Summary
On October 14, 2026, Vercel made Nvidia's Nemotron 3.5 Lightning model callable for free through Vercel AI Gateway with a single API key, including spend tracking and request traces, letting developers try the model without a separate Nvidia account.
What changed
Nvidia's Nemotron 3.5 Lightning became available at no cost through Vercel AI Gateway, accessed with one Vercel API key and no provider account, with usage visible through spend tracking and request traces.
Why it matters
Free, no-provider-account access through AI Gateway lowers the cost and setup friction of evaluating a new Nvidia model and keeps model routing, billing, and observability consolidated in Vercel's gateway. Zero-cost promotional access is a distribution lever for both Nvidia (adoption) and Vercel (gateway lock-in), and it lets builders benchmark a fast, lightweight model against incumbents at no spend.
Evidence excerpt
Nvidia's Nemotron 3.5 Lightning can be used at no cost through Vercel AI Gateway with a single API key, with spend tracking and request traces.