Free to use, does not mean there are no conditions for use
Of course, you can start using free AI tools without paying, but "free" usually only means that you don't have to pay now. It does not mean that you can use it unlimited times, fully export it, use it for a long time, or use it for any commercial projects.
What you really have to look at are four things: how the credit is calculated, how often it resets, whether there are any limits on the exported results, and how you plan to use the results.
As long as one of these four items is inappropriate, the tool can still be used for testing, but it may not be able to complete your formal work.
First find out how the amount is deducted
Some free versions are limited by the number of messages, some count pictures, files, and videos separately, some give one-time points, and some reset every month. Just looking at the word “free” on the page doesn’t give you any idea of how much can be done.
For example, the description of the free version of OpenAI clearly states that the text model has a usage limit within a certain time window, and data analysis, file and image upload, and image generation also have their own restrictions. After reaching the upper limit, you have to wait for recovery or upgrade the plan. The specific number of times may vary depending on the model and system conditions.
Runway’s free plan is a different approach. It currently provides one-time generated points and will not be replenished regularly; different models consume different points based on the number of pictures or video seconds. Treating the one-time trial quota as a monthly free quota, it is easy to realize halfway through that you can’t continue.
- What is the quota calculated based on: messages, pictures, video seconds, points, or several tools sharing a pool?
- When does the credit reset: by hours, daily, monthly, or not at all?
- Will the quota be deducted for failed generation: After clicking Generate, even if the result cannot be used, will it still be consumed?
- Whether the functions of the same account have separate limits: Text can still be used, but it does not mean that files and pictures can also be used.
Watermarking and commercial use are two issues
Watermarks are not available in all free tools and may not appear on all content. Text tools usually do not have visible watermarks, images may have generation information or source certificates, and free versions of videos are more commonly marked by the platform.
Runway's current free plan description is very straightforward: videos generated by the free plan will have Runway watermarks, and only when you upgrade to the corresponding paid plan can they be produced without watermarks. This restriction and whether it can be used commercially are two different things - another usage rights statement from Runway states that the content generated by each plan can be used for commercial purposes, but the free films will still bear the platform mark.
So don’t understand “allowed for commercial use” to mean “can be exported without watermark”, and don’t understand “no watermark visible to the naked eye” to mean “no source information is generated”. Before official use, export a file and check the screen corners, endings, resolution, file format and metadata.
Commercial use is allowed, and it doesn’t end with just one sentence.
To determine whether it can be used commercially, you cannot just ask "Can something made with AI be used commercially?" At least you must distinguish the rules of the generation tool, the materials used in generation, and the final purpose.
Adobe's Firefly instructions currently allow builds to be used in commercial projects without special restrictions, but the free plan still runs on build credits. Canva’s rules are even more detailed: different terms may apply to content made by AI, free or Pro content in the Canva material library, and content in education accounts; using materials as part of a complete design is not the same thing as reselling the materials separately.
- Is there anyone else's photo, logo, character, music, or restricted material in the input?
- Will the result be put into a complete poster, or will it be resold as separate pieces?
- Are there any restrictions on account types, for example, only non-commercial use is allowed for educational plans?
- Does the product only say that you can use the results, or does it also promise that the results will not infringe the rights of others? These two things are usually different.
If the content is going to be used for trademarks, packaging, large-scale advertising, or delivered to clients, it’s a good idea to save the current proposal page and terms date and do a separate check on the source of the material.
Before registering, use six questions to understand the free version
There’s no need to read through dozens of pages of terms before signing up. First look for the following six answers on the price page, help center, and terms of use. If you can't find them, decide whether to try them.
- Is the free one a long-term plan or a one-time trial?
- How will the quota be deducted and when will it be reset?
- What models and features are available in the free version?
- Are there any watermarks, resolution or format restrictions on the export?
- Can the generated results be used in your specific business scenario?
- After canceling the subscription, what will happen to the projects, files and purchased credits?
If you are just learning and using it occasionally, the free version is often enough. If a job requires repeated generation, on-time delivery, multi-person collaboration, or watermark-free export, you should compare the paid plans as production costs, rather than constantly changing accounts or tools to hit quotas.
official information
The examples used in this article are all from the current official page of the product. The specific amount and terms are subject to the version displayed when the page is opened:
