Quota cheat sheet · Gemini / Claude / Copilot / Cursor · domestic APIs · token discipline · remote Mac CLI
If your daily driver is Windows but you want Gemini CLI, Claude Code, or Cursor without another $20/month subscription, free quotas in June 2026 are more generous than most developers assume—they are just scattered across vendor docs. Bottom line: OAuth sign-ins plus domestic API signup credits can cover routine coding; pairing OpenCode or OpenClaw with free keys keeps monthly API spend near zero. This guide covers: a single comparison table, install and model-switch paths, China-accessible API wiring, ten token-saving rules, a remote-Mac decision matrix, and FAQ. Pair with our Agent Skill guide and OpenRouter CLI ranking.
Snapshot as of June 2026. Limits change—always confirm on official pages. Google’s Gemini CLI → Antigravity pivot is covered in our policy controversy article.
| Tool | Free quota | Paid account? | China direct | Best free angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini CLI (OAuth) | ~1,000 req/day, 60/min | No | Needs proxy | No card, Flash/Pro mix |
| Gemini API (AI Studio) | Flash ~1,500/day | No | Needs proxy | Pro ~100/day |
| Codex CLI | Free ChatGPT (limited) | No | Needs proxy | GPT-5.x-Codex sandbox |
| OpenCode | Tool free; API billed | No | With domestic API | 75+ providers |
| OpenClaw | Tool free | No | With domestic API | Reuse Gemini CLI OAuth |
| Copilot Free | 2,000 completions + 50 premium/mo | No | Yes | Zero-cost trial |
| Copilot Student | Full Pro (~300 premium/mo) | Student verify | Yes | ~$10/mo value |
| Cursor Hobby | 2,000 Tab + 50 slow premium/mo | No | Yes | Full VS Code fork |
| SiliconFlow | ~20M signup tokens | No | Yes | DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM |
| Alibaba Bailian | ~70M tokens | No | Yes | 70+ models |
Fragmented quotas: CLI OAuth, IDE free tiers, and API signup gifts live in three silos—easy to double-pay.
Hidden token sinks: /init full-repo scans in Claude Code or Codex can burn a month of free API in one session.
Platform friction: OAuth browser callbacks, macOS keychain prompts, and Seatbelt sandboxes fail on SSH-only or non-Mac hosts.
Policy churn: Google’s 2026 CLI roadmap shifts mean you need backup APIs, not a single vendor lock-in.
Install globally, run gemini, choose Sign in with Google. Credentials cache locally; daily quota resets automatically. Switch models with /model; check usage via /stats model.
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
gemini
# 1. Sign in with Google
# /model — switch model
# /stats model — quotaWarning: Do not proxy OAuth tokens to third-party gateways—Google explicitly forbids it.
Rust-based with OS-level sandbox. Free ChatGPT OAuth works for a limited window; in China, point at SiliconFlow or similar:
openai_base_url = "https://api.siliconflow.cn/v1"
model = "deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V3"
sandbox_mode = "workspace-write"
web_search = "disabled"
approval_policy = "on-request"| Dimension | Gemini CLI OAuth | Codex + domestic API |
|---|---|---|
| Daily ceiling | ~1,000 requests | Signup credits vary |
| China without VPN | No | Yes |
| Sandbox | Moderate | Strong workspace mode |
| Best for | Overseas network + volume | China + DeepSeek/Qwen |
Claude Code needs Pro/Max or a cheap relay API. Install via curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash. Never run /init on entire monorepos unless you intend to pay—target single files.
OpenCode (~146K GitHub stars) is free software; wire free keys through /connect. One-liner: curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash.
OpenClaw can inherit Gemini CLI OAuth: openclaw models auth login --provider google-gemini-cli --set-default, feeding ~1,000 free daily calls into agent workflows. See our OpenClaw archive on the blog index.
Install OpenCode or OpenClaw; finish onboard.
Paste SiliconFlow or Bailian keys in /connect or config JSON.
Route easy tasks to Flash or DeepSeek-V3; reserve Pro/Claude for hard problems.
Optional local GPU: ollama pull qwen3:8b for unlimited offline inference.
Validate OAuth, permissions, and Gateway UI in a VNC macOS session—SSH-only often blocks the flow.
| Feature | Copilot Free | Copilot Student | Cursor Hobby |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completions | 2,000/mo | Pro-level | 2,000 Tab/mo |
| Premium agent calls | 50/mo | 300/mo | 50 slow/mo |
| Barrier | GitHub account | .edu / student ID | Sign up |
| Student bonus | — | Auto Pro | 1 yr Pro via GitHub Education |
Light patching and exploration fit the free caps; daily agent refactors need CLI free tiers or paid upgrades. Track Cursor at app.cursor.sh/account/usage.
All endpoints below work without a VPN from mainland China (amounts per vendor):
https://api.siliconflow.cn/v1https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-xxxx"
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="https://api.siliconflow.cn/v1"
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL="https://api.siliconflow.cn/v1"
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-xxxx"Reference numbers: SiliconFlow signup ≈ ¥14 permanent credit; Bailian ~70M tokens (time-limited bundle); Zhipu ~20M permanent; Groq ~14,400 RPD free tier. Combined, a solo dev can run 3–6 months of side projects at $0 API cost depending on agent depth.
Ban reckless /init full-repo scans.
Name explicit file paths in every prompt.
Default to Flash / Flash-Lite for triage.
Set 80% quota alerts in provider consoles.
Spread load across legitimate signup credits.
Use Ollama for embeddings and micro-edits.
Trim system prompts to cut per-call overhead.
Scan OpenRouter free routes: openclaw models scan.
Watch vendor promo seasons for voucher drops.
Run 24/7 agents on a rented Mac instead of a sleeping laptop.
| Scenario | Windows local | Rented VNC Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code Seatbelt | Unavailable | Native |
| OAuth browser callback | Often broken | One-shot GUI auth |
| OpenClaw Gateway 24/7 | Sleep risk | Cloud always-on |
| iOS / Xcode | Not supported | Same node |
Yes for personal Google OAuth: ~1,000 requests/day, no card required. Do not relay tokens through proxies.
Domestic APIs (SiliconFlow, Bailian, Zhipu) plus OpenCode or Codex CLI with OpenAI-compatible base URLs.
For light Tab completion and occasional agent calls, yes. Heavy agent loops need Pro or student Pro.
June 2026 free AI coding stacks on three legs: overseas CLI OAuth, domestic API signup gifts, and open agents wired to your own keys. Pin the quota table nearby, kill full-repo /init, and route grunt work to Flash—you can stay near $0 for months.
Windows-first developers still hit hidden tax: no macOS Seatbelt, broken OAuth callbacks, laptop sleep killing Gateway, and iOS builds on another machine. Free tools installed on the wrong OS cost calendar time, not just subscription fees.
If you are wiring this stack and need a stable macOS shell for OAuth, OpenClaw Gateway, and Xcode in one place, VNCMac rents physical Mac nodes—use the primary button below for pricing and validate everything in a real GUI session.