AWS Activate
Founders credit self-serve. Portfolio is a larger package and needs a provider org ID.
Pre-Series B, a company site, founded in the last 10 years. Apply before marketplace spend stacks up.
Startups · Updated Sep 2026
Startup Perks: Free Credits, Discounts & Deals for Startups
Startup perks are free credits, software discounts, and cashback. They are not grants. Apply to one cloud first. Then take the tools you will still open after the credit ends.
43
Programs in the desk file
43
Matching this view
Not grants
Credits, discounts, and cashback only
Category
Stage
Google for Startups Cloud
Start tier if you have not raised. Scale is a partner introduction, with a larger AI package.
Google does not print one number on the overview. Read the offer they send.
Microsoft for Startups
Azure credits that step up with milestones, plus GitHub and developer tools.
The first tier does not require an investor.
Cloudflare for Startups
Tiered credits for the network, security, and developer platform.
Entry tier is for teams that have not raised. Higher tiers ask for stage and sometimes a partner.
Vercel for Startups
Platform credits, usually through an approved partner.
Series A or earlier. Do not expect a public self-serve grant.
DigitalOcean Hatch
Cloud credits for eligible early-stage teams.
Confirm the current Hatch rules before you move a workload.
Scaleway Startup Program
Cloud credits for young companies on Scaleway.
A European alternative if production will live there. Check the current ceiling.
OVHcloud Startup Program
Cloud credits for eligible startups.
Global program. The published range moves, so use the application page.
Oracle for Startups
Cloud credits and a partner track for funded teams.
More useful once you have a company and a reason to be on OCI.
MongoDB for Startups
Atlas credits for early product teams.
Apply with a company site. Credits are for Atlas, not a second cloud.
Amazon Bedrock
Activate credits can apply to third-party models on Bedrock.
Same eligibility as AWS Activate. One bill for infra and models.
Google Cloud AI
Vertex and Gemini draw down the Cloud startup credit.
Ask which SKUs the offer covers. Training jobs can finish a credit in days.
Providers change the numbers. The Apply link is the offer that counts.
Best startup perks for 2026
Start with one cloud, then take the discounts you will still use
If you have not raised, apply to AWS Activate Founders, Microsoft for Startups, and the Google Start tier. Add Cloudflare’s entry tier if the product is on the web. That is the honest bootstrapped stack.
If an investor or accelerator can sponsor you, ask them for the AWS Portfolio org ID and the Google Scale introduction before you touch anything else. Those two introductions are worth more than twenty SaaS coupons.
Cloud and infrastructure
These are the credits that pay the server bill. A partner or investor can unlock a higher tier than a self-serve application. Filter the directory to Cloud.
AI startup credits
Model credits usually sit inside a cloud program, or a partner hands them out. Budget the bill you will have when the credit ends.
Startup perks by stage
Idea and pre-seed
You qualify for self-serve tiers. You usually do not qualify for Portfolio or Scale. Do not pay a credits broker to pretend otherwise.
Seed
This is the stage where partner tiers open. Ask the fund which Activate Providers and Google partners they are. Apply within a year of the round.
Series A and later
You can still be inside the window if you are pre-Series B and the round is recent. Past that, negotiate an annual commit instead of hunting coupons.
Startup perks for bootstrapped founders
Bootstrapped does not mean ineligible. It means the ceiling is lower and the form is shorter. Use the Bootstrapped filter. Do not spread a product across four clouds to collect every self-serve credit.
Grants and accelerators are a separate decision. CortexHub covers them on the funding desk, not on this page. Funding coverage
How to apply for startup perks
- Use a company domain email. Gmail applications fail more often.
- Publish a real site. “Coming soon” is a common rejection.
- Apply to the self-serve cloud tier the week you open the account, before a marketplace charge makes you ineligible.
- If you have raised, ask the investor for org IDs before you submit.
- Save the approval email and the expiry date.
- After the cloud credits, take two or three SaaS discounts you already planned to buy. Stop there.
FAQ
What are startup perks?
Credits, discounts, free plans, and cashback from software and cloud companies. Grants and accelerator funding are a different category. A perk reduces a bill. A grant is money you can spend anywhere.
Can bootstrapped founders get startup credits?
Yes. AWS Activate Founders, the first Microsoft tier, Google’s pre-funding Start tier, and Cloudflare’s entry tier do not require an investor. The six-figure packages usually do.
Do startup credits expire?
Almost all of them do, often in 12 or 24 months, and many exclude support plans, marketplace taxes, or third-party licenses. Read the redemption terms before you move production.
Can a startup take AWS and Google credits?
You can usually apply to more than one. You should not run production in two clouds just to spend both. Pick the cloud you will still pay for when the credit ends.
How are startup perks different from startup benefits at an accelerator?
Accelerators bundle these same vendor perks and add mentorship and a check. You do not need an accelerator to get the vendor programs on this page.