diff --git a/changelog.d/fixes/12763-free-model-metadata-discovery.md b/changelog.d/fixes/12763-free-model-metadata-discovery.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa8fd80543
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/fixes/12763-free-model-metadata-discovery.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- **fix(models):** preserve free-model metadata (`isFree`) discovered live from a provider through synced-model normalization, so free models no longer lose that flag before reaching the UI/consumers ([#12763](https://github.com/diegosouzapw/OmniRoute/pull/12763)) — thanks @keeltrace
diff --git a/src/lib/db/models/synced.ts b/src/lib/db/models/synced.ts
index 1e282265a8..7eca78b327 100644
--- a/src/lib/db/models/synced.ts
+++ b/src/lib/db/models/synced.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ export interface SyncedAvailableModel {
   alwaysThinking?: boolean;
   supportsTools?: boolean;
   supportsVideo?: boolean;
+  /** Discovery payload supplied free-economics evidence for this model. */
+  isFree?: boolean;
   // #4264: image-input capability captured at sync time (e.g. OpenRouter
   // `architecture.input_modalities`/`modality`) so the catalog can surface vision.
   supportsVision?: boolean;
@@ -95,6 +97,7 @@ function normalizeSyncedAvailableModel(model: unknown): SyncedAvailableModel | n
     ...(record.alwaysThinking === true ? { alwaysThinking: true } : {}),
     ...(typeof record.supportsTools === "boolean" ? { supportsTools: record.supportsTools } : {}),
     ...(typeof record.supportsVideo === "boolean" ? { supportsVideo: record.supportsVideo } : {}),
+    ...(record.isFree === true ? { isFree: true } : {}),
     ...(record.supportsVision === true ? { supportsVision: true } : {}),
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery.ts b/src/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery.ts
index 5536c51544..f792416c72 100644
--- a/src/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery.ts
+++ b/src/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,26 @@ function toNonEmptyString(value: unknown): string | null {
   return typeof value === "string" && value.trim().length > 0 ? value.trim() : null;
 }
 
+function isZeroPrice(value: unknown): boolean {
+  if (typeof value === "number") return value === 0;
+  if (typeof value !== "string" || value.trim().length === 0) return false;
+  const parsed = Number(value);
+  return Number.isFinite(parsed) && parsed === 0;
+}
+
+function hasLiveFreeEvidence(
+  id: string,
+  record: JsonRecord,
+  promptPrice: string | number | undefined,
+  completionPrice: string | number | undefined
+): boolean {
+  return (
+    record.isFree === true ||
+    id.endsWith(":free") ||
+    (isZeroPrice(promptPrice) && isZeroPrice(completionPrice))
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Resolve a positive integer token limit from a list of candidate values.
  * Used to fall back across the differently-named context/output fields that
@@ -472,6 +492,18 @@ export function normalizeDiscoveredModels(
     // models reached the catalog with no vision flag and vision-capable models
     // (which work at request time) showed up as non-vision after import.
     const supportsVision = detectVisionInput(record);
+    const pricing = asRecord(record.pricing);
+    const promptPrice =
+      typeof pricing.prompt === "string" || typeof pricing.prompt === "number"
+        ? pricing.prompt
+        : undefined;
+    const completionPrice =
+      typeof pricing.completion === "string" || typeof pricing.completion === "number"
+        ? pricing.completion
+        : undefined;
+    // Persist only evidence present in this discovery payload. Static catalog
+    // membership is intentionally not evidence about this connection's economics.
+    const isFree = hasLiveFreeEvidence(id, record, promptPrice, completionPrice);
 
     deduped.set(id, {
       id,
@@ -507,6 +539,7 @@ export function normalizeDiscoveredModels(
       ...(record.alwaysThinking === true ? { alwaysThinking: true } : {}),
       ...(typeof record.supportsTools === "boolean" ? { supportsTools: record.supportsTools } : {}),
       ...(typeof record.supportsVideo === "boolean" ? { supportsVideo: record.supportsVideo } : {}),
+      ...(isFree ? { isFree: true } : {}),
       ...(supportsVision ? { supportsVision: true } : {}),
     });
   }
diff --git a/tests/unit/model-discovery-free-metadata.test.ts b/tests/unit/model-discovery-free-metadata.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d704a2ed9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/model-discovery-free-metadata.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { test } from "node:test";
+
+import { normalizeSyncedAvailableModels } from "@/lib/db/models/synced";
+import { normalizeDiscoveredModels } from "@/lib/providerModels/modelDiscovery";
+
+test("normalizeDiscoveredModels records only free evidence present in discovery payloads", () => {
+  const models = normalizeDiscoveredModels(
+    [
+      { id: "declared-free", isFree: true },
+      { id: "zero-priced", pricing: { prompt: "0", completion: 0 } },
+      { id: "rotating-model:free" },
+      { id: "blank-price", pricing: { prompt: "", completion: "" } },
+      { id: "paid", pricing: { prompt: "1", completion: "2" } },
+    ],
+    "example-provider"
+  );
+  const byId = new Map(models.map((model) => [model.id, model]));
+
+  assert.equal(byId.get("declared-free")?.isFree, true);
+  assert.equal(byId.get("zero-priced")?.isFree, true);
+  assert.equal(byId.get("rotating-model:free")?.isFree, true);
+  assert.equal(byId.get("blank-price")?.isFree, undefined);
+  assert.equal(byId.get("paid")?.isFree, undefined);
+});
+
+test("normalizeSyncedAvailableModels preserves discovery free metadata", () => {
+  const [model] = normalizeSyncedAvailableModels([
+    { id: "live-free", name: "Live Free", source: "imported", isFree: true },
+  ]);
+
+  assert.equal(model?.isFree, true);
+});