DevOps Services
Get free AWS credits, and make them last
AWS gives startups credits that pay the bill for months. We find the programs you qualify for, check your application with you before it goes in, and make sure the credits are not burned on waste. It is part of the free AWS bill check.
The credit programs AWS runs today
AWS decides who gets credits and how much. The main programs for startups, as AWS describes them on its own pages:
| Program | Up to | Who it is for, how you get it |
|---|---|---|
| New account credits | $200 | New AWS accounts: $100 at sign-up, up to $100 more for trying key services |
| Activate Founders | $5,000 | Self-funded or bootstrapped startups. You apply yourself and start with $1,000; some teams qualify for more |
| Activate Portfolio | $200,000 | Startups backed by an accelerator, angel group or VC that is an Activate Provider. You apply with its Organization ID |
| AWS Credits for AI Startups | $200,000 and more | Invite only, for startups ready to scale after Activate Portfolio, through your AWS account manager |
| Migration funding | Not published | Teams moving workloads onto AWS. Starts with a migration assessment |
For Activate, AWS asks that your startup is at most Series A, was founded in the last 10 years, has a working website or public profile, and runs an AWS account on the paid plan (the free plan is not eligible). Applications usually take 7 to 10 business days (AWS Activate FAQ).
We checked these pages in October 2026. AWS changes its programs, amounts and rules, so its own pages always win over ours.
"Up to" is the ceiling, not the usual amount
Every amount above is a maximum. Founders starts at $1,000. Portfolio amounts depend on which provider backs you, and many providers offer smaller packages than the top one. If you already received credits, you can only apply for a bigger package, and you get the difference.
So we don't promise an amount. We tell you which programs you can apply for, what each one asks for, and where you stand against the rules before anyone fills anything in. If you don't qualify yet, you hear that first, with what would change it (for example, a new funding round or joining an accelerator).
What credits cover, and what they don't
Credits pay for most AWS services: servers, storage, databases, AI models on Amazon Bedrock and more. According to the AWS Activate FAQ, they do not pay for:
- Most AWS Marketplace purchases (third-party models on Bedrock are the exception)
- Support plans that are not on the eligible list, professional services, training and certification
- Domain name registration or transfer in Route 53
- Upfront fees for Savings Plans and Reserved Instances
- Bills from before the month the credits arrive
Credits also have an end date. AWS cannot extend it, refund unused credits or issue them again, even if they were used up by mistake. Your end date and balance are in the AWS console under Billing and Cost Management, then Credits.
What we do, step by step
- Check what you qualify for. During the free AWS bill check we already have view-only access to your bill. We look at what credits you have, when they end, your account plan and your stage, and list every program you can apply for.
- Find the right route. Many accelerators, investor networks and startup programs are Activate Providers. If yours is one, the Portfolio route usually pays more than Founders. We tell you who to ask for an Organization ID and what to ask.
- Check the application with you. You apply from your own AWS account. Before you submit, we go through it with you: company details, website, funding stage, account plan and the account the credits go to. Small gaps like a free-plan account or a missing public profile are common reasons for a no.
- Make the credits last. Once credits arrive, we look for what would burn them fastest: idle servers, oversized databases, old snapshots, data transfer. You get the list ranked by dollars, and you approve every change.
- Plan for the end date. We put the end date and a budget alert in place, so the first real bill is a number you saw coming. Our guide on what to do before credits end has the full 60, 30 and 7 day plan.
A senior engineer reviews every finding before you see it. Nothing in your account changes without your written yes.
What we are not
We are not an AWS partner or reseller, and we hold no AWS program status. We cannot grant credits, speed up a review or change an answer from AWS.
Your billing stays with AWS. You never join our AWS organization, your invoice never comes from us, and the credits land in your own account. If you stop working with us, nothing about your credits or your bill changes.
Credits hide waste
While credits pay the bill, nobody looks at it. Test servers stay up, databases are sized for a launch that never came, and logs pile up. All of it is invisible because the invoice says $0, until the credits end.
Example (illustrative numbers, not a real client): a team gets $25,000 in credits and uses $2,500 a month, so the credits should last 10 months. A forgotten staging setup and an oversized database add $1,000 a month. The credits now last about 7 months, and the first real bill is $3,500 instead of $2,500.
The cheapest month to find that is the first one. The free AWS bill check reads the cost before credits, so you see the real number while it is still covered. If you want to look yourself first, the 10-minute AWS bill check walks through the same lines.
What you can do yourself today
- Open Billing and Cost Management, then Credits, and write down each credit's balance and end date.
- Check your account plan. Activate needs the paid plan, and upgrading takes a few minutes.
- Ask your accelerator, investors or startup program whether they are an Activate Provider and have an Organization ID for you.
- Make sure your website or public company profile is live and matches the company name on the application.
- In Cost Explorer, exclude credits under Charge type to see what you would pay today without them.
What it costs
Help with credits is part of the free AWS bill check. You keep the report and can do everything on it yourselves. If you want us to make the cuts, we keep 25% of what comes off the invoice. See pricing for how that works.
Questions about AWS credits
Can you get us credits?
No one but AWS can. We find the programs you qualify for, check the application with you and help you avoid the common reasons for a no. AWS makes the decision.
Do we have to move our billing to you?
No. Your account and your invoice stay with AWS. Some companies offer credits in exchange for running your bill through them. We don't, and we never become your billing contact.
Do you take a share of the credits?
No. Credits are AWS's to give and they go straight into your account. The help is part of the free bill check.
We are past Series A. Is there anything for us?
Activate is for startups up to and including Series A. Later-stage teams can still save on the bill itself: commitments like Savings Plans, removing waste, and AWS funding for migrations. The bill check shows which of those fit.
We already used our credits. Can we get more?
Sometimes. You can apply again for a bigger package than you received before, for example through a new Activate Provider, and you get the difference. The bill check tells you whether that route is open.
What access do you need?
View-only access to your bill and settings, in your own account. We cannot change anything or open your stored files or database records. Remove the access with one click whenever you want.
How we work with your systems
You stay in control
Read-only access first
The free bill check needs read access and nothing else. Nothing in your systems changes.
You approve every change
Each change comes as a short written note first: what, why, and how to undo it.
Your data and billing stay yours
Everything stays in your own account. We never become your billing contact.
Every action logged
Every action we take is logged, and the log is visible to you.
One-click access removal
Delete the access role and our access ends at once, with no penalty.
Month to month
There is no minimum term and no exit fee. Stop at the end of any month.
Your free AWS bill check, in 48 hours
One read-only template. Every dollar you could stop paying, ranked. You keep the report even if you never hire us.
read-only accessno savings, no feemonth to month
