Getting Free Compute and Cloud Credits for Startups
A roundup of programs that give startups free or discounted compute, cloud, and infrastructure credits, including how much they offer and how to apply.
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A roundup of programs that give startups free or discounted compute, cloud, and infrastructure credits, including how much they offer and how to apply.
Startups can make use of free compute and Cloud credits to reduce their burn. Here are few options that were found to be working. These programs continue to evolve and change. So please refer to the latest information that is available.
AWS Activate has two main tiers:
Founders tier (self-serve, no affiliation needed): up to $1,000 in credits. Best for bootstrapped startups.
Portfolio tier (via an AWS Activate Provider — a VC, accelerator, or incubator you're affiliated with): up to $100,000 in credits, using an Organization ID from that provider.
Portfolio Tier is only available if you are already part of an accelerator or similar program. Founders tier is the most easiest one to access.
Apply: aws.amazon.com/activate
Kerala-based/registered startups can register with KSUM and request cloud credits, There is an option to reach out for getting AWS credits upto 5K$. Also there are other options such as digitial ocean which gives upto 1k$
Apply: startupmission.kerala.gov.in — register your startup and check current Startup service providers.
https://startupmission.kerala.gov.in/pages/servicepartners
NVIDIA inception program is one of those programs which can unlock slightly more credits. It also comes under a portfoilo tier. This seems to work well for companies who have already got a valid businesss entity established. You can get upto 25K$ in activate credits through this program.
Apply: nvidia.com/startups
They are extremely slow to respond but you can get upto 5K$ in credits from cloudflare.
Entry tier: around $5,000 in credits for bootstrapped/pre-seed founders consumed, whichever is first.
Apply: cloudflare.com/forstartups
Kiro has a coding plan that gives you access to the OpenAI and Claude models. Startups can apply and get upto 1 year pro which gives enough credits.
You can also use your AWS activate credits for setting up Kiro for your team.
Apply: kiro.dev/startups
Start tier (pre-funded/idea stage): up to $2,000 in Google Cloud credits
Apply: cloud.google.com/startup
Base tier: $1,000–$5,000 in Azure credits, no investor affiliation required
Also includes free access to GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio Enterprise, and M365/Dynamics/Power Platform seats.
Apply: microsoft.com/startups
Stack programs, respect exclusions: AWS + NVIDIA + Cloudflare + Google/Azure can generally be combined, but read each program's fine print — AWS Activate and Kiro startup credits are explicitly exclusive of each other.
Apply via an accelerator/VC when possible: Portfolio-tier AWS credits, NVIDIA Inception's higher tiers, and Microsoft's Investor Network tier are typically larger if you have an affiliated provider or referral code.
Track expiry: Most credits expire 12 months after issuance (Cloudflare, Kiro) or are structured over a 1–2 year window (Google, Microsoft) — plan usage accordingly rather than letting credits lapse unused.
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