8/11/2025

How to Get Free Credits on AI Generator Sites: A User's Guide

Hey there, fellow creator & tech enthusiast. Let's talk about something we all love: free stuff. Specifically, free credits for AI generator sites. Whether you're a digital artist, a musician, a developer, or just someone curious about the wild world of artificial intelligence, you've probably noticed that using these powerful tools can get pretty pricey. But here's the thing: it doesn't always have to be.

Honestly, there are a TON of ways to get your hands on free credits, letting you experiment, create, & innovate without breaking the bank. I've spent a lot of time digging into this, trying out different platforms, & figuring out the best strategies. It's not about finding some magic loophole; it's about knowing where to look & how these platforms operate. Turns out, many of them are more than happy to give you a taste of what they can do for free.

So, grab a coffee, get comfortable, & let's dive into the ultimate guide to snagging those sweet, sweet AI credits.

The "Why" Behind the Freebies: It's Not Just Generosity

First off, let's get one thing straight. Companies aren't just handing out free credits because they're nice (though I'm sure they are!). There's a solid business strategy behind it. Understanding this will actually help you find more opportunities.

Think about it from their perspective. The AI space is EXPLODING. New tools pop up almost every week. The competition is fierce. How do they get you to try their AI image generator or their AI video creator over all the others? They give you a free sample. It's the classic "try before you buy" model, supercharged for the digital age.

Here are a few reasons they're so generous with initial credits:

User Acquisition: The easiest way to get a massive user base is to lower the barrier to entry to zero. Free credits lure you in, get you to create an account, & get you hooked on their platform.
Feedback & Data: This is a big one. Especially for newer models, companies need a massive amount of data on how their AI performs in the real world. By letting you use their tools for free, they get valuable feedback on what works, what doesn't, & how people are actually using their technology. Some platforms, like OpenAI, even offer more free tokens if you agree to share your prompts & outputs to help them train their models.
Building a Community: Platforms like Midjourney, which famously operates primarily through Discord, thrive on community. By offering free trials, they populate their servers with active users who share their creations, help each other out, & create a vibrant ecosystem that's valuable in its own right.
Upselling: This one's pretty obvious. They're betting that once you see the incredible power of their AI, you'll be willing to pay for more. You'll burn through your initial free credits & think, "Wow, I just need a few more to finish this project." And that's how they convert you into a paying customer.

So, when you see "free credits," don't be cynical. See it for what it is: a symbiotic relationship. You get to play with cutting-edge tech for free, & they get a potential long-term customer & valuable data. It's a win-win.

The Most Common Ways to Score Free Credits

Alright, now for the good stuff. Here are the most common methods I've found for getting free credits on AI generator sites. I'll break them down & give you some real-world examples.

This is the most common & straightforward way to get free credits. Almost every AI platform offers a little something to get you started. It's their way of saying, "Hey, thanks for checking us out!"

How it works: You simply create a new account, & a batch of credits is automatically added to your profile.
What to expect: The amount varies wildly. Some platforms might give you a handful of credits, enough for a few generations, while others can be incredibly generous. For example, when DALL-E 2 first launched, new users got 50 free credits in their first month & 15 free credits each month after that. Fotor gives new users 8 free credits to start. OpenArt gives you a one-time bonus of 20 free credits on top of their free plan.

This is your first port of call on any new platform. Always assume there's a sign-up bonus waiting for you.

2. The Daily Grind: Recurring Credits & Free Tiers

This is where things get interesting. Some platforms don't just give you a one-time bonus; they offer a "free tier" that replenishes your credits on a regular basis. This is AMAZING for casual users or people who want to slowly chip away at a project.

How it works: You log in, & you'll have a certain number of credits waiting for you each day, week, or month.
What to expect:
- NightCafe: This artistic AI image generator gives you 5 free credits every day, & you can earn more by participating in their community, like voting on other creations.
- Suno: A popular AI music generator, Suno offers a free plan that gives you 50 credits per day, which is enough to generate about 10 songs. That's pretty generous!
- Leonardo.ai: A favorite among many AI artists, Leonardo.ai gives you 150 tokens daily, which can generate a decent number of images.
- Craiyon: Previously known as DALL-E Mini, Craiyon offers a completely free, ad-supported service with unlimited generations, though the quality might not be on par with the paid giants.

This model is fantastic because it encourages you to keep coming back & engaging with the platform. It's like a little AI allowance.

3. Join the Club: Community & Promotional Events

AI companies know the value of a strong community. They often reward users for being active participants.

How it works: By joining their Discord server, following them on social media, or participating in special events, you can earn extra credits.
What to expect:
- OpenArt: They explicitly state that joining their Discord community can earn you additional free credits. This is a great place to not only get freebies but also to learn from other users & see what's possible with the tool.
- DALL-E: They've been known to run promotional events where users can earn free credits for participating or completing certain tasks. Following their official social media channels is a good way to stay in the loop on these.
- Midjourney: While their free trial is notoriously on-again, off-again, they use their Discord server for all major announcements. If a new free trial period drops, that's where you'll hear about it first. They've also been known to offer free "fast hours" to paid subscribers who rate images, showing their commitment to community-driven improvement.

This is where being an active user really pays off. It's not just about what you can get, but what you can contribute.

4. The Buddy System: Referral Programs

Love a platform? Tell your friends! Many AI sites will reward you for spreading the word.

How it works: You get a unique referral link. When someone signs up using your link, you both get a bonus, usually in the form of free credits.
What to expect: Fotor and DALL-E have been mentioned as having referral programs. This is a super-easy way to rack up credits if you have a network of fellow creators or are active on forums & social media.

5. The "Shady" Method: Temporary Emails (Use with Caution!)

Okay, let's talk about the elephant in the room. Some YouTube videos & online forums talk about a "hack" to get unlimited free credits by using temporary or disposable email addresses to create multiple accounts.

How it works: You use a temporary email service to sign up for a new account, get the sign-up bonus, use the credits, & then repeat the process.
Why you should be careful: While this can work on some platforms, it's almost always against their terms of service. You risk getting your accounts banned, & honestly, it's a bit of a pain. Plus, it undermines the business model that allows these tools to exist in the first place. I'm including it here for the sake of completeness, but I'd recommend sticking to the more legitimate methods.

A Look at the Big Players: OpenAI, Midjourney, & More

Let's zoom in on some of the most popular platforms & see how their free offerings stack up.

OpenAI (GPT & DALL-E)

OpenAI is the 800-pound gorilla in the AI room. Their models, like GPT for text & DALL-E for images, are often considered the state of the art.

GPT (for developers): If you're a developer looking to build on top of OpenAI's models, there are a few ways to get free credits. They have a program for startups that can grant significant API credits, sometimes up to $2,500. They've also run programs where you can get free tokens by allowing them to use your data for training. This is a great option for businesses & researchers.
DALL-E: For individual users, DALL-E's free credit system has changed over time. Initially, they offered a generous monthly allowance. Now, access is often bundled with other services, like Microsoft's Bing Image Creator, which uses DALL-E models & is free to use. They also have an Artist Assistance Program that can provide subsidized access for artists in need.

Midjourney

Midjourney is famous for its stunningly artistic & high-quality images. It's also famous for its elusive free trial.

The Free Trial: Midjourney has offered a free trial in the past, typically giving users around 25 free generations. However, they've paused the trial multiple times due to overwhelming demand. The best way to know if the trial is active is to join their Discord server & keep an eye on announcements. When they do open it up, it's often for a limited time to celebrate a new version launch or other events.
The "Trick": With Midjourney's 25 free jobs, each job actually generates a grid of four images. So, technically, you can get 100 images out of the trial if you're willing to crop them yourself.

Image Generators Galore

Beyond the big two, there's a whole universe of AI image generators with great free offerings:

Fotor: Offers 8 free credits on sign-up & more through daily check-ins & community participation.
OpenArt: Provides a free plan with daily credits for their basic models & a 20-credit bonus to try premium features.
Dream Studio (Stability AI): Gives you 25 free credits to start, which is enough for about 120 images with default settings. The credits don't renew, but their paid plans are quite affordable.
NightCafe: A personal favorite for its community focus, offering 5 free credits daily & more for voting.

Beyond Images: AI Video & Music

The world of AI generation goes way beyond static images. Video & music generators are getting incredibly good, & many offer free credits too.

AI Video Generators: Platforms like Flora AI have offered promotions with up to 2,000 free credits to try out a suite of different video generation models. Others like Kling & Vidu have free plans with a certain number of monthly or daily credits.
AI Music Generators: Suno, as mentioned, has a fantastic free tier with 50 credits daily. Other services like AIMusicGen.ai & Tad AI also offer free versions with daily credit resets, allowing you to create royalty-free music.

Making the Most of Your Free Credits

Getting the credits is one thing; using them effectively is another. Here are some tips to maximize your free-tier experience:

Start Small: When you're trying a new platform, don't go for a super-complex, high-resolution generation right away. These often cost more credits. Start with lower-quality settings to experiment with your prompts & get a feel for the AI's style.
Learn Prompting: The quality of your output is directly related to the quality of your input. Spend time learning how to write effective prompts. Look at what other users are creating & the prompts they're using. A well-crafted prompt can save you from wasting credits on bad generations.
Plan Your Projects: If you have a specific project in mind, plan it out before you start generating. This will help you use your credits more intentionally instead of just burning through them on random experiments.
Use Multiple Platforms: Don't be loyal to just one tool! Each AI has its own strengths & weaknesses. Use the free credits from various platforms to see which one works best for your specific needs. One might be great for photorealism, while another excels at cartoon styles.

The Future of "Free" in AI

The landscape of AI is constantly shifting, & the way companies handle free access will continue to evolve. We might see more ad-supported models like Craiyon, or more platforms offering free tokens in exchange for training data. Google is even investing heavily in free AI education for students, providing them with tools & credits to build skills for the future.

This is where understanding your own needs becomes crucial. If you're a business looking to integrate AI into your customer service, for example, a free trial is just the first step. You'll want a platform that allows you to scale. This is an area where a tool like Arsturn comes into play. While you might use free credits on an image generator for a blog post, a service like Arsturn helps businesses build their own custom AI. You can create no-code AI chatbots trained on your own company data. These bots can then handle customer service inquiries, provide instant support, & engage with website visitors 24/7, turning a curious visitor into a happy customer. It’s a great example of how AI can be practically applied beyond just content creation. For a business, testing a chatbot built on your own data is the ultimate "try before you buy," and Arsturn's platform makes that possible.

Ultimately, these free credits are more than just a way to save a few bucks. They're a gateway. They allow us to learn, to experiment, & to be part of one of the most exciting technological revolutions in human history. They democratize creativity, giving everyone the power to bring their ideas to life.

So go out there, sign up for some accounts, join some communities, & start creating. The world of AI is at your fingertips, & for the most part, you can get started for free.

Hope this guide was helpful! Let me know what you think, & if you have any other tips for finding free AI credits, share them in the comments. Happy generating