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If you're trying out AI music tools without committing to a subscription, the free tier is everything. But "free" means very different things depending on the app — and those differences matter a lot if you want to actually use what you create.
Here's an honest breakdown of what the major tools give you at no cost in 2026.
Suno: 7 lifetime downloads (starting September 3, 2026)
Suno recently announced a significant change to its free tier: starting September 3, free users will be limited to 7 total downloads not per month, not per week. Seven downloads, ever. Songs created before that date count toward the cap too.
You can still generate unlimited songs on the free plan (50 credits per day, renewing daily), but you can only download 7 of them. After that, you need a paid plan.
One more thing worth noting: Suno's free tier does not include commercial use rights.
Udio: 10 credits per day, 100 per month
Udio's free plan gives you 10 credits daily and 100 per month, with a cap of 3 longer tracks (up to 130 seconds) per day. Credits don't roll over. Commercial use on the free tier is restricted.
Splice: no free tier
Splice isn't really an AI music generator, it's a sample library, but it's worth including because producers often compare them. There's no ongoing free plan; Splice requires a subscription to access sounds. A 14-day trial is available.
BandLab: free DAW, different category
BandLab is a free DAW and music production platform, not an AI music generator, so it's a different kind of tool. It's genuinely free for core recording and mixing: but if you're looking for AI-generated loops and stems, it's not a direct comparison.
SOUNDRAW Grid: 8 credits per month, renewing
Grid is SOUNDRAW's beatmaking and sampling app for iPhone and Mac. The free plan gives you 8 credits per month, which reset automatically, no lifetime cap. Three projects can be saved at any time.
One thing to understand about Grid's credits: exporting a full mix costs 2 credits, while stem exports cost 1 credit each. So 8 credits gets you roughly 4 full mix exports, or more if you're exporting individual stems to bring into your DAW.
Everything you create with Grid, on the free plan or any paid plan, is cleared for commercial use. The tool is trained entirely on music made by SOUNDRAW's in-house producer team, so there are no copyright concerns attached to what you export.
Grid is free to download on the App Store and Mac.
The short version
The tools that generate AI music vary most on two things: how often limits reset, and whether you can actually use what you make. If you're a producer who needs stems you can legally drop into a project, those two columns matter more than the headline number.
