# Supercharge Your Coding with Trae + OpenRouter: Free Access to Powerful AI Models

## What is [Trae](https://www.trae.ai/)?

[Trae](https://www.trae.ai/) [(/tr](https://www.trae.ai/)eɪ/) is your helpful coding partner. It offers features like AI Q&A, code auto-completion, and agent-based AI programming capabilities. When developing projects with Trae, you can collaborate with AI to enhance your development efficiency.​  

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1744200269893/3d0fd556-0c0e-4527-983a-60272827dd46.jpeg align="center")

## What is [OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai/)?

OpenRouter provides a unified API that gives you access to hundreds of AI models through a single endpoint, while automatically handling fallbacks and selecting the most cost-effective options. Get started with just a few lines of code using your preferred SDK or framework.

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1744201107875/9788e830-f615-4265-a23a-49dd89e76df4.jpeg align="center")

  
With OpenRouter, we can access the most powerful AI available today for free, with no extra costs, no need for self-hosting, and no requirement for a powerful PC.  

## Why Combine Trae + OpenRouter?

By integrating OpenRouter into Trae, you unlock access to cutting-edge AI models directly in your code editor—for free. No overhead, just productivity.

##   
Step-by-Step: Use OpenRouter in Trae

* **Open Trae**, then click on the **AI Model Selection** button at the bottom-right corner.
    
* Click **\+ Add Model**.
    

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1744201734913/81b6734d-a79d-47bf-b748-92050159ffb5.png align="center")

* In the modal:
    
    * Choose **OpenRouter** from the provider dropdown.
        
    * Select **Other models** in the second dropdown.
        
* Now fill in:
    
    * **Model ID** (choose one below).
        
    * **API Key** (generate one [here](https://openrouter.ai/settings/keys)).  
          
        

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1744201890544/6d8c9609-8c0f-47d0-9730-2e694b5423c8.png align="center")

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1744201981517/b1c9ced7-34cb-4c3f-88dc-be102a9ea98f.png align="center")

## Recommended Free Models

You can use any model labeled as `free` on [OpenRouter Models](https://openrouter.ai/models) [or Rankings](https://openrouter.ai/models)[. Here a](https://openrouter.ai/rankings)re a [few top pick](https://openrouter.ai/models)[s:](https://openrouter.ai/rankings)

### 🧠 [Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental](https://openrouter.ai/google/gemini-2.0-flash-exp)

**ID:** `google/gemini-2.0-flash-thinking-exp`[`:free`  
](https://openrouter.ai/models)An experimental version of Gemini 2.0 Flash with enhanced reasoning and "thinking process" generation.

### 🚀 Gemini 2.5 Pro

**ID:** `google/gemini-2.5-pro-exp-03-25:free`  
Google’s most advanced AI—excels at coding, reasoning, scientific queries, and ranked #1 on the LMArena leaderboard.

### 🧩 [Llama-3.1-Nemotron-Ultra-253B-v1](https://openrouter.ai/nvidia/llama-3.1-nemotron-ultra-253b-v1:free)

**ID:** `nvidia/llama-3.1-nemotron-ultra-253b-v1:free`  
Optimized for reasoning, RAG, and tool use. Designed for large-context, low-latency inference.

**Note:** Add detailed reasoning instructions in the *system prompt* to unlock full capabilities.

### 📊 [Qwen2.5-VL](https://openrouter.ai/qwen/qwen2.5-vl-72b-instruct:free/api)

**ID:** `qwen/qwen2.5-vl-72b-instruct:free`  
Great for visual tasks—recognizes objects, charts, graphics, and layouts within images.

## Conclusion

By connecting **Trae** with **OpenRouter**, you bring the world’s best free AI models into your editor. Whether you’re coding, debugging, or experimenting, this integration levels up your development flow—without extra cost or complexity.