Free tier - verified
Is the NVIDIA API Catalog free?
Yes. The NVIDIA API Catalog offers free NIM API access for prototyping through the NVIDIA Developer Program. Whether a card is required is not stated. Whether it trains on your data is not stated.
Read from docs.api.nvidia.com, assets.ngc.nvidia.com, build.nvidia.com. Compare every free LLM API
- Offer
- Free tier
- Card required
- Not stated
- Trains on data
- Not stated
- Verified
- 2026-10-18
The offer
- Offer class
Standing free tier
Recorded as: free trial / prototyping access
“Members of the NVIDIA Developer Program have free access to NIM API endpoints for prototyping, and to downloadable NIM microservices for research, application development, and experimentation on up to 16 GPUs on any infrastructure”
docs.api.nvidia.com - How to get it
"Developers can join the free NVIDIA Developer Program and access NIM at any time via the NVIDIA API catalog at build.nvidia.com."
- Card required
Not stated
Free-tier limits
Values are copied exactly as the provider publishes them, units included. Not stated means the public docs give no value.
Per-model free limits: Not stated
No numeric request, token or credit limits are published on the NVIDIA pages read. The trial terms only say use 'may be limited to a certain number of API access instances or by API access duration' and that NVIDIA 'may extend trial service credits'.
From the limits docs
“Your use of an API Service may be limited to a certain number of API access instances or by API access duration. NVIDIA may extend trial service credits ("Credits") to you to access and use the API Services for trial purposes only and after you register as a user.”
Does it train on your data?
Not stated
Trial terms say content is not stored or used after each session
Not stated in training terms; trial terms say NVIDIA will not store or use content after each session (with exceptions such as fine-tuning and abuse monitoring).
“Except as stated below in Section 2.4 or unless expressly disclosed to you for an API Service, NVIDIA will not store or use User Content or Generated Content at the end of each API Service session.”
“When you provide, make available, or create User Content or Generated Content on or through the API Service, you grant NVIDIA, its affiliates and their service providers a worldwide license with respect to User Content and Generated Content, to use, host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works (such as those resulting from translations, adaptations or other changes), display and transmit such User Content and Generated Content during your API Service session solely to provide you with the API Service and as otherwise described in this Agreement or expressly disclosed to you for an API Service.”
Restrictions
Not for production
“Subject to this Agreement, NVIDIA will provide you access to the API Service for limited trial purposes only and without use of the API Service or Generated Content in production.”
assets.ngc.nvidia.com Prototyping only
“NIM access through the NVIDIA Developer Program is for prototyping, research, development and testing purposes only and does not include enterprise features or support.”
docs.api.nvidia.com Definition of production
“Production use involves any use of NIM for purposes other than development, testing, research or evaluation such as conducting business transactions and any non-testing activity including activity serving real end-users. Using NIM in production requires an NVIDIA AI Enterprise license.”
docs.api.nvidia.com Can be ended at any time
“Additionally, NVIDIA may at any time terminate the availability, or your use, of the API Service.”
assets.ngc.nvidia.com
Upgrade path
"To use NIM In production, your organization must have an NVIDIA AI Enterprise license. These licenses start at $4500 per GPU per year or ~ $1 per GPU per hour in the cloud." A free 90-day NVIDIA AI Enterprise Trial is also offered.
FAQ
Is the NVIDIA API Catalog free?
Yes. The NVIDIA API Catalog offers free NIM API access for prototyping through the NVIDIA Developer Program. Whether a card is required is not stated. Whether it trains on your data is not stated.
What are the NVIDIA API Catalog free limits?
No numeric limits published; trial use may be limited by instances or duration. No numeric request, token or credit limits are published on the NVIDIA pages read. The trial terms only say use 'may be limited to a certain number of API access instances or by API access duration' and that NVIDIA 'may extend trial service credits'.
Does NVIDIA API Catalog train on your data?
Not stated (Trial terms say content is not stored or used after each session). The terms say: "Except as stated below in Section 2.4 or unless expressly disclosed to you for an API Service, NVIDIA will not store or use User Content or Generated Content at the end of each API Service session."
Sources
Last verified from NVIDIA API Catalog's own pages below. Quotes are verbatim.
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