Fix the free-tier notes after checking each service's own pages

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [Unreleased]
+
+### Fixed
+
+- The key notes were out of date. Cerebras is no longer free: it gives a $5 trial for 30 days and asks for a card. Mistral has a free plan with $10 a month in API credits, not the old Experiment plan. Groq's free plan allows 8K tokens a minute. `anus setup` and the README now say so, and warn that free tiers may use what you send to improve their models.
+
 ## [0.2.2] - 2026-09-30
 
 ### New Features

README.md

@@ -31,13 +31,13 @@ ANUS asks for at least one free key. Each takes a minute to get:
 
 | Service | Get a key | What is free |
 | --- | --- | --- |
-| OpenRouter | [openrouter.ai/keys](https://openrouter.ai/keys) | about fifteen free models; 50 requests a day, 1000 after a one-time $10 top-up |
-| Google Gemini | [aistudio.google.com/apikey](https://aistudio.google.com/apikey) | free tier while billing is off on the project |
-| Groq | [console.groq.com/keys](https://console.groq.com/keys) | free tier |
-| Cerebras | [cloud.cerebras.ai](https://cloud.cerebras.ai) | free tier |
-| Mistral | [console.mistral.ai/api-keys](https://console.mistral.ai/api-keys) | free Experiment plan |
+| OpenRouter | [openrouter.ai/keys](https://openrouter.ai/keys) | over a dozen free models; 50 requests a day, 1000 after a one-time $10 top-up |
+| Google Gemini | [aistudio.google.com/apikey](https://aistudio.google.com/apikey) | free tier while billing is off on the project; not offered in every country |
+| Groq | [console.groq.com/keys](https://console.groq.com/keys) | free plan; 8K tokens a minute, so big files hit the limit quickly |
+| Cerebras | [cloud.cerebras.ai](https://cloud.cerebras.ai) | not free any more: a $5 trial for 30 days, and it asks for a card. Optional |
+| Mistral | [console.mistral.ai/api-keys](https://console.mistral.ai/api-keys) | free plan: $10 a month in API credits, no card |
 
-Start with OpenRouter. More keys mean more free requests a day and more models to fall back on. Change keys any time with `anus setup`.
+Start with OpenRouter. More keys mean more free requests a day and more models to fall back on. Change keys any time with `anus setup`. Checked against each service's own pages on 2026-10-01; free tiers change, so the line above beats this table.
 
 ## How "free" works
 
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ Start with OpenRouter. More keys mean more free requests a day and more models t
 - A model that hits its rate limit rests for a minute; one that hit its daily cap rests until the cap resets. The request moves on without waiting.
 - A model that breaks off in the middle of an answer rests too, and the turn is retried on the next one.
 - The footer shows which model answered. Type `/free` to see the whole list: awake, resting, or no key.
+- Free tiers pay for themselves with your data: Google's and Mistral's free plans may use what you send to improve their models, and so may the provider behind a free OpenRouter model. Keep secrets out of the folder you run ANUS in.
 - ANUS uses only the keys you gave it in `anus setup`. Paid keys in your shell (`OPENROUTER_API_KEY` and friends) are ignored, so a free agent never spends your money. `ANUS_ENV_KEYS=1` lets it use them.
 
 ## Commands

lib/free-models.json

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "updated": "2026-09-29",
+  "updated": "2026-10-01",
   "about": "Free models ANUS routes between, best first. iq: Artificial Analysis index; ping: answered a \"hi\" in the last hours (ok, flaky, down).",
   "models": [
     {
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
     {
       "provider": "openrouter",
       "id": "poolside/laguna-s-2.1:free",
-      "ping": "flaky"
+      "ping": "ok"
     },
     {
       "provider": "openrouter",

lib/providers.mjs

@@ -10,35 +10,35 @@ export const PROVIDERS = [
     name: 'OpenRouter',
     env: 'OPENROUTER_API_KEY',
     keyUrl: 'https://openrouter.ai/keys',
-    note: 'one key, about fifteen free models; 50 requests a day, 1000 after a one-time $10 top-up',
+    note: 'one key, over a dozen free models; 50 requests a day, 1000 after a one-time $10 top-up',
   },
   {
     id: 'google',
     name: 'Google Gemini',
     env: 'GEMINI_API_KEY',
     keyUrl: 'https://aistudio.google.com/apikey',
-    note: 'free tier while billing is off on the project',
+    note: 'free tier while billing is off on the project; not offered in every country',
   },
   {
     id: 'groq',
     name: 'Groq',
     env: 'GROQ_API_KEY',
     keyUrl: 'https://console.groq.com/keys',
-    note: 'free tier, very fast',
+    note: 'free plan, very fast; 8K tokens a minute, so big files hit the limit quickly',
   },
   {
     id: 'cerebras',
     name: 'Cerebras',
     env: 'CEREBRAS_API_KEY',
     keyUrl: 'https://cloud.cerebras.ai',
-    note: 'free tier, very fast',
+    note: 'not free any more: a $5 trial for 30 days, and it asks for a card',
   },
   {
     id: 'mistral',
     name: 'Mistral',
     env: 'MISTRAL_API_KEY',
     keyUrl: 'https://console.mistral.ai/api-keys',
-    note: 'free Experiment plan',
+    note: 'free plan: $10 a month in API credits, no card',
   },
 ];
 

lib/setup.mjs

@@ -98,11 +98,12 @@ export async function runSetup(agentDir) {
     [
       '',
       bold('ANUS runs on free models.') + ' It needs at least one free key. Keys stay on this machine.',
-      'Each service below gives a free key in a minute. More keys = more free requests a day.',
+      'Each service below gives a key in a minute; the line under it says what is free. More keys = more free requests a day.',
       '',
       ...PROVIDERS.map((p, i) => `  ${i + 1}. ${bold(p.name.padEnd(14))} ${p.keyUrl}\n     ${dim(p.note)}${have.has(p.id) ? '  (key saved)' : ''}`),
       '',
-      'Start with OpenRouter: one key opens about fifteen free models.',
+      'Start with OpenRouter: one key opens over a dozen free models.',
+      'Free tiers may use what you send to improve their models. Keep secrets out of the folder you run ANUS in.',
       'Paste a key and press Enter. Enter on an empty line skips.',
       '',
     ].join('\n'),

llms.txt

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 > A free coding agent in your terminal. It reads your code, edits files and runs commands. Every request goes to the smartest free model that is answering today; when one says "not now", the next one takes the same request.
 
 - Install: `npm install -g @anus-dev/anus`, then run `anus`. Or: `curl -fsSL https://anus.dev/install | sh`. Needs Node.js 22.19+.
-- Free keys: ANUS asks for at least one free key (OpenRouter, Google Gemini, Groq, Cerebras or Mistral). No card. Keys stay on your machine.
+- Free keys: ANUS asks for at least one free key (OpenRouter, Google Gemini, Groq or Mistral; no card). Cerebras is optional and no longer free: a $5 trial that asks for a card. Free tiers may use your prompts to improve their models. Keys stay on your machine.
 - `anus setup` adds or changes keys. `/free` shows which free models are awake.
 - Built on the pi coding agent engine (MIT). License: MIT.