free API key that takes seconds to create at /account. Groq runs its models on custom LPU hardware, which pushes token generation to hundreds of tokens per second. Paired with the DreamPrompting gateway, you get that speed for free through a standard OpenAI-compatible endpoint. This guide shows you exactly how to call it and why the speed matters for chat and agents.

Why Groq is the speed king

Most LLM providers run on GPUs. Groq built a Language Processing Unit (LPU) designed for one job, streaming tokens fast. The result is inference that feels instant. Where a typical GPU-backed model might deliver 30 to 60 tokens per second, Groq routinely serves several hundred. For interactive chat, that is the difference between waiting and reading in real time. For agent loops that chain many calls, it compounds into a dramatic wall-clock speedup.

Speed also changes how you design an app. When responses are near instant, you can afford richer prompts, longer system instructions, and extra reasoning steps without punishing the user with a spinner. A free Groq API lets you test all of that at zero cost before you commit to a paid plan, so you learn what your product actually needs rather than guessing.

Through the free Groq API on DreamPrompting, Groq serves fast open models including GPT-OSS 120B, GPT-OSS 20B and Qwen 3.6. Groq retired its Llama models in August 2026, so a snippet naming one of those now returns a 404. You can browse the full lineup on the models page.

How to use the free Groq API

The gateway is OpenAI-compatible, so any tool or SDK that talks to OpenAI works without changes. Point the base URL at https://dreamprompting.com/api/v1, pass your free API key, and either pin Groq directly or let the router pick it.

Here is a curl request to the free Groq API, pinning the Llama 3.3 70B model:

curl https://dreamprompting.com/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "groq/openai/gpt-oss-120b",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Explain LPUs in one sentence."}
    ]
  }'

The same endpoint works with the official OpenAI Python SDK. Just change two arguments:

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://dreamprompting.com/api/v1",
    api_key="YOUR_API_KEY",
)

resp = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="groq/openai/gpt-oss-120b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Give me three startup name ideas."}],
)
print(resp.choices[0].message.content)

Streaming for real-time chat

Groq speed shines when you stream. Set "stream": true and tokens arrive as they are generated, so a chat UI fills in almost instantly. Because the underlying inference is so fast, the perceived latency drops close to zero.

stream = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="groq/openai/gpt-oss-120b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Write a haiku about fast tokens."}],
    stream=True,
)
for chunk in stream:
    delta = chunk.choices[0].delta.content or ""
    print(delta, end="", flush=True)

Want to try it without writing code first? Open the chat playground and watch the responses stream in live.

Why the free Groq API matters for agents

Agents are latency-bound. A single task can trigger a dozen model calls for planning, tool selection, and reflection. On slow inference, those calls stack up into seconds of dead time. With the free Groq API, each step returns fast, so the whole loop stays snappy. That makes Groq an excellent default for reasoning-heavy workflows. See the agents guide for patterns, and the API docs for the full parameter list including tool calling and the GET /api/v1/models endpoint.

One honest note. This is a free Groq API because it proxies Groq's free tier through the gateway, with automatic failover to other providers if Groq is busy. It is perfect for prototyping, side projects, and moderate traffic. For heavy production use, bring your own Groq key so you control the quota directly.

FAQ

Is the free Groq API really free? Yes, and there is no credit card at any point. You do need a key, and it is free: sign in with Google at /account, copy the key, and start sending requests. Limits are 100 per minute plus a rolling 24 hour account quota of 5,000 requests and 500,000 tokens.

Which Groq models can I use? GPT-OSS 120B, GPT-OSS 20B, Qwen 3.6 27B and Compound are available today. The Llama models Groq used to serve were retired upstream. Pin one with groq/openai/gpt-oss-120b or check the models page for the current list.

What happens if Groq is overloaded? The gateway automatically fails over to another live provider, so your request still completes. Using "auto" makes that routing seamless while keeping Groq as the primary.

Start building

The fastest free LLM inference in 2026 is a single request away. Browse the full lineup on the models page, then open the chat playground to see Groq stream in real time.

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