What the IBM Quantum free tier includes in 2026
IBM Quantum's Open Plan is free to anyone with an IBMid. It gives you access to Qiskit, the Aer high-performance simulator (unlimited local use), and a monthly allocation of runtime on real superconducting QPUs at no charge. You can build, transpile, and run quantum circuits end to end without entering payment details.
Step 1 — Create a free IBM Quantum account
Go to quantum.ibm.com and sign up for a free IBMid. Once logged in, open your account settings to copy your API token — you'll use it to authenticate Qiskit on your own machine. No credit card is required for the Open Plan.
Step 2 — Install Qiskit and authenticate
Install Qiskit with "pip install qiskit qiskit-ibm-runtime", then save your token once with QiskitRuntimeService.save_account(). After that, your scripts connect to IBM Quantum automatically. Start on the free Aer simulator, which runs locally with no quota.
Step 3 — Run on a real QPU within the free allocation
Select a real backend, transpile your circuit for its native gate set and qubit connectivity, and submit a job. Jobs enter a shared queue; keep circuits shallow and shot counts modest to stay within your monthly free time and get results faster.
Getting more from the free tier in 2026
Prototype and debug on the simulator first, reserve real-hardware runs for validated circuits, and use error mitigation to improve results. If you want to run the same code on other free backends (Cirq, PennyLane, Braket, CUDA-Q) without rewriting it, HLQuantum wraps them all behind one API.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
Is IBM Quantum still free in 2026?
Yes. The IBM Quantum Open Plan remains free in 2026: unlimited local simulation with Aer and a monthly allocation of runtime on real QPUs, with no credit card required.
How much real quantum hardware time do I get for free?
The Open Plan provides a recurring monthly allotment of QPU runtime at no cost. It is intended for learning and experimentation — enough to run many small circuits, though not unlimited production workloads.
Do I need to know Python to use the IBM Quantum free tier?
Basic Python is enough. Qiskit is a Python library, and IBM Quantum Learning provides free guided lessons that take you from your first circuit to running on real hardware.