Cloud credits for startups in 2026: AWS vs Microsoft vs Google

What are startup cloud credits?

Cloud credits are a balance the provider puts on your account to spend on their services: compute, storage, databases, and increasingly AI models. You burn the credit instead of your cash, and nobody takes equity. For a pre-revenue startup, that is real runway, because infrastructure is often one of the first bills. The three programmes worth knowing are AWS Activate, Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, and the Google for Startups Cloud Program. They are all open to Indian founders.

Exact credit amounts and tiers change often, so confirm the current numbers on each provider's official page before you plan around them.

AWS Activate: the widest reach

AWS Activate gives startups credits for AWS services plus technical support and training. There is a self-serve tier any early startup can apply for, and larger credit packages that get unlocked when you are part of an affiliated accelerator, incubator, or VC. If you are in a programme, ask them for their Activate code first, because it usually unlocks a bigger balance than applying alone. Credits expire, so start the clock when you are ready to build.

Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub: the easiest to claim

Founders Hub is the one most early founders should start with, because it is self-serve and does not require any outside funding or a VC introduction. You sign up, and you unlock Azure credits, access to Azure OpenAI models, GitHub, and Microsoft 365, in tiers that grow as you build. For anyone doing AI work, the model access alone is worth the signup. It is the lowest-friction credit on this list.

Google for Startups Cloud Program: strong for AI

The Google for Startups Cloud Program gives Google Cloud credits spread over up to two years, with larger packages for AI-focused startups, plus technical support and Workspace. You can apply directly, and bigger tiers often come through a partner accelerator or VC. If your stack leans on Google Cloud or you are training models, this is the one to chase.

Beyond the big three: credits most founders never claim

The big clouds get all the attention, but a second layer of programs will quietly cover your tooling bill, and they stack on top of AWS, Microsoft, or Google. We verified each of these in July 2026, straight from the official program pages. OVHcloud gives 10,000 euros in credits at the Start tier and up to 100,000 euros at Scale over 12 months, with engineer hours included. Scaleway runs tiered credits from 1,000 to 36,000 euros with a weekly rolling review, for startups under 5 years old and under 50 people. Retool gives a full year free, worth up to $60,000, if you have raised under $10 million. Snowflake's startup program adds free usage credits plus an accelerator track, and Miro for Startups covers your whiteboarding with free credits and a 25 percent scale-up discount. None of them take equity. All five are in the Incubateer catalog with checked apply links.

How to claim them without leaving money on the table

Start with Microsoft Founders Hub today, since it needs nothing but a signup. Sign up for AWS Activate and the Google program next, and if you are in an accelerator or incubator, ask them for their partner codes before applying alone, because the partner tiers are larger. You can hold credits from more than one provider at once, so there is no reason to pick just one early on. Then watch the expiry dates: unused credit is the most common way founders waste this. These sit alongside the rest of your non-dilutive funding options, and they are not a replacement for a government grant or a raise. We covered where each kind of money fits in grants vs accelerators vs VC.

Are credits actually worth the setup?

For most software and AI startups, yes. The signup takes an afternoon, the credit covers a real cost, and you keep your equity and your cash. The honest caveat is that credits pull you toward one provider's ecosystem, so do not architect yourself into a corner you cannot afford once the free balance runs out. Use the runway to build and validate, not to over-provision.