Every round-up of startup credits leads with the biggest number on the page. Two hundred thousand of AWS, three hundred and fifty thousand of Google Cloud. Those numbers are real, and almost nobody reading this can claim them, because they are gated behind being equity-funded and affiliated with a partner VC or accelerator.

So this page states the gate on every line. Where there is a self-serve tier a bootstrapped founder can actually claim, it says what that is too, because that is usually the number that matters. If you have not raised yet, the free tools page will be more use to you than this one.

The programmes

  • AWS Activate. Up to $200,000 in credits if you are funded and affiliated with an Activate Provider. Bootstrapped founders get $1,000 to $5,000 self-serve. aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
  • Google for Startups Cloud Program. $2,000 self-serve before you raise, up to $200,000 over two years once equity-funded, and up to $350,000 for AI startups. startup.google.com/cloud
  • Microsoft for Startups. $1,000 of Azure self-serve, plus $4,000 more after business verification. The six-figure credits now need a referral code from their investor network. startups.microsoft.com
  • Cloudflare for Startups. $10,000 in credits with no minimum funding at all, rising to $350,000 for funded startups with a partner. cloudflare.com/startups
  • GitHub for Startups. $10,000 in platform credits including Copilot, for partner-affiliated startups up to Series B. github.com/enterprise/startups
  • Notion for Startups. Up to six months of the Business plan with Notion AI, capped at $12,000 in value. Partner-affiliated startups get the full six months. notion.com/startups
  • HubSpot for Startups. Up to 90% off the first year for startups from pre-seed to Series A, stepping down in later years. Worth modelling the year-three price before you commit. hubspot.com/startups
  • Intercom Early Stage. 93% off the first year, with their Fin AI agent included, for startups under $10m raised with fewer than 15 people. intercom.com/early-stage
  • Zendesk for Startups. Up to two years of the Professional Suite free for new customers up to Series B. zendesk.co.uk
  • Claude for Startups. Free API credits and priority rate limits for venture-backed startups, plus a founder community open to everyone. claude.com/programs/startups
  • OpenAI for Startups. API credits through their partner VCs only, with free events and resources for everyone else. openai.com/startups
  • DigitalOcean for Startups. Twelve months of credits for startups that have raised $10m or less, sized case by case. digitalocean.com/startups
  • Stripe Atlas and Mercury. Not free, but the standard pairing for UK founders selling into the US. $500 incorporates a Delaware company with $2,500 in Stripe credits and partner deals, then Mercury adds free US business banking with a perks marketplace. stripe.com/atlasmercury.com
  • Google for Startups Accelerator. Equity-free cohort programmes with Google mentoring, including a UK AI edition. Competitive application rather than a claimable perk. startup.google.com

The graveyard

Programmes that still appear in round-up articles but no longer exist. Checked so you can stop looking for them.

  • Twilio and Segment startup credits Twilio's own page says they no longer offer startup credits, and the Segment programme is gone.

Questions people ask

What is the catch with the big startup credits?

The headline numbers are mostly for funded startups, often gated behind a partner VC or accelerator. The self-serve amounts for bootstrapped founders are much smaller, and each line on this page states the gate rather than quoting the biggest number.

Can I get any of these before I raise?

Yes, but far less. Cloudflare gives $10,000 with no minimum funding at all, AWS gives $1,000 to $5,000 self-serve, Google gives $2,000 and Microsoft gives $1,000 plus $4,000 after verification. Those are the realistic numbers for a bootstrapped founder.

How often is this page checked?

Every link was opened and checked against the official page on 22 July 2026, and the page is re-verified periodically. Programmes change their gates quietly and often, so check the provider's own page before you build a plan around a number.