Rate limits and the free-tier programmatic spend cap
Programmatic access through the API and MCP server is governed by a per-tenant rate limit and, on the free tier, a separate spending cap for programmatic usage.
Per-tenant rate limiting
Every /api/v1 and /api/mcp request passes through authentication, which enforces a per-tenant rate limit. Limits are applied per account, with build-scope operations rate-limited separately from standard requests. If you exceed the limit, requests are throttled; design clients to back off and retry rather than hammering the endpoint.
Free-tier programmatic spend cap
HIIE's free tier has a hard managed-inference ceiling of 2 USD per month. Within that, programmatic usage (calls made through the API or MCP) has a tighter sub-cap of 0.20 USD per month. This keeps automated agents from quietly draining a free account's managed capacity. Build-scope calls are the ones checked against this cap.
Bring-your-own-key exemption
If your account has an active bring-your-own OpenRouter key, your runs are unmetered — they show as free ($0) ledger rows and don't draw down managed capacity. BYO callers are exempt from the metered free-tier caps. This is the recommended path for sustained programmatic workloads.
Upgrading capacity
Managed capacity scales with a paid plan, and one-time credit top-ups are available. Unlimited accounts bypass balance and quota limits entirely. Check your current balance, programmatic budget versus cap, and recent ledger under Account.
Fail-closed
If required server infrastructure is unavailable, programmatic requests fail closed with a 503 rather than running uncapped.