Building AI-Powered Apps for Free in 2026 — The Complete Guide

If this is useful, a ❤️ helps others find it. I've shipped multiple apps with AI features. My AI infrastructure cost: $0/month. Here's exactly how — every tool, every limit, every workaround. The free AI toolkit 1. Gemini API — Google AI Studio Free tier: 500 req/day (Gemini 2.5 Flash), no credit card Best for: Strong reasoning, document analysis, code debugging Get it: aistudio.google.com 2. Ollama — Local LLMs Free tier: Unlimited (runs on your machine) Best for: Privacy-sensitive data, offlin