Startup Credits
Startup Credits & Programs
Free and heavily discounted credits for early-stage startups — distinct from coupon deals. Cloud computing, AI APIs, and SaaS tools across AWS, GCP, Azure, IBM, Anthropic, OpenAI, HubSpot, Mixpanel, GitHub, and more.
268+ programs across cloud, AI, and SaaS. Credit amounts, eligibility requirements, application links, and honest verdicts on which programs are worth your time — including 29+ accessible without a VC. Updated May 2026.
Cloud Provider Credits
Free cloud infrastructure credits from AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Oracle and more for early-stage startups.
AI Platform Credits
API credits and free access to leading AI models -- Anthropic, OpenAI, Mistral, Together AI and more for startups building with AI.
SaaS Startup Programs
Discounted and free access to top SaaS tools -- CRM, support, analytics, and infrastructure -- through official startup programs.
The bootstrapped startup credits stack
Over $230K in cloud credits and $125K+ in AI credits accessible without any investor or accelerator affiliation. IBM Cloud ($120K), Cloudflare (BOOTSTRAPPED code), Oracle, Vultr, Anthropic, PostHog, GitHub for Startups, and more.
All startup credit programs (268)
xAI Data Sharing Program
Get $150 per month in free API credits from xAI (Grok) by opting in to share your API usage data.
You.com Pro Plan Discount Offer via You.com Partnership
You.com, in partnership with TL;DR, offers six months of discounted access to its AI-powered Pro Plan, delivering advanced summarization, transcription, and con
Zapier 14-Day Free Pro Trial
New Zapier users get a 14-day free trial of Pro features including premium app integrations, multi-step Zaps, custom scheduling, and priority support.
Zendesk for Startups Program
Qualifying early-stage startups get Zendesk free for six months, gaining full access to its suite of customer support, sales, and engagement tools powered by ad
Zenduty Early Stage Program
Receive up to 60% off your first-year subscription and 30% off your second-year subscription on Growth and Enterprise plans to enhance incident response and upt
Zoho for Startups Program
Access a full range of Zoho software solutions with flexible credit benefits and expert support, tailored for new startups aiming to streamline operations and s
Amplitude Startup Scholarship
1 year free Amplitude Growth — advanced product analytics for startups under 20 employees and under $10M raised
Clerk for Startups
Extended free authentication for startups — 50K monthly active users and 100 organisations included at no cost through partner programs
Linear for Startups
Up to 6 months free Linear — the issue tracker built for fast-moving engineering teams, used by Vercel, Loom, Notion, and Raycast
Algolia for Startups
$10K in free AI-powered search credits — instant search, recommendations, and discovery for startups under 3 years old and under $5M raised
Retool for Startups
1 year free Retool — build powerful internal tools without engineering effort, up to $60K value for bootstrapped through Series A teams
Sentry for Startups
6 months free Sentry Teams — error monitoring, performance tracing, and session replay for early-stage engineering teams
Deepgram Startup Program
Up to $100K in speech AI credits — transcription, voice agents, TTS, and speaker diarization for pre-Series A startups
Pinecone Startup Program
Free Pinecone vector database credits for AI startups building semantic search, RAG, and recommendation systems
GitHub for Startups
$50K total value — $10K in GitHub platform credits plus $40K non-dilutive funding for eligible early-stage startups
Datadog for Startups
Up to $100K or 1 year free Datadog Pro — observability and monitoring stack for Series A and earlier engineering teams
PostHog for Startups
$50K in PostHog credits — product analytics, session replays, feature flags, and A/B tests all free for qualifying startups
Mixpanel for Startups
1 year free Mixpanel Growth — up to 1 billion events tracked, for teams under $8M raised and under 5 years old
IBM Cloud for Startups
$120K in IBM Cloud credits — enterprise-grade infrastructure, AI, and data services at zero cost for early-stage teams
ElevenLabs Startup Grants
ElevenLabs Startup Grants provide 33 million characters of voice AI free — equivalent to 680+ hours of studio-quality audio generation for AI voice, content and accessibility products.
How to stack startup credits in 2026
- 01
Apply to cloud credits first — highest dollar value
Cloud credits have the highest dollar value ($100K–$350K) and compound longest. Apply to AWS Activate Founders ($1K, instant, no VC) and GCP startup credits on day one. Then add Microsoft Founders Hub, IBM Cloud, Oracle, and Cloudflare (BOOTSTRAPPED code) for bootstrapped teams. - 02
Unlock AI credits through your accelerator for maximum amounts
Anthropic ($25K–$100K) and OpenAI ($2.5K–$100K) credits scale with your accelerator or VC affiliation. Apply through your program benefits dashboard for the top tier. Without a partner, apply directly for the base tier — both accept direct applications. - 03
GitHub for Startups — most founders never apply
GitHub for Startups offers $10K in platform credits plus up to $40K in non-dilutive cash. Direct application — under 5 years old and under $1M raised. Apply immediately at github.com/solutions/startups. Most qualifying founders have never heard of this program. - 04
Check the bootstrapped track before assuming you need a VC
Over $230K in cloud credits is accessible without any investor affiliation: IBM Cloud ($120K), Vultr ($100K), Cloudflare (code BOOTSTRAPPED, up to $250K), Oracle ($10K), and AWS Activate Founders ($1K instant). Plus $125K+ in AI credits with direct apply. - 05
Model credit expiry before activating
Credits with 12-month validity (Oracle, GCP, IBM) should not be activated until you have real infrastructure usage. AWS Activate credits are valid 24 months — the safest to activate early. Activate close to your launch date to maximise value. - 06
Stack programs — they are not exclusive
There is no rule against holding credits from multiple providers simultaneously. Most funded startups run AWS + GCP + Azure + Anthropic + OpenAI + Datadog credits at the same time. Apply to all programs you qualify for — the applications are independent.
Startup credits — frequently asked questions
What are startup credits? +
Startup credits are free cloud, AI, and SaaS access programs offered by software companies to early-stage startups. They typically provide $1K–$350K in credits toward cloud infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure), AI APIs (Anthropic, OpenAI), and SaaS tools (HubSpot, Intercom, Mixpanel). The goal is to lower your infrastructure costs during development and early revenue stages.
How much can a startup get in total credits in 2026? +
A startup that qualifies for all major programs can access over $1M in total credits across cloud, AI, and SaaS. Realistically, most funded startups access $200K–$500K. Bootstrapped startups without VC affiliation can access $230K+ in cloud credits and $125K+ in AI credits through direct-apply programs.
Do I need to be VC-backed to get startup credits? +
No. Many high-value programs accept direct applications with no investor or accelerator affiliation: IBM Cloud for Startups ($120K), Cloudflare for Startups (BOOTSTRAPPED code, up to $250K), Oracle for Startups ($10K), Vultr ($100K), AWS Activate Founders ($1K instant), Anthropic for Startups ($25K), Together AI ($50K), PostHog ($50K), and GitHub for Startups ($50K + $40K cash).
Which startup credit programs are easiest to get? +
AWS Activate Founders approves automatically the same day with no partner required. NVIDIA Inception is free with instant access. Twilio for Startups ($5K) approves same-day with direct application. IBM Cloud, Oracle, and Anthropic direct-apply tiers typically approve in 3–10 business days.
Can I stack startup credits from multiple providers? +
Yes — startup credit programs are independent and non-exclusive. There is no rule preventing you from holding credits from AWS, GCP, Azure, IBM, Anthropic, OpenAI, and Mixpanel simultaneously. Most funded startups do exactly this. Apply to every program you qualify for.
How do I apply for startup credits? +
Each program has its own application. For instant programs: apply directly at the provider website (AWS, Twilio, NVIDIA). For partner-gated programs: log into your accelerator or VC benefits portal (Y Combinator Bookface, a16z portfolio hub, etc.) and access the credit links there. For direct-apply programs: apply at the provider website with your company details.