How to get free AWS credits for your startup in 2026

In 2026, startups have multiple avenues to acquire free AWS credits, which can significantly reduce cloud infrastructure costs, allowing founders to focus on product development. Various programs offer these credits, such as AWS Activate Founders, YC Startup School, Stripe Atlas, and FounderPass, each providing between $1,000 to $5,000 in credits, with some programs like VC or accelerator partnerships offering up to $100,000 or more. These credits can be stacked when sourced from different partner channels, potentially amassing up to $12,500 before engaging with venture capitalists. AWS credits function as prepaid funds for core AWS services like EC2, Lambda, and S3, but not for AWS Marketplace purchases or third-party SaaS products. AWS provides these credits as a strategic customer acquisition cost, expecting startups to remain long-term AWS users. Managing these credits efficiently involves avoiding unnecessary infrastructure costs, using serverless technology, and setting AWS budget alerts. Platforms like Northflank enhance this process by offering a managed infrastructure layer that deploys to AWS accounts using credits without needing direct interaction with the AWS console, thus enabling startups to utilize AWS credits efficiently while maintaining the option to shift workloads across different cloud providers.