How to Get Free AWS Credits in 2025: Your Complete Guide
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Need free AWS credits to grow your business? This guide reveals how to access up to $300,000 in free AWS credits through programs like AWS Activate and AWS Free Tier, with step-by-step tips to avoid pitfalls. Perfect for startups, developers, or SMBs looking to save on cloud costs.
Table of Contents
What Are Free AWS Credits?
Free AWS credits are promotional funds provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to cover costs for cloud services like Amazon EC2 (computing), S3 (storage), Lambda (serverless), and Bedrock (AI/ML). These credits act as free money, letting you test, build, or scale applications without upfront expenses, and to get the most out of your AWS credits, Cloudvisor offers full cost optimization support.
Why Are Free AWS Credits Valuable?
AWS credits offer unmatched flexibility and cost savings, especially in 2025, with higher tiers for innovative use cases:
- Zero Upfront Costs: Run cloud services like EC2 or S3 for free, ideal for prototyping apps or hosting websites. For example, a startup can deploy a web app on EC2 without paying for server costs during its first year.
- Scalability for Startups: Credits support growth, letting you scale infrastructure or train AI models on Bedrock. In 2025, AWS offers up to $300,000 in credits for AI startups through AWS Activate, fueling cutting-edge projects.
- Support for Diverse Users: Startups, developers, students, and researchers benefit. Students can use AWS Educate credits to learn cloud computing, while researchers leverage credits for data analysis on AWS.
- Risk-Free Testing: Experiment with services like Lambda for serverless apps or Comprehend for text analysis, no budget needed.
See our AWS startup credits guide for startup-specific benefits.
Key Programs Offering Free AWS Credits
AWS provides credits through several programs, each tailored to different needs:
- AWS Activate: Offers $1,000–$300,000 for startups, ideal for scaling businesses. Requires eligibility (e.g., <10 years old, using AWS).
- AWS Free Tier: Provides 12 months of free usage (e.g., 750 EC2 hours/month) for new AWS users, perfect for testing.
- AWS Educate: Grants $200 for students and educators to learn AWS skills.
- Connected Community: Offers $300 for SMBs via AWS events, great for smaller businesses.
4 Proven Ways to Get Free AWS Credits
Explore the top programs for free AWS credits, with actionable steps.
1. AWS Activate: Up to $300,000 in Free Credits
AWS Activate offers $1,000–$300,000 for startups, with higher tiers for AI startups.
Who Qualifies?
- Startups <10 years old, using AWS.
- U.S. startups need an EIN; non-U.S. startups may use local tax IDs.
How to Apply
- Prepare: Business plan, pitch deck, AWS account ID.
- Apply at aws.amazon.com/activate.
- Wait 6–10 weeks for approval; credits apply to eligible services.
Tips
- Highlight your startup’s potential.
- Avoid duplicate applications.
2. AWS Free Tier: Free Cloud for 12 Months
The AWS Free Tier provides limited free usage for new users.
- What’s Included:
- 750 hours/month of EC2 t2.micro.
- 5 GB S3 storage.
- 1M Lambda requests.
- How to Access: Sign up at aws.amazon.com/free.
- Tip: Use AWS CloudWatch to avoid exceeding free limits.
3. AWS Educate and Research Credits
- AWS Educate: $200 for students/educators to learn AWS.
- AWS Cloud Credits for Research: For academic projects.
- How to Apply: Visit aws.amazon.com/educate or research pages.
- Tip: Ideal for non-startup users, unlike AWS Activate.
4. Partner Programs (Mercury Bank, BEAMSTART)
Partners offer $5,000–$10,000 credits via AWS Activate referrals.
- Mercury Bank: $5,000 credits with a U.S. business account (EIN required).
- BEAMSTART: $10,000 credits through community events.
Scale Your Startup with Free AWS Credits!
There Are Two Ways: Apply for AWS Credits with AWS Partner vs Directly
| Benefit | Apply Directly via AWS | Apply with AWS Partner |
|---|
| Hands-on support | Not available | Full guidance from AWS experts |
| Application speed | Standard processing time | Priority handling via AWS partner |
| Maximize credits | May not receive full amount | We help unlock the highest possible credits |
| Help with documentation | Self-serve only | Step-by-step assistance |
| Post-approval AWS support | Not included | Includes cost optimization, infrastructure advice, and more |
| Cost | Free | Free |
How to Maximize Your Free AWS Credits
- Eligible Services: EC2, S3, Lambda, Bedrock (check TOS).
- Cost-Saving Tips:
- Monitor with AWS CloudWatch.
- Use spot instances for savings.
- Consult Cloudvisor for optimization.
- Avoid These Mistakes:
- Don’t use credits for crypto mining (TOS violation).
- Track expiration (1–2 years).
- Partner with Cloudvisor to optimize AWS costs.
FAQs: Free AWS Credits
Q: Can non-U.S. startups get free AWS credits?
A: Yes, but higher tiers require U.S. EIN or local tax IDs. Cloudvisor helps navigate this.
Q: How long is the AWS Activate approval process?
A: 6–10 weeks; Cloudvisor can help navigate it.
Free AWS credits can fuel your growth, and Cloudvisor can support you with cost optimization. From AWS Activate to the Free Tier, this guide covers it all. Start saving with our expert help!
