Twelve programs give eligible startups cloud, software and service credits worth from $2,000 to $350,000, or deep discounts for up to three years. This list is different from the others on Kurums Free: nothing here is free for everyone, so the Scorecard’s ‘Best free for’ field is the eligibility test, and the score weighs stated amount, duration and how hard the door is to open. Prices are USD and were checked on 21 October 2026. How we score · All Kurums Free lists
TL;DR — the free credit program that fits
- VC-backed, building on cloud: Google for Startups Cloud — up to $200,000 over two years, $350,000 for AI-first; AWS Activate Portfolio up to $200,000 through a partner; Microsoft up to $150,000 Azure.
- Bootstrapped: Cloudflare for Startups Tier 3 — $10,000 with under $1M raised; AWS Activate Founders from $1,000 to $5,000; Google Start tier $2,000.
- Sales and support stack: HubSpot 90% off year one, Zendesk Suite free for 6–24 months, Intercom 93% off year one.
- Incorporating from abroad: Stripe Atlas — $500 for a Delaware company plus $2,500 in Stripe credits.
Which startup credit programs tools have a free plan in 2026?
Every program on this page states an amount or discount on its own page and was readable on the verification date. Cloud credits (Google, AWS, Microsoft, Cloudflare, DigitalOcean, Vercel, GitHub, Anthropic) are scored on the amount and the duration; software programs (HubSpot, Zendesk, Intercom, Notion) on the discount and its length; Stripe Atlas on what $500 buys. We excluded programs that state no amount (OpenAI for Startups, which routes credits through partner VCs), Twilio and Segment (Twilio’s page says it offers no startup credits at this time), and Airtable, Slack and Brex, whose pages could not be read.
Two patterns decide eligibility. Partner-gated programs (AWS Portfolio, Google Scale, Cloudflare Tiers 1–2, GitHub, Zendesk’s longer term, Anthropic) require a referral from a VC, accelerator or ‘Activate Provider’; self-serve programs (AWS Founders, Google Start, Cloudflare Tier 3, DigitalOcean, Notion’s shorter terms) do not. Most require the company to be under ten years old, pre-Series B, and new to the vendor.
The table shows the headline amount, whether a paid account or card is required, and the Free Score. The rows below open into the full Scorecard with eligibility, duration, what happens when credits run out, and the page we checked.
| Company | Free as | Key limit | Card | Free Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G |
Usage credits | $2K self-serve · $200K Scale · $350K AI | No | 92 | Scorecard ↓ |
| C |
Usage credits | $10K bootstrapped · $100K · $350K | No | 88 | Scorecard ↓ |
A AWS Activate |
Usage credits | $5K Founders · $200K Portfolio | No | 86 | Scorecard ↓ |
| M |
Usage credits | Up to $150K Azure · tiers unstated | No | 78 | Scorecard ↓ |
| A |
Usage credits | Up to $45K partner value · $100K API via VC | No | 74 | Scorecard ↓ |
| Z |
Startup program | Suite Pro free 6–24 months · 50 agents | No | 74 | Scorecard ↓ |
| H |
Startup program | 90% / 50% / 25% off over 3 years | No | 72 | Scorecard ↓ |
| D |
Usage credits | 12 months · $10K/month cap · amount varies | No | 70 | Scorecard ↓ |
| I |
Startup program | 93% / 50% / 25% off · <15 staff | No | 70 | Scorecard ↓ |
| G |
Usage credits | $10K Enterprise Cloud · 12 months | No | 68 | Scorecard ↓ |
| V |
Usage credits | Up to $30K · criteria unpublished | No | 64 | Scorecard ↓ |
| N |
Startup program | 1–6 months Business + AI · <100 staff | No | 62 | Scorecard ↓ |
| S |
Startup program | $500 fee · $2,500 credits | Yes | 60 | Scorecard ↓ |
Free tiers verified 21 October 2026 on each vendor’s pricing page (third-party sources named in the Scorecard where the vendor page was silent). Order is by Free Score only; sponsorship never changes it.
What do the free credit program plans actually include?
Open any row for the eight-field Scorecard. The “Why it ranks here” note under each row explains the score in plain terms.
1G
Google for Startups Cloud ProgramUS · $2,000 for anyone, up to $200,000 over two years for VC-backed startups, up to $350,000 for AI-firstUsage credits$2K self-serve · $200K Scale · $350K AINo card92⌄
- What’s free
- Start tier $2,000. Scale: year one 100% of usage up to $100,000, year two 20% up to $100,000. Scale AI: year one up to $250,000, year two 20% up to $100,000
- Hard limits
- $2K · $200K · $350K over two years · first-party Google Cloud pay-as-you-go products only · third-party models not covered
- Time limit
- 2 years
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Credits consumed or the two years ending
- Cheapest paid step
- Pay as you go
- Best free for
- A pre-seed to Series A venture-funded startup, especially one building AI on Google Cloud
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · cloud.google.com/startup
2C
Cloudflare for StartupsUS · $10,000 for bootstrapped founders, $100,000 under $5M raised with a partner, $350,000 over $5M with a partnerUsage credits$10K bootstrapped · $100K · $350KNo card88⌄
- What’s free
- Tier 3 $10,000 (bootstrapped, under $1M raised); Tier 2 $100,000 (under $5M raised, partner-referred); Tier 1 up to $350,000 ($5M+ raised, partner-referred) across Cloudflare products
- Hard limits
- $10K · $100K · $350K · first-time applicants · funding within the last 12 months · incorporated under 10 years · up to Series B
- Time limit
- 1 year or until consumed; no extensions
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Credits consumed or the year ending
- Cheapest paid step
- Pay as you go
- Best free for
- A startup of any funding stage whose stack runs through Cloudflare’s network, Workers or R2
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · cloudflare.com/forstartups
Why it ranks here. The only program with a stated bootstrapped tier that is not a token amount, and a top tier that matches Google’s. One year with no extension is the shortest clock among the big cloud programs.
3AAWS ActivateUS · Founders tier from $1,000 up to $5,000 self-serve; Portfolio up to $200,000 through an Activate ProviderUsage credits$5K Founders · $200K PortfolioNo card86⌄
- What’s free
- Founders: up to $5,000 credits starting at $1,000. Portfolio: up to $200,000 for pre-Series B startups referred by an Activate Provider. AWS Credits for AI Startups: $200,000+ by invitation
- Hard limits
- $5,000 Founders · $200,000 Portfolio · founded within the last 10 years · pre-Series B · Portfolio requires an Activate Provider organisation ID
- Time limit
- Not stated on the page; governed by the promotional credit terms
- Card required
- Yes for Portfolio — the page requires an AWS account on the paid tier plan.
- Upgrade trigger
- Credits consumed or expired
- Cheapest paid step
- Pay as you go
- Best free for
- A startup whose investor or accelerator is an Activate Provider; Founders for everyone else
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
Why it ranks here. The deepest cloud ecosystem and a Portfolio tier that matches Google’s year-one amount, behind a partner gate that most bootstrapped founders cannot pass. The expiry is not stated on the page, only in linked terms.
4M
Microsoft for StartupsUS · up to $150,000 in Azure credits; the page no longer publishes tiers or the self-serve pathUsage creditsUp to $150K Azure · tiers unstatedNo card78⌄
- What’s free
- Up to $150,000 in credits across eligible Azure services, plus partner benefits
- Hard limits
- $150,000 maximum · tiers and eligibility not stated on the page
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Credits consumed
- Cheapest paid step
- Pay as you go
- Best free for
- A startup building on Azure or Azure OpenAI
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · microsoft.com/startups · press reports (Jul 2025) on restructuring, not verified here
Why it ranks here. A large headline amount with the least published detail: no tiers, no duration, no eligibility on the page, and press reports of a 2025 restructuring that reduced the self-serve Founders Hub path. Scored on what the page states and flagged.
5A
Claude startups programUS · partner discounts and credits worth up to $45,000, and up to $100,000 in additional Claude API credits through partner VCsUsage creditsUp to $45K partner value · $100K API via VCNo card74⌄
- What’s free
- Partner discounts and credits worth up to $45,000; VC-backed founders can receive up to $100,000 in additional API credits through a partner VC
- Hard limits
- $100K API credits · first-party Claude API only · applications currently closed (cohort full)
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Credits consumed
- Cheapest paid step
- Pay-as-you-go API
- Best free for
- An early-stage team backed by a partner VC that builds on the Claude API
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · claude.com/programs/startups
Why it ranks here. Meaningful API credits for AI startups, gated by partner VCs and, on the verification date, closed to new applications. Scored down on friction for the closed door; re-verified next quarter.
6Z
Zendesk for StartupsUS · Zendesk Suite Professional with Copilot free for six months, up to two years through VC and accelerator partners, up to 50 agentsStartup programSuite Pro free 6–24 months · 50 agentsNo card74⌄
- What’s free
- Zendesk Suite Professional plus Copilot free: standard six months, up to two years via partner, up to 50 agents
- Hard limits
- Up to Series B · under 250 employees (50 if not partner-referred) · company under 10 years · new subscribers only
- Time limit
- 6–24 months
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- The free term ending; then Suite Professional list price
- Cheapest paid step
- Suite Professional list price
- Best free for
- A funded startup building a support team that will stay on Zendesk afterwards
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · zendesk.com/startups
Why it ranks here. Two years of a product that normally costs over $100 an agent is the most valuable software program here if you qualify through a partner; six months otherwise. The cliff at the end is the full list price.
7H
HubSpot for StartupsUS · 90% off year one, 50% year two, 25% year three on Professional and Enterprise for partner-affiliated or verified-funded startupsStartup program90% / 50% / 25% off over 3 yearsNo card72⌄
- What’s free
- 90% off year one, 50% year two, 25% year three (pre-seed to Series A, partner-affiliated or verified funding); 30% year one and 15% year two through approved entrepreneurial organisations
- Hard limits
- Not Series B or later · net-new Professional or Enterprise subscriptions only · the FAQ says ‘typically two years’ against a three-year schedule
- Time limit
- Up to 3 years
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Each annual step-down in the discount
- Cheapest paid step
- Professional tiers at the discounted rate
- Best free for
- A funded startup adopting HubSpot Professional for sales and marketing
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · hubspot.com/startups
Why it ranks here. A discount rather than a credit, on a product that is expensive at list, so the absolute value is high for teams that would buy HubSpot anyway. The page’s own FAQ disagrees with its schedule on duration, which we flag.
8D
DigitalOcean HatchUS · twelve months of credits with a $10,000 monthly limit and the amount set in onboarding, for startups with under $10M raisedUsage credits12 months · $10K/month cap · amount variesNo card70⌄
- What’s free
- 12 months of credits (amount set in the onboarding email, with a $10,000 monthly limit) and 15 months of Standard support
- Hard limits
- $10,000 per month · raised $10M or less · service-based startups ineligible
- Time limit
- 12 months
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Credits consumed or the year ending
- Cheapest paid step
- Pay as you go
- Best free for
- An AI-native or product startup with under $10M raised that prefers simpler infrastructure
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · digitalocean.com/hatch
Why it ranks here. A clear year and a clear monthly cap, but no stated total — the amount ‘varies’ and arrives by email — which costs capacity and friction points.
9I
Intercom Early StageUS/Ireland · 93% off year one, 50% year two, 25% year three for companies under 15 employees with under $10M raisedStartup program93% / 50% / 25% off · <15 staffNo card70⌄
- What’s free
- 93% off year one, 50% year two, 25% year three on Intercom; Fin outcomes, phone and SMS at list
- Hard limits
- Under $10M funding · under 15 employees · new customers only · add-ons not discounted
- Time limit
- 3 years
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Each annual step-down
- Cheapest paid step
- List price minus the discount
- Best free for
- A very small funded startup that wants Intercom’s inbox and Fin before it can afford them
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · intercom.com/early-stage
Why it ranks here. The steepest first-year discount here, on a product whose per-resolution AI pricing is not discounted — the Fin bill can exceed the discounted seat bill. The 15-employee cap is the tightest eligibility on the list.
10G
GitHub for StartupsUS · $10,000 in platform credits on GitHub Enterprise Cloud for 12 months, for partner-affiliated startups new to EnterpriseUsage credits$10K Enterprise Cloud · 12 monthsNo card68⌄
- What’s free
- $10,000 in platform credits on GitHub Enterprise Cloud: licenses, Copilot, Advanced Security
- Hard limits
- $10,000 · valid 12 months · partner-affiliated · funded up to Series B · new to Enterprise · no Server or Data Residency
- Time limit
- 12 months
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- Credits consumed or the year ending
- Cheapest paid step
- Enterprise Cloud list price
- Best free for
- A partner-affiliated startup that wants Enterprise features and Copilot for a year
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · github.com/enterprise/startups
Why it ranks here. A fixed, stated amount and a fixed year, behind a partner gate. Ten thousand dollars covers a small team’s Enterprise seats and Copilot for the year; the seat count is not stated.
11V
Vercel for StartupsUS · up to $30,000 as a flexible commitment amount with Enterprise-tier access, through an interest formUsage creditsUp to $30K · criteria unpublishedNo card64⌄
- What’s free
- Up to $30,000 ‘Flexible Commitment Amount’, Enterprise-tier access and startup support
- Hard limits
- $30,000 · eligibility criteria not published · interest form
- Time limit
- Not stated
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- The commitment consumed
- Cheapest paid step
- Pro plan list price
- Best free for
- A Next.js or front-end startup that would otherwise buy Vercel Pro
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · vercel.com/startups
Why it ranks here. A stated amount with no stated eligibility or duration, applied for through a form. Scored on what the page says.
12N
Notion for StartupsUS · up to six months of the Business plan with Notion AI: six via partners, three with a business domain, one for under ten employeesStartup program1–6 months Business + AI · <100 staffNo card62⌄
- What’s free
- Up to 6 months free Business plan with Notion AI: 6 months through select partners; 3 months with a business website and domain email; 1 month for teams under 10
- Hard limits
- Under 100 employees · not a paying customer · no prior promotion · work email required
- Time limit
- 1–6 months
- Card required
- Not stated.
- Upgrade trigger
- The promotion ending; the page cites $20 per member annually afterwards
- Cheapest paid step
- Business plan, $20/member/month annual
- Best free for
- A partner-affiliated startup under 100 people that will keep paying for Notion
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · notion.com/startups
Why it ranks here. Useful and short: the self-serve term is one month, and six months needs a partner. Scored low on duration accordingly.
13S
Stripe AtlasUS · a Delaware company, EIN and 83(b) for $500, with $2,500 in Stripe credits and partner discounts; the fee is refunded if $5,000 lands in Stripe Treasury within 90 daysStartup program$500 fee · $2,500 creditsCard required60⌄
- What’s free
- $500 one-time incorporation (Delaware, EIN, 83(b), templates); $2,500 Stripe product credits in year one; $50,000+ in partner discounts; fee refunded if $5,000 is funded to Stripe Treasury within 90 days
- Hard limits
- $500 fee · $100 a year registered agent afterwards
- Time limit
- Credits in year one
- Card required
- Yes. The $500 is paid at sign-up.
- Upgrade trigger
- None; a one-time service
- Cheapest paid step
- $500 setup plus $100 a year
- Best free for
- A non-US founder who wants a Delaware company and a Stripe account in one step
- Verified
- Oct 2026 · stripe.com/atlas
Why it ranks here. Not free — $500 — but the fastest route to a US company for founders abroad, with credits that exceed the fee and a refund path. Listed because every founder search for startup programs finds it; scored as a paid service with credits attached.
Which free credit program has no credit-card requirement?
Only two programs state a payment requirement: AWS Activate Portfolio requires an AWS account on the paid tier, and Stripe Atlas charges $500 at sign-up. The others do not state whether a card is required to enrol; cloud credits are applied to a billing account that will carry a card once credits run out, which is the point. No program here converts automatically into a bill before the credits are consumed or the term ends, but every one of them ends.
The real gate is the referral. Self-serve with stated amounts: Google Start ($2,000), AWS Founders ($1,000–$5,000), Cloudflare Tier 3 ($10,000), DigitalOcean (varies), Notion (1 month), Vercel (form). Partner-referred: AWS Portfolio, Google Scale, Cloudflare Tiers 1–2, GitHub, Anthropic, Zendesk’s longer term, HubSpot’s deeper discount, Notion’s six months. If you have no VC or accelerator, Cloudflare’s $10,000 is the largest door that opens.
When does the free plan stop being enough?
Kurums Match: which free credit program fits your situation?
VC-backed, cloud-heavy, AI
Google for Startups Cloud Scale AI, then AWS Portfolio through your investor.
Bootstrapped and building on the edge
Cloudflare Tier 3, $10,000, no referral.
Support team of ten at a Series A
Zendesk for Startups through your VC, two years free.
Sales and marketing on a budget
HubSpot for Startups, 90% off year one.
Building on Claude
Anthropic’s program through a partner VC when applications reopen.
Founder outside the US
Stripe Atlas.
How we score free tiers
Duration (30): free forever scores 30, a 30-day-plus trial 15, a trial of 14 days or less 8, credit-based tiers 12. Capacity (30): whether the limits carry a team of three for twelve months. Core job (25): whether the free tier does the category’s main work — here, giving an eligible startup free cloud, software or service credits with stated amounts and terms. Friction (15): no card 15; card but no auto-charge 8; auto-charge 0; self-hosting deducts for setup and maintenance.
Each free tier was checked on the vendor’s pricing page on 21 October 2026; where the vendor page was silent, the Scorecard names the third-party source used. Free tiers change, so this list is re-verified every quarter and a discontinued free plan stays listed for one month with a notice. Order is by Free Score only. Kurums Free sells no placement; sponsorship, affiliate links and vendor requests never change a score, a rank or a label. Vendors can submit corrections through the Update your free tier form.
How did we verify these free tiers?
For each program we opened the vendor’s program page and recorded the stated amounts, eligibility and duration, and the card or payment requirement if stated. Microsoft for Startups publishes no tiers or duration, and press reports of a 2025 restructuring were not verified here. The Anthropic program page stated that applications were closed on the verification date. OpenAI, Twilio, Segment, Airtable, Slack and Brex were excluded for the reasons given above; Mercury’s partner perks are noted but not scored because eligibility is tied to a bank account.
Amounts are USD as stated. Programs change terms more often than any other category on Kurums Free, so this list is re-verified quarterly and the Verified cell on each row names the page checked.
Frequently asked questions
Which startup program gives the most credits?
Google for Startups Cloud (up to $350,000 for AI-first startups over two years) and Cloudflare for Startups Tier 1 (up to $350,000 for one year), both partner-referred. AWS Activate Portfolio is up to $200,000.
Can a bootstrapped startup get cloud credits?
Yes: Cloudflare Tier 3 gives $10,000 with under $1M raised, AWS Activate Founders $1,000 to $5,000, Google’s Start tier $2,000, all without a referral.
Does Microsoft for Startups still offer $150,000?
The page states up to $150,000 in Azure credits but no longer publishes tiers or the self-serve path; press reports describe a 2025 restructuring. Verify current terms on application.
Are there startup programs for software, not cloud?
Yes: Zendesk (Suite free 6–24 months), HubSpot (90% off year one), Intercom (93% off year one) and Notion (1–6 months) publish terms. Most other SaaS discounts are negotiated with sales.
Does OpenAI have a startup credit program?
OpenAI’s page states no amount; credits are issued through partner VCs with a referral code, so it is not ranked here.
Is Stripe Atlas free?
No. Atlas costs $500 and includes $2,500 in Stripe credits; the fee is refunded if $5,000 is deposited to Stripe Treasury within 90 days.
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