What happens when AI coding doesn't start with a credit card?

We're seeing more and more people use AI to build software, but the first step is still often:

Get an API key.
Pick a provider.
Add a payment method.
Keep an eye on usage.

That feels backwards to us.

We built Clixad around a different starting point.

Clixad is a cloud-based AI coding agent for the terminal. It can inspect a project, read and modify files, run commands, test changes and iterate on errors.

You don't need your own API key or a monthly subscription to start.

There are free credits, and additional credits can be earned through advertiser-funded offers, forms and surveys.

We also recently made our five cheapest models free to use within daily limits, including GPT-5 Nano and Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite.

The inference obviously still costs money. We're just experimenting with a different way of covering that cost.

The interesting part for us is what this does to the barrier to entry.

Someone who wants to build a small project, learn AI coding, or just experiment with vibe coding can start without first deciding whether an AI subscription is worth €20 a month.

We're curious where this model makes the most sense: beginners, students, hobby developers, or occasional AI coding users?