How to Get $1,000 in Free AWS Credits — A Founder's Guide
AWS Activate gives early-stage startups $1,000 in free cloud credits. This plain-English, step-by-step guide walks you through the entire application in about 15 minutes.
AWS (Amazon Web Services) gives early-stage startups $1,000 in free cloud credits through a program called AWS Activate Founders. Think of it as free money to run your website, app, or tech product on Amazon's servers — no strings attached, just a 15-minute application to fill out.
[!TIP] TL;DR — AWS Activate Credits are applied directly to your cloud bill. A $1,000 credit means your first $1,000 of AWS usage costs you nothing. For an early-stage startup, that could cover 6–12 months of infrastructure.
What Are AWS Credits, and Why Should You Care?
When you build an app, website, or digital product, you need servers to run it — and that usually means paying a monthly cloud bill. AWS is the world's largest cloud provider, charging for everything from hosting your website to storing files to running databases.
AWS Activate Credits are free money applied directly to that bill. You can use them across all major AWS services:
- Host your app — EC2, App Runner
- Database — RDS, DynamoDB
- File storage — S3 Buckets
- AI models — Amazon Bedrock
- Send emails — SES (Simple Email Service)
- Deploy APIs — Lambda, API Gateway
Do You Qualify? Check These Boxes
The Founders package (the $1,000 one) is for self-funded, early-stage startups. You need:
- A live company website — A functioning site on your own domain. A simple landing page counts.
- Founded within 10 years — Your startup must have been started in the last 10 years.
- Self-funded or pre-Series B — Bootstrapped, angel-funded, or raised up to Series A all qualify.
- Not affiliated with an Activate Provider — VC/accelerator-backed startups qualify for the larger Portfolio package instead.
- First-time applicant — You must not have previously received AWS Activate Credits of equal or greater value.
- AWS account on the paid tier — A credit card on file. You won't be charged as long as you stay within the free tier or use your credits.
[!TIP] Use your business email. Use an email address that matches your company website domain (e.g.
you@yourcompany.com) for both your AWS account and the application. This speeds up verification significantly.
Step-by-Step: How to Apply
Follow these 6 steps in order. The whole process takes about 10–15 minutes.
Create (or log into) your AWS Account
Go to aws.amazon.com and sign up for a free account, or sign in if you already have one. You'll need to add a credit card — but you won't be charged as long as you stay within the free tier or use your credits.
Create a Free Account
🔑 Use your business email here — Sign up with you@yourcompany.com (not a personal Gmail). This matches your website domain and makes the Activate application go through faster.
Note Down Your AWS Account ID
Once logged in, click on your name in the top-right corner of the AWS Console. You'll see your Account ID — a 12-digit number. Copy it. You'll need it during the Activate application.
Go to the AWS Activate Portal
Navigate to aws.amazon.com/activate in your browser. This is AWS's official program for startups. Click on "Apply for Credits" or "Get Started."
Create Your AWS Builder ID and Activate Profile
You'll be prompted to create (or log in with) an AWS Builder ID — this is separate from your regular AWS account. Fill in your company details: name, website, founding year, funding stage, and product description.
Complete Your Startup Profile
Be accurate here. AWS says inaccurate information can get your application denied. Be truthful about your funding stage, company age, and website. Don't over-claim.
Select the Founders Package and Submit
You'll see two options: Founders ($1,000) and Portfolio (up to $100,000). Select Founders. Enter your AWS Account ID (the 12-digit number from Step 2) and submit your application.
Select Your Credit Package
Wait for Approval (2–7 Business Days)
After submitting, you'll see a confirmation screen and receive an email. AWS typically processes Founders applications in 2–7 business days. Track your status on the Credit Application Status page.
Application Status
Check your inbox at you@yourcompany.com for updates. Also check your spam folder.
Check your inbox (and spam folder) at your business email address for updates.
Credits Approved — You're Done!
Your credits are applied automatically to your account. Head to your AWS Billing Console → Credits to confirm. Credits are valid for 24 months from the date of approval.
AWS Activate Credits Applied!
$1,000.00 has been added to your account — valid for 24 months
Everything at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Program Name | AWS Activate — Founders Package |
| Credit Amount | $1,000 USD |
| Who Qualifies | Self-funded / bootstrapped startups, founded < 10 years ago |
| What You Need | AWS account (paid tier), live company website, business email |
| Application URL | aws.amazon.com/activate |
| Time to Apply | ~10–15 minutes |
| Approval Time | 2–7 business days |
| Credit Validity | 24 months from approval |
| What Credits Cover | Compute, storage, databases, AI/ML (Bedrock), email, and 200+ AWS services |
| Cost to Apply | Free |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to already be using AWS to apply? No — you just need an AWS account on the paid tier (a credit card on file). You don't need to have spent anything yet. Creating an account and adding a card takes 5 minutes.
My startup doesn't have a fancy website. Does a simple one-pager count? Yes. A simple landing page with your company name, what you do, and a contact email is enough. It needs to be on your own domain — not a subdomain of a website builder.
What happens after my credits run out? Normal AWS billing kicks in. Set up billing alerts in the AWS console (Billing → Budgets) so you're never surprised.
Can I apply even if I haven't launched my product yet? Yes. As long as you have a functioning website and your startup was formally started, you can apply. Many founders apply pre-launch to use credits to build their MVP.
What if I'm affiliated with an accelerator? You may qualify for the Portfolio Package, which offers up to $100,000. Ask your accelerator for their AWS Activate Org ID and apply for that tier instead.
My application got rejected. What do I do? Double-check that your application email matches your website domain, that your site is live, and that your funding details are accurate. Contact AWS Activate Support to ask why and reapply after making corrections.
This guide is based on publicly available information from the official AWS Activate program at aws.amazon.com/activate. Always verify current requirements directly on Amazon's website as program details may change.
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