specification: API Commons Plans
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/Plans
provider: Google Quantum AI
providerId: google-quantum-ai
created: '2026-05-25'
modified: '2026-05-25'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Quantum Computing
  - Quantum Engine
  - Willow
  - Sycamore
  - Sponsored Access
description: |
  Access to the Google Quantum Engine API is not commercially metered. There is no public price list, no
  per-shot fee, and no per-second processor charge. Access is gated by:
    1. A Google Cloud project with the Quantum Computing API enabled and billing attached (no billable
       Quantum Engine SKU appears today — billing is required only to keep the project active).
    2. A Google sponsor adding the user to the approved list.
    3. For the latest hardware, acceptance into the Willow Early Access Program (proposal-based).
  All Google Quantum AI open-source software (Cirq, qsim, OpenFermion, Stim, Qualtran, ReCirq, Tesseract,
  Unitary) is distributed free under the Apache 2.0 licence.
sources:
  - https://quantumai.google/cirq/google/access
  - https://quantumai.google/cirq/google/concepts
  - https://quantumai.google/willowearlyaccess
  - https://github.com/quantumlib/Cirq/blob/main/LICENSE
plans:
  - id: google-quantum-ai-open-source
    name: Open Source Software
    type: free
    description: Cirq, qsim, OpenFermion, Stim, Qualtran, ReCirq, Tesseract, Unitary, TensorFlow Quantum.
      Apache 2.0; no account required.
    entries:
      - label: License
        name: license
        type: included
        price: '0'
        unit: 1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        description: Apache 2.0 — free commercial and non-commercial use.
  - id: google-quantum-ai-quantum-engine-approved
    name: Quantum Engine (Approved Access)
    type: approval-based
    description: Sponsored access to the Quantum Engine API for circuit execution on Google quantum
      processors. No per-job fee; usage is governed by reservation grants.
    entries:
      - label: Open-swim job runtime
        name: open-swim-runtime
        type: quota
        metric: minutes
        limit: 5
        timeFrame: per-job
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: 'Sponsored'
        description: Maximum 5 minutes of processor time per job during open-swim periods.
      - label: Reservation-grant runtime
        name: reservation-runtime
        type: quota
        metric: hours
        timeFrame: grant
        geo: global
        unit: 1
        price: 'Sponsored'
        description: Total runtime allocated to the project by a reservation grant.
  - id: google-quantum-ai-willow-early-access
    name: Willow Early Access Program
    type: program
    description: Proposal-based early access to the Willow processor before public availability.
      Requires submitted proposal, dedicated PhD/postdoc operator, and selection by Google Quantum AI.
    entries:
      - label: Application deadline
        name: deadline
        type: program-window
        price: 'Free'
        unit: 1
        timeFrame: usage
        geo: global
        description: Intake form due 2026-05-15; selection notifications by 2026-07-01.
      - label: Hardware access
        name: hardware
        type: included
        price: 'Sponsored'
        unit: 1
        timeFrame: program
        geo: global
        description: Time on the Willow chip for the accepted proposal's experiments.