Nemotron 3.5 Lightning by OpenRouter

Create a free OpenRouter key (no card), point any OpenAI SDK at https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 and use the model ID below. Free variants cap at 20 requests a minute and 50 a day until you buy 10 credits.

Access
Free API tier
Free limits
20 RPM · 50 RPD (1,000 RPD after 10+ credits)
Modality
text
Credit card
Not required
Commercial use
Unclear, verify
Context window
1,000,000 tokens
Rate limit
20 RPM · 50 RPD
Model ID
nvidia/nemotron-3.5-lightning:free
Base URL
https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
Checked
Nov 11, 2026

Benchmarks

AA Intelligence Index
6 · Artificial Analysis, Nov 11 2026
Tested as Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
AA output speed
244 tok/s · Artificial Analysis, Nov 11 2026
Tested as Nemotron 3.5 Lightning · median across API providers
AA cost per Intelligence Index task
$0.31 · Artificial Analysis, Nov 11 2026
Tested as Nemotron 3.5 Lightning

Numbers are copied from the linked public leaderboards for this exact model and version. The free endpoint can run a different reasoning setting or quantization than the tested one.

Quickstart

curl https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $KEY" \
  -d '{"model":"nvidia/nemotron-3.5-lightning:free","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"hi"}]}'

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Frequently asked

Is Nemotron 3.5 Lightning free?

Yes. OpenRouter offers it as Free API tier with these limits: 20 RPM · 50 RPD (1,000 RPD after 10+ credits). No credit card is required.

Can I use Nemotron 3.5 Lightning commercially?

Commercial terms are not clearly documented. Check the provider's current terms before shipping.

How do I start using Nemotron 3.5 Lightning?

Get a free API key from the provider dashboard. Set the base URL to https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 and the model to nvidia/nemotron-3.5-lightning:free. Create a free OpenRouter key (no card), point any OpenAI SDK at https://openrouter.ai/api/v1 and use the model ID below. Free variants cap at 20 requests a minute and 50 a day until you buy 10 credits.

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