Kilo Code Free API: Add FreeTheAI as a Custom Provider
Kilo Code adds FreeTheAI as a custom provider with the OpenAI Compatible API and fetches the model list automatically.
Before you start
- Create a free account and an API key. Create an account
- Check in once a day to unlock the free models. Daily check-in
- Pick a model ID from the models page. Browse models
Settings
- Provider ID
freetheai- Display name
FreeTheAI- Provider API
OpenAI Compatible- Base URL
https://api.freetheai.org/v1- API key
your FreeTheAI key (ftai_..., 53 characters)
Steps
Open the providers
In VS Code, open Kilo Code's Settings (gear) and go to the Providers tab.
Add a custom provider
Scroll to the bottom, press Custom provider, and fill in the values above.
Pick models and submit
Select models from the fetched list (or add IDs by hand) and press Submit. They appear in the model picker.
How this guide was checked: Checked against Kilo Code's docs (OpenAI compatible providers) on 2026-09-29.
Tips
- For the Kilo CLI, add the same provider to ~/.config/kilo/kilo.json with npm @ai-sdk/openai-compatible, as in the OpenCode guide.
Troubleshooting
Kilo Code shows "unknown API route" (404). What is wrong?
The Base URL must be https://api.freetheai.org/v1 and the provider API must be OpenAI Compatible.
Common errors
- 401: the key is wrong or incomplete. Paste the whole key.
- 403: check in for today, or confirm your email.
- 404: the model ID or URL is wrong.
- 429: daily limit reached, or too many requests at once.