Sam Altman and Amjad Masad launch Replit's Free Mode on OpenAI's Luna

Replit is giving paying subscribers a way to use its coding assistant without burning through their AI token budget, but the free tier still requires a paid plan to unlock. The company announced Free Mode on August 19, 2026, a feature that runs exclusively on OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Luna model.

Free Mode is now the default experience for both Core and Pro subscribers. It lets users chat, brainstorm, or complete simple tasks before their subscription's metered AI usage kicks in, effectively adding a buffer before the meter starts running.

Access still comes at a cost, just not a per-token one. Core costs $20 a month and Pro runs $100 a month, and Free Mode is bundled into those existing tiers rather than offered as a standalone free product.

The arrangement is only possible because of a steep price drop on OpenAI's side. OpenAI cut costs on GPT-5.6 Luna by 80% on July 30, 2026, a reduction that appears to have made it economical for Replit to offer unmetered access to a capable model as a default feature rather than a premium add-on.

GPT-5.6 Luna is the sole model available inside Free Mode, meaning users don't get to pick between OpenAI, Anthropic, or other providers while operating in this mode. Replit's paid tiers separately support a broader menu of models for token-metered work.

The launch also formalizes a deeper relationship between the two companies. Replit and OpenAI have announced an expanded partnership covering multiple future products, extending a relationship that dates back to Replit's early adoption of GPT-3 in 2020.

Executives behind the deal

Michele Catasta, Replit's president and head of AI, and Thibault Sottiaux, OpenAI's head of core products and platform, represent the two companies in the partnership, according to reporting on the announcement.

Replit, founded in 2016 by CEO Amjad Masad, has built its product around AI-assisted coding and app generation. Tying a default, high-usage feature to a specific model gives OpenAI a guaranteed distribution channel for Luna, while giving Replit a cheaper way to keep casual users engaged before they hit paid-tier limits.

For Replit's subscriber base, the practical change is straightforward: lighter tasks no longer eat into paid token allowances, as long as the work stays within what Luna can handle inside Free Mode.