Cloud Credits Compared:
AWS vs Google Cloud vs Azure
Cloud infrastructure is the single largest expense for most startups. The right cloud credit program can save you tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars during your most critical growth phase. We've compared the top 7 cloud credit programs so you can make an informed decision about where to build your stack.
Side-by-side comparison
All 7 cloud infrastructure credit programs at a glance. Click any provider name for full details.
| Provider | Max Credit Value | Duration | Key Benefits | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Cloud | Up to $350,000 | Up to 2 years | GCP + Firebase credits, Workspace free, Startup Success Manager, Maps credits | Pre-funded to Series A; AI tier for Vertex AI/Gemini users |
| Cloudflare | Up to $250,000 | 1 year | Workers, Pages, R2, enterprise security (WAF, DDoS, Zero Trust) | Software startup, <5 years; tier by funding level |
| Microsoft for Startups | Up to $150,000 | Varies by tier | Azure credits, AI/GPU access, go-to-market co-sell, expert guidance | Investor Network (pre-seed to Series A) or free trial |
| AWS Activate | Up to $100,000 | Varies by tier | 200+ services, Bedrock AI, Business Support, 140K+ partner network | Via Activate Provider (VC/accelerator) or self-funded |
| DigitalOcean Hatch | Up to $100,000 | Varies | 3 months free GPU, premium support, simple pricing, Kubernetes | Series A or earlier, raised $10M or less |
| OVHcloud | Up to €100,000 | 12 months | European sovereign cloud, GDPR compliance, dedicated engineering | Early-stage (Start) or scaling (Scale) startups |
| Vercel | $2,400 | Varies by program | Frontend cloud, AI SDK, preview deploys, Next.js/Nuxt/Svelte support | Early-stage startup building web apps |
Detailed breakdowns
Google Cloud for Startups
Up to $350,000Up to $350,000 in cloud credits over two years for startups
Credit Amount
Start tier: Up to $2K credits for pre-funded startups (1 year)
Scale tier: Up to $200K credits — 100% up to $100K year 1, 20% up to $100K year 2
What's Covered
- •AI tier: Up to $350K credits — 100% up to $250K year 1, 20% up to $100K year 2
- •$12,000 in Enhanced Support credits (Scale/AI tiers)
- •12 months free Google Workspace Business Plus
Eligibility
- 01Start tier: Unfunded tech startup, founded within 5 years, no prior GCP credits
- 02Scale tier: VC-funded (pre-seed to Series A, Series A within last 12 months), founded within 10 years, less than $5K in prior GCP credits
- 03AI tier: All Scale requirements + must use or plan to use Vertex AI or Gemini as core product foundation
Cloudflare for Startups
Up to $250,000Up to $250,000 in credits for Developer Platform, Workers, R2, and enterprise security
Credit Amount
$5K tier for bootstrapped/stealth startups
$25K tier for startups with up to $1M in funding
What's Covered
- •$100K tier for $1M–$5M funded startups (approved VC/accelerator required)
- •$250K tier for high-growth or AI-focused startups with Tier 1 VC backing
- •Full Developer Platform: Workers, Pages, R2, D1, Durable Objects, Queues
Eligibility
- 01Software-based startup, founded within last 5 years
- 02$5K tier: Bootstrapped (use promo code BOOTSTRAPPED if under $50K funding)
- 03$25K tier: Up to $1M in funding
Microsoft for Startups
Up to $150,000Up to $150,000 in Azure credits plus access to advanced AI services, GPUs, and go-to-market support
Credit Amount
Up to $150K in Azure credits for Investor Network startups (pre-seed to Series A)
Up to $5K Azure credits via free trial (no VC required)
What's Covered
- •Access to advanced AI services and GPU compute
- •Enhanced expert technical guidance and support
- •Go-to-market: co-build, co-market, co-sell with Microsoft's global customer network
Eligibility
- 01$150K tier: Must be affiliated with Microsoft for Startups Investor Network, pre-seed to Series A funding
- 02$5K tier: New Azure customer, no prior Azure account, valid personal Microsoft Account
- 03Must be in a country/region where the Azure offer is available
AWS Activate
Up to $100,000Up to $100,000 in AWS credits covering EC2, S3, Lambda, Bedrock AI models, and 200+ services
Credit Amount
Up to $100K in AWS Activate Credits
Credits cover EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS, DynamoDB, and 200+ AWS services
What's Covered
- •Credits redeemable on Amazon Bedrock AI/ML models
- •AWS Business Support credits included
- •Architecture guidance from AWS solutions architects
Eligibility
- 01Portfolio tier: Must be associated with an Activate Provider (qualifying VC, accelerator, or incubator)
- 02Founders tier: Self-funded startups can apply directly
- 03Must be new to AWS Activate
DigitalOcean Hatch
Up to $100,000Up to $100,000 in compute credits plus 3 months free GPU usage and premium support
Credit Amount
Up to $100K in compute credits
Up to 3 months of free GPU usage for AI/ML workloads
What's Covered
- •Complimentary premium support
- •Droplets, Kubernetes, App Platform, Functions (serverless)
- •Managed Databases: Postgres, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB, Kafka, OpenSearch
Eligibility
- 01Series A or earlier (raised $10M or less)
- 02New DigitalOcean customer (no previous promotional credits)
- 03Company website and business email required
OVHcloud for Startups
Up to €100,000Up to €100,000 in cloud credits with European sovereign infrastructure and dedicated engineering support
Credit Amount
Start tier: €10,000 in cloud credits (12 months)
Scale tier: Up to €100,000 in cloud credits (12 months)
What's Covered
- •Start tier: 6 hours of 1-on-1 engineering support
- •Scale tier: Up to 20 hours of 1-on-1 engineering support
- •Startup visibility, access to market and funding opportunities
Eligibility
- 01Start tier: Early-stage startups building an MVP
- 02Scale tier: Scaleups looking to accelerate and sell more
- 03Enabler tier: VCs, accelerators, and incubators distributing credits to portfolio
Vercel for Startups
$2,400$2,400 in frontend cloud credits with automatic scaling, edge functions, and preview deployments
Credit Amount
$2,400 in Vercel credits for general startup program
AI Accelerator: 6-week cohort with $6M+ in combined credits (40 teams/batch)
What's Covered
- •Open Source Program: $3,600 in credits + partner perks
- •Frontend cloud with automatic scaling and global CDN
- •Preview deployments for every pull request
Eligibility
- 01General program: Early-stage startup building web applications
- 02AI Accelerator: Application-based, limited to 40 teams per cohort
- 03Open Source Program: Open source projects, quarterly cohorts
Which cloud provider should you choose?
The best cloud provider depends on your startup's specific needs. Here are our recommendations based on common priorities.
Best for maximum credits
Google Cloud
Up to $350K in credits through the AI tier — the highest available from any cloud provider.
View detailsBest for AI/ML workloads
Google Cloud or AWS
Google Cloud offers Vertex AI and Gemini integration. AWS provides Bedrock and SageMaker. Both have deep AI/ML ecosystems.
View detailsBest for security
Cloudflare
Enterprise-grade WAF, DDoS protection, Zero Trust, and DNS for up to 3 domains included in all tiers.
View detailsBest for simplicity
DigitalOcean
Simple, transparent pricing with developer-first docs. Perfect for small teams that want to ship fast without infrastructure complexity.
View detailsBest for European data
OVHcloud
European sovereign infrastructure with strong GDPR compliance. Ideal for startups with EU data residency requirements.
View detailsBest for frontend teams
Vercel
Purpose-built for frontend deployment with preview environments, edge functions, and native Next.js support.
View detailsFrequently asked questions
Which cloud provider gives the most startup credits?
Google Cloud offers the most startup credits with up to $350,000 through its AI tier for startups building on Vertex AI or Gemini. The Scale tier provides up to $200,000 for VC-funded startups. Cloudflare offers up to $250,000, Microsoft up to $150,000, and AWS up to $100,000 through their respective programs.
Can I use multiple cloud credit programs?
Yes, most cloud credit programs are independent and you can apply to multiple providers simultaneously. Many startups strategically use different cloud providers for different workloads — for example, AWS for core infrastructure, Cloudflare for CDN and security, and Vercel for frontend deployment. Just check each program's terms to ensure there are no exclusivity clauses.
What happens when my cloud credits expire?
When cloud credits expire, you transition to pay-as-you-go pricing on each platform. Most programs give you 12 to 24 months to use your credits. It's important to monitor your credit balance and plan your migration or budget transition well before expiration. Some providers like OVHcloud and DigitalOcean offer continued startup-friendly pricing after credits run out.