Can I sign up for free?

Last updated: February 27, 2026

Yes! You can use the API for free on a limited trial. Simply add a credit card to your account at any time to upgrade from the trial.

An account on the free tier has access to our pre-recorded audio transcription and Speech Understanding features using our Async /v2/transcript endpoint. It also has access to our streaming STT feature using our wss://streaming.assemblyai.com/v3/ws endpoint.

LLM Gateway is not available to accounts on the free tier.

An account on the free tier can process up to $50 in audio. If you upgrade your account before using $50 in transcription, any unused amount will be retained on your account.

Once you have used the $50 in free credits, you will need to upgrade your account to continue using the API.

What happens when you exceed the free tier limit?

While the free tier provides $50 in credits, users often wonder what exactly happens when they reach this limit. If you attempt to use the API without sufficient account balance, you’ll receive a specific error message:

{ "error": "Your current account balance is negative. Please top up to continue using the API." }

Managing your account balance

To avoid service interruptions:

  • Monitor your current balance on the Billing page of your account dashboard

  • Consider enabling autopay to automatically add funds when your balance reaches a certain threshold

  • Set up billing alerts to get notified before you run out of credits

Resolving negative balance errors

If you encounter the negative balance error:

  1. Go to your account’s Billing page

  2. Add a payment method if you haven’t already

  3. Add funds to your account or enable autopay

  4. Your API access will be restored once your balance is positive

This proactive approach helps ensure uninterrupted service for your applications.