Cloud startup credits compared: AWS vs Google Cloud vs Microsoft vs Cloudflare (Oct 2026)

If you are picking a cloud for a new startup, the credit programs are the easiest place to start comparing. This post puts the four big startup programs next to the plain signup trials anyone can get. We re-checked every source page on Oct 28, 2026, and none of the values below changed since our last check.

• AWS (Up to $200,000 in AWS Activate Credits (additional credits for AI startups))
• AWS (Up to $5,000 USD in Activate Credits (start with $1,000))
• Cloudflare (Up to $350k in credits (tiers $10k / $100k / $350k; Workers AI up to $50,000))
• Google Cloud (Up to $350,000 in Cloud credits over two years)
• Google Cloud (Up to $350,000 Google Cloud credits over 2 years (AI-first: 100% up to $250,000 in Year 1))
• Microsoft (Up to $150,000 in credits)
• AWS (Up to $200 in credits ($100 at signup + up to $100 earned) over 6 months)
• Google Cloud ($300 in free credit for new customers)
• Microsoft Azure ($200 credit to use within 30 days + 65+ always-free services)
• Microsoft Azure ($100 credit to use within 12 months, renewable yearly; no credit card)

Startup programs

• Google Cloud has the largest headline: up to $350,000 over two years. The AI tier is aimed at AI-first startups using Gemini and has its own stage and age limits, so read its eligibility line before applying.
• Cloudflare also goes up to $350k, in three tiers, and its entry tier needs no minimum funding. That makes it one of the few big programs a pre-funding team can realistically get.
• AWS Activate goes up to $200,000 for pre-Series B startups, mostly through partners such as accelerators and investors. Self-funded founders can apply directly for up to $5,000 in credits (it starts at $1,000).
• Microsoft for Startups lists up to $150,000 in credits.

No-application trials

If you just want to try a cloud this week, the signup trials need no review: $300 on Google Cloud, up to $200 on AWS (spread over six months), and $200 on Azure that must be used within 30 days. Students with a school email can get $100 a year on Azure without a credit card.

How to use this

Programs stack across vendors, so many teams apply to two or three and build where the credits last longest. Check each offer's source link for the current terms; we quote the vendor's page on every card and show when we last verified it.

See the full interactive comparison at /compare/cloud-startup-credits.

Originally published on Perq, where every listing carries a source link and a last-verified date. Perq is run by Avatar 8 LLC.