Cloud credits for startups in 2026: AWS Activate vs Google Cloud vs Microsoft Azure, and the alternatives

Short answer: the three big clouds each run a free tier you can apply to yourself and a much larger tier that needs an investor. AWS Activate Founders starts at $1,000 (up to $5,000), and AWS Activate Portfolio gives up to $200,000 with an Org ID from an Activate Provider. The Google for Startups Cloud Start tier gives up to $2,000, the Scale tier up to $200,000 for VC-funded startups and the AI tier up to $350,000 if Gemini is a foundation of your product. Microsoft for Startups is the most generous without an investor: $5,000 after business verification, growing to $150,000 as your Azure usage grows. Outside the big three, Huawei Cloud (up to $150,000), Akamai Cloud Rise (up to $120,000) and IONOS (up to €100,000) also need no investor.

The Grant Index tracks 35 cloud programs from 22 providers, each checked against its official page (the date is in the "Verified" column). 19 of the open ones ask for no investor, no referral code and no minimum funding. This guide compares the big three side by side, then covers the alternative clouds, developer platforms, a stacking order and the conditions that get applications rejected. For model and GPU credits, see our free AI credits guide.

1. AWS Activate vs Google for Startups Cloud vs Microsoft for Startups

All three use the same pattern: a small, open entry tier and a large tier behind a gate. The gate is what differs. AWS wants an Organization ID from an Activate Provider (a VC, accelerator or incubator). Google wants proof of an institutional round. Microsoft wants a referral code from an Investor Network partner, or lets you grow into large credits through usage.

How they compare in practice. Without funding, Microsoft has the highest ceiling, but you earn it: after the $5,000 step, the $25K, $50K and $150K milestones depend on how many Azure workloads you run. AWS Founders is the simplest application but the smallest amount. Google's Start tier is only for young companies (under 24 months) with a working MVP. With a VC round, Google pays the most on paper, but read the second year: Year 1 covers 100% of usage, Year 2 only 20%. AWS Portfolio pays up to $200,000 and Microsoft's Investor Network offer usually starts at $100,000.

Pick by workload, not by headline. Credits only help if you would run on that cloud anyway. Moving later costs engineering time that is usually worth more than the credits.

2. Alternative clouds: Huawei, Alibaba, Akamai, OVHcloud, IONOS, Scaleway and more

These programs get fewer applicants than the big three, and several of the largest ask for no investor. European providers (OVHcloud, IONOS, Scaleway) also suit teams that want their data hosted in Europe.

Oracle and IBM. We list programs only after verifying them on an official page, and right now we do not list a worldwide Oracle or IBM startup credit program. The Oracle offer we track is the Oracle Startup Growth Engine: $5,000 to $60,000 in OCI credits at Oracle's discretion, for existing OCI customers with a growth business case, in Latin American markets Oracle designates (it launched in Brazil, Argentina and Colombia).

3. Edge, hosting and storage platforms

If you deploy to a platform instead of raw virtual machines, these credits can matter more than a hyperscaler tier. Cloudflare tier 3 is the standout for bootstrapped teams: $10,000 for one year with no referral, if you have raised under $1M. Tiers 1 and 2 need a Cloudflare-affiliated investor.

4. Cloud credits with no investor needed

These 18 open cloud programs publish a dollar value and list no investor, referral or minimum funding (highest first). All of them still expect a registered company. Browse every program in the cloud category.

• Huawei Cloud Startup Program Huawei Cloud: Minimum 5,000 in cash credit vouchers; can apply for up to $150,000
• Microsoft for Startups — Azure startup credits (direct) Microsoft: $200 Azure credits on sign-up, $5,000 after business verification, then automatic milestone upgrades to $25K…
• Akamai Cloud Rise (formerly Linode Rise) Akamai: $500–$120,000 cloud credits in year 1, then discounted services in years 2–3
• Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program Alibaba Cloud: Up to $120K cloud credits + up to 2B free tokens on Model Studio + AI expert consultation
• IONOS Cloud Startup Program IONOS: SPARK: up to €5,000 (12 months); ACCELERATE: up to €100,000 (up to 24 months) in IONOS Cloud credits
• Backblaze Flamethrower Startup Program Backblaze: Up to $100,000 in Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage credits
• FPT Startup Innovation Program FPT Smart Cloud: Support package worth up to $100,000 in FPT cloud/AI resources plus mentoring and business support
• Oracle Startup Growth Engine (LATAM) Oracle: $5,000–$60,000 in OCI Universal Credits (12 months), at Oracle's discretion, plus account/engineer support…
• Civo Startup Program Civo: Launchpad up to $1K, Propel up to $10K, Elevate up to $50K in cloud credits
• Scaleway Startup Program — Growth Stage Scaleway: €3,000/month for 12 months = €36,000 (~$40,000) in credits + dedicated CSM
• UpCloud Startup Program UpCloud: Up to $25,000 in cloud credits (Tier 1); $5,000 for Nordic startups (Tier 2); $1,000 for other EU/EEA/UK/CH…
• OVHcloud Startup Program — Start OVHcloud: €10,000 (~$11,000) free cloud credits for 12 months + 6 hours 1:1 engineer time
• Cloudflare for Startups — Tier 3 Cloudflare: $10,000 in Cloudflare credits for one year
• Render Migration Credits Render: Up to $10K in migration credits to cover switching costs
• Scaleway Startup Program — Early Stage Scaleway: €1,500/month for 6 months = €9,000 (~$10,000) in credits
• AWS Activate — Founders Amazon Web Services: Starts at $1,000 in AWS Activate Credits; select participants may qualify for up to $5,000
• Google for Startups Cloud Program — Start tier Google Cloud: Up to $2,000 in Google Cloud credits (1 year) + $200 Google Skills credits + 12 months free Workspace…
• Scaleway Startup Program — Founders Scaleway: One-time €1,000 voucher (~$1,100) valid 12 months

5. How to qualify

Across the 35 open cloud programs we track, these conditions decide most applications:

• A registered company. All 35 ask for an incorporated company. Microsoft gives $200 on sign-up after a personal LinkedIn check, but the $5,000 step needs business verification.
• Being new to that cloud. 24 are for new customers or first-time applicants. Google's Scale and AI tiers stop at $5,000 of prior Google Cloud credits; Scaleway, Akamai and DigitalOcean exclude existing customers or past credit users.
• Company age. 22 cap company age: Google Start under 24 months, Huawei, IONOS and Scaleway under 5 years, AWS under 10.
• A real web presence. 7 explicitly ask for an email on your company domain (Cloudflare, Akamai, DigitalOcean, Vercel), and Cloudflare also checks for a public LinkedIn, X or GitHub presence.
• Proof of funding for the big tiers. 15 need an investor or a partner referral: an Org ID (AWS), a referral code (Microsoft), a partner VC (Cloudflare, Vercel, Render) or a qualifying institutional round (Google Scale).

6. A stacking order that wastes nothing

1. Choose your primary cloud by workload. Gemini points to Google; Azure services and B2B selling point to Microsoft; an existing AWS stack points to AWS. Data residency in Europe points to OVHcloud, IONOS or Scaleway.
2. When you incorporate, take the entry tiers of the cloud you will actually use: AWS Activate Founders, Google Start or Microsoft for Startups, plus Cloudflare tier 3 if you build on Workers or R2.
3. Protect your bigger tiers. Google's Start credits (up to $2,000) stay under the $5,000 prior-credit limit for Scale, so they do not block an upgrade. AWS lets Founders recipients apply for Portfolio later. Scaleway does not let you move from Early to Growth, so pick the tier that matches your spend.
4. After you raise, collect the gated offers quickly: the AWS Org ID, the Microsoft referral code, Google Scale (a Series A counts only within 12 months), Cloudflare tiers 1 and 2, and Vercel (within 12 months of your round).
5. Track expiry dates. Cloudflare and DigitalOcean credits last 12 months with no extensions, IONOS approvals lapse if you do not accept within 30 days, and Microsoft credits must be activated within 90 days.

7. Common reasons applications are rejected

• The wrong kind of funding. Google's Scale tier does not count angel, friends and family, crowdfunding, grant or prize money as qualifying funding.
• Prior credits on the same cloud. Taking a large credit package early can disqualify you from the next tier.
• An excluded business type. Google Start excludes agencies, consultancies, dev shops, nonprofits and educational institutions; DigitalOcean excludes consultancies, agencies and dev shops; Microsoft's offers target B2B startups.
• Account prerequisites left undone. AWS needs a Paid Tier Plan account, Huawei and Tencent need identity verification first, and several programs need a card on file.
• A personal email or no website. An application from a free email address with a placeholder site often fails the first check.

Not sure which tier fits you? The eligibility checker asks for your country, stage, company age, funding and backing once and gives every program a verdict. You can also browse all cloud programs or the 2026 statistics.

FAQ

Which cloud gives startups the most free credits?

On paper, the Google for Startups Cloud AI tier and Cloudflare for Startups tier 1, at up to $350,000 each, but both need funding (and Cloudflare tier 1 needs $5M+ from an affiliated partner). Google Scale and AWS Activate Portfolio follow at up to $200,000, then Microsoft for Startups at up to $150,000.

Can I get AWS, Google Cloud or Azure credits without an investor?

Yes. AWS Activate Founders starts at $1,000 (up to $5,000), Google Cloud Start gives up to $2,000 to companies founded within 24 months, and Microsoft for Startups gives $5,000 after business verification, growing to $150,000 with Azure usage. In total, 19 open cloud programs in our index need no investor, referral or minimum funding.

AWS Activate vs Google for Startups vs Microsoft for Startups: which should I pick?

Pick the cloud you will actually build on. Without funding, Microsoft has the highest ceiling if you run several Azure workloads; with a VC round, Google pays the most in year one, AWS Portfolio pays up to $200,000 with an Org ID, and Microsoft Investor Network usually starts at $100,000.

Can I use cloud credits from several providers at once?

Yes. The limits we track are about prior credits on the same cloud (for example Google's $5,000 cap for its Scale tier, or Scaleway and DigitalOcean excluding past users), not about credits elsewhere. Spreading one product across several clouds rarely pays off, though, so most teams stack one primary cloud with platform credits such as Cloudflare.

Does Oracle or IBM give cloud credits to startups?

We do not currently list a worldwide Oracle or IBM startup credit program, because we only list offers we can verify on an official page. The Oracle Startup Growth Engine gives $5,000 to $60,000 in OCI credits, at Oracle's discretion, to existing OCI customers in Latin American markets Oracle designates.

Can students get free cloud credits?

Yes, through research and student offers rather than startup programs: Azure for Students gives $100 for 12 months, renewable while you study; AWS Cloud Credit for Research gives students up to $5,000; and Google Cloud Research Credits are sized to your proposal.

Do startup cloud credits expire?

Almost always. Most last 12 months (Cloudflare, DigitalOcean, OVHcloud, Fly.io), Google Scale and AI tier credits run for two years, and Microsoft credits must be activated within 90 days. Unused credits are usually forfeited, so activate them when you will use them.

Program terms change often. Every program page linked above shows its official source and the date we last verified it; confirm on the provider's page before you apply. Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.

Related guides

• Free AI credits for startups (2026): every program compared
• Free GPU credits for startups (2026): Runpod, Lambda, NVIDIA, EuroHPC and more

Browse the full lists: Cloud credits for startups