Adam

Posted on Aug 2 • Edited on Aug 10

Ultimate List of 25+ Essential Startup Credits

#productivity #startup #softwaredevelopment #webdev

The other day, I was catching up with a friend who's deep in the startup grind. He was venting about something lots of folks felt: "Why isn't there just one place to find all the startup credit programs? It's a mess of partner pages, outdated blogs, and half-remembered tweets."

He was 100% right. That conversation lit a fire under me. I decided to build the resource we were looking for. Initially, this was just for my own reference. I want to make a master list to save my sanity for future projects. But it felt selfish to keep it locked away.

So, this guide is my personal documentation, shared with all of you. My hope is that it saves you countless hours and, more importantly, helps you extend that precious runway.

Because building a startup is a race against time and money. Your runway is your lifeblood. Every dollar you don't spend on operational overhead is another dollar you can invest in product, engineering, and growth.

That's where startup credit programs come in. These aren't just small discounts; they are massive injections of non-dilutive capital. Tech giants are fighting to become the foundation of your stack, and they're willing to give you tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in free services to win you over.

This guide is your playbook. I've compiled a comprehensive directory of the best programs available in 2025 and broken down the strategy you need to stack them, time them, and maximize their value. Let's dive in.

Master Directory: The At-a-Glance List

Bookmark this. Here’s a quick-reference table of the best startup deals out there.

Provider	Program Name	Core Offering (Value & Type)	Key Eligibility Criteria	Direct Link to Program
Cloud & Infrastructure
Cloudflare	Cloudflare for Startups	Up to $250,000 in credits	Funded up to Series B; partner affiliation for higher tiers	https://www.cloudflare.com/forstartups/
Amazon Web Services	AWS Activate	Up to $100,000 in cloud credits	All stages; partner affiliation often required for higher tiers	https://aws.amazon.com/activate/
Microsoft	Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub	Up to $150,000 in Azure credits + software bundle	All stages; investor referral for highest tier	https://portal.startups.microsoft.com/
Google Cloud	Google for Startups Cloud Program	Up to $350,000 in credits (for AI startups)	Tiered by funding stage (Pre-seed to Series A)	https://cloud.google.com/startup
DigitalOcean	Hatch Program	Varies; 12 months of infrastructure credits	Requires VC/Accelerator partner; Series A or less	https://www.digitalocean.com/hatch
GitHub	GitHub for Startups	20 seats of Enterprise free for 1 year	Funded up to Series B; new to paid plans	https://github.com/enterprise/startups
MongoDB	MongoDB for Startups	Free Atlas credits & one-on-one technical advice	Series A or earlier; must be a product company	https://www.mongodb.com/startups
Data & Analytics
PostHog	PostHog for Startups	$50,000 in credits + generous free tier	Early-stage companies	https://posthog.com/startups
Datadog	Datadog for Startups	$30,000 - $100,000 in credits	Requires VC/Accelerator partner referral	https://www.datadoghq.com/partner/datadog-for-startups/
Twilio Segment	Segment Startup Program	Up to $50,000 in credits	Early-stage companies	https://segment.com/startups
Mixpanel	Mixpanel for Startups	1 year free on Startup Plan (1B events)	< 5 years old; < $8M funding	https://mixpanel.com/releases/startups/
Amplitude	Amplitude for Startups	1 year free on Growth Plan	< 20 employees; < $10M funding	https://amplitude.com/venture-partner-program
Algolia	Algolia Startup Program	$10,000 in credits	< 3 years old; < $5M funding	https://www.algolia.com/industries/startups
Productivity & Collaboration
Retool	Retool for Startups	1 year free (up to $60,000 value)	Series A or earlier; <$10M funding	https://retool.com/startups
Notion	Notion for Startups	Up to 6 months free (Business Plan + AI)	< 100 employees; partner affiliation for 6 months	https://www.notion.com/startups/producthunt
Linear	Linear for Startups	Up to 6 months free on paid plans	< 50 employees; requires VC/Accelerator partner	https://linear.app/startups
Asana	Asana for Startups	Discount on plans (e.g., 50% off)	Varies; direct application or via partner	https://asana.com/startups
Miro	Miro for Startups	$500 - $1,000 in credits	< 30 employees; partner affiliation for higher tier	https://miro.com/startups/
Slack	Slack Discounts	25-30% off Pro/Business+ plans	< 200 employees; available via partners	https://slack.com/partner-offers
Sales, Marketing & CX
Intercom	Early Stage Program	93% off year 1, then tapering discount	< 15 employees; < $10M funding	https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/9361928-early-stage-program
HubSpot	HubSpot for Startups	Up to 90% off year 1, then tapering discount	Tiered by funding; partner affiliation for best rate	https://www.hubspot.com/startups
Zendesk	Zendesk for Startups	6 months free of Zendesk Suite	< 50 employees; up to Series B funding	https://www.zendesk.com/business/startups/
Freshworks	Freshworks for Startups (Freshstack)	$3,000+ in credits	Early-stage companies	https://www.freshworks.com/company/partners/startup-program/freshstack/
Specialized Platforms
ElevenLabs	ElevenLabs Startup Grants	3 months free (11M characters/month)	< 25 employees; monetized product use case	https://elevenlabs.io/startup-grants
OpenAI	OpenAI API Credits	Up to $2,500 in credits	Via partners like Microsoft or Ramp	https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups/ai
Stripe	Stripe Atlas & Startup Program	$500 incorporation + waived processing fees	Varies; Atlas is open, credit program for VC-backed	https://stripe.com/startups
Gusto	Gusto for Startups	6 months free payroll (via partners)	All new businesses; partner offers vary	https://gusto.com/product/solutions/size/start-up-payroll
Rippling	Rippling for Startups	Exclusive discounts & perks	Via VC/Accelerator referral program	https://www.rippling.com/venture-firms-and-accelerators

Deep Dive: Cloud, Infrastructure & DevOps

This is your foundation. The big cloud providers are fighting an "ecosystem war" to win your loyalty early. Their goal is to get you hooked on their entire suite of tools, not just hosting. This is the most valuable category of credits.

Cloudflare for Startups

The Deal: Up to $250,000 in credits for their usage-based services, valid for one year.
The Catch: There are caps on high-demand services (e.g., only $10k on R2 storage, $50k on Workers AI). The best tiers ($25k+) require affiliation with a partner VC or accelerator.
Why It's Worth It: Beyond CDN, you get access to Workers, Pages, R2, and security tools that can form a huge part of your stack.
Link: https://www.cloudflare.com/forstartups/

Amazon AWS Activate

The Deal: Up to $100,000 in flexible cloud credits, plus technical support credits and a "deal book" with discounts on other SaaS.
The Catch: The highest credit amounts almost always require you to be part of a partner VC or accelerator's portfolio.
Why It's Worth It: It's the market leader with the broadest set of services. Credits can be used on almost anything, including ML services on Bedrock.
Link: https://aws.amazon.com/activate/

Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub

The Deal: Up to $150,000 in Azure credits PLUS free software: Microsoft 365, GitHub Enterprise (20 seats), Visual Studio, and more.
The Catch: The top tier requires a referral from an investor in their network.
Why It's Worth It: This is the ultimate ecosystem play. It can cover your cloud, dev tools (GitHub!), and office productivity software in one shot. The combined value is immense.
Link: https://portal.startups.microsoft.com/

Google Cloud for Startups

The Deal: Up to $200,000 in credits over two years (100% cover in Y1, 20% in Y2). AI-focused startups can get up to $350,000.
The Catch: Eligibility is tied directly to your funding stage (Pre-seed up to Series A).
Why It's Worth It: Huge value, especially for AI companies. The two-year structure gives you a longer runway than most 12-month programs.
Link: https://cloud.google.com/startup

DigitalOcean Hatch Program

The Deal: 12 months of infrastructure credits (amount varies by partner). Killer pricing on NVIDIA H100 GPUs.
The Catch: Strictly partner-gated. You must be affiliated with an approved accelerator or VC.
Why It's Worth It: The developer-friendly platform and exceptional GPU pricing make it a top choice for lean teams and AI startups.
Link: https://www.digitalocean.com/hatch

GitHub for Startups

The Deal: 20 seats of GitHub Enterprise free for one year, plus 50% off Advanced Security.
The Catch: Must be funded (up to Series B) and new to paid GitHub plans.
Why It's Worth It: Your code lives on GitHub. Enterprise gives you the security, CI/CD, and collaboration features you'll eventually need, for free, from day one.
Link: https://github.com/enterprise/startups

MongoDB for Startups

The Deal: Free MongoDB Atlas credits, one-on-one technical advice from their experts, and co-marketing opportunities. AI startups can get extra credits and promotion through their AI Innovators program.
The Catch: You need to be Series A or earlier and can't be an agency. They prefer referrals from VCs or accelerators, and you need a live website and company LinkedIn page to even apply.
Why It's Worth It: Get your database infrastructure covered by the leading NoSQL platform. The direct access to technical advice is a huge perk that can save you days of debugging and help you architect your data layer correctly from the start.
Link: https://www.mongodb.com/startups

Deep Dive: Data, Analytics & Observability

You can't build what you can't measure. These tools are non-negotiable for finding product-market fit. Be aware of two models here: the 1-year free plan (great up front, but watch for the pricing shock when it ends) and the generous free tier (better for a slower, more predictable cost curve).

PostHog for Startups

The Deal: A massive, always-free tier (30M events/month) plus $50,000 in credits if you outgrow it.
The Catch: The credits are for when you scale past the free tier.
Why It's Worth It: It's an open-source, all-in-one platform (product analytics, session replay, feature flags, A/B testing). It can replace 3-4 other tools.
Link: https://posthog.com/startups

Datadog for Startups

The Deal: $30,000 - $100,000 in credits for one year.
The Catch: Partner-gated. You need a referral from a VC or accelerator.
Why It's Worth It: The industry standard for observability. Monitor your infrastructure, logs, and APM in one place.
Link: https://www.datadoghq.com/partner/datadog-for-startups/

Twilio Segment Startup Program

The Deal: Up to $50,000 in credits (can last up to two years).
The Catch: Designed for early-stage companies.
Why It's Worth It: A leading Customer Data Platform (CDP). It's the plumbing that connects all your customer data tools, saving immense engineering effort.
Link: https://segment.com/startups

Mixpanel for Startups

The Deal: 1 year free on their Startup Plan, which includes a massive 1 billion events.
The Catch: Must be <5 years old with <$8M in funding. You have to start sending data within 90 days.
Why It's Worth It: No feature gates. You get all the advanced reports and add-ons from day one. A fantastic deal for B2C apps expecting high event volume.
Link: https://mixpanel.com/releases/startups/

Amplitude for Startups

The Deal: 1 year free on the Growth plan, plus lifelong discounts after the free year.
The Catch: For startups with <20 employees and <$10M funding.
Why It's Worth It: A powerful all-in-one platform with analytics, experimentation, and a CDP. The "discount for life" is a unique and valuable perk.
Link: https://amplitude.com/venture-partner-program

Algolia Startup Program

The Deal: $10,000 in credits for 12 months.
The Catch: Must be <3 years old with <$5M in funding.
Why It's Worth It: The best-in-class API for building amazing search experiences in your product.
Link: https://www.algolia.com/industries/startups

Deep Dive: Productivity & Collaboration

This is your startup's operating system. Some tools here are so dominant (Figma, Canva) they don't need a formal credit program; their free tiers are the deal.

Retool for Startups

The Deal: 1 year free on any monthly plan (up to $60,000 value), plus 25% off your second year. You also get their "Deal Book" with over $200k in partner offers.
The Catch: You must be Series A or earlier with less than $10M in funding. The weird part: you have to upgrade to a paid plan first, then apply to get the discount.
Why It's Worth It: Stop wasting precious engineering time building internal dashboards, admin panels, and support tools from scratch. Retool lets you build them in a fraction of the time, so your team can focus on your core product.
Link: https://retool.com/startups

Notion for Startups

The Deal: Up to 6 months free on the Business Plan, including Notion AI.
The Catch: You need a partner code (from AWS Activate, etc.) for the 6-month deal; otherwise it's 3 months. For new customers with <100 employees.
Why It's Worth It: It's your wiki, project manager, and doc repository all in one. Free access to the AI features is a huge bonus.
Link: https://www.notion.com/startups/producthunt

Linear for Startups

The Deal: Up to 6 months free on any paid plan.
The Catch: Strictly partner-gated. You need a code from a VC or accelerator partner and must have <50 employees.
Why It's Worth It: The gold standard for issue tracking in modern software teams. It's fast, beautiful, and a joy to use.
Link: https://linear.app/startups

Miro for Startups

The Deal: $1,000 in credits if you have a partner affiliation, or apply for $500 without one.
The Catch: For new customers with <30 employees.
Why It's Worth It: The best digital whiteboard for brainstorming, sprint planning, and remote collaboration.
Link: https://miro.com/startups/

Figma & Canva

The Deal: No formal credit programs. Their value is in their incredibly powerful and functional free tiers. Figma also offers its pro plan free for students and educators.
Why They're Worth It: They are the undisputed leaders. Figma for product UI/UX design, Canva for marketing and business assets. You can build your entire visual identity and product mockups for free.
Links: https://www.figma.com/ and https://www.canva.com/

Deep Dive: Sales, Marketing & CX

When you start getting users, you need tools to talk to them. The strategy here is often the "tapering discount": a massive discount in year one that shrinks over time. This makes adoption cheap but locks you in. Warning: calculate the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) over 3 years before committing.

Intercom for Startups

The Deal: A steep tapering discount: 93% off Year 1, 50% off Year 2, and 25% off Year 3.
The Catch: For new customers with <15 employees and <$10M funding.
Why It's Worth It: A top-tier platform for customer messaging, support bots, and help centers. The year-one price is a steal.
Link: https://www.intercom.com/help/en/articles/9361928-early-stage-program

HubSpot for Startups

The Deal: Up to 90% off Year 1, 50% off Year 2, and 25% off in perpetuity.
The Catch: The best 90% discount requires a partner affiliation and <$2M in funding.
Why It's Worth It: An all-in-one CRM, marketing, and sales platform. If you go all-in on HubSpot, this deal can save you a fortune.
Link: https://www.hubspot.com/startups

Zendesk for Startups

The Deal: 6 months free of the full Zendesk Suite.
The Catch: For new customers with <50 employees and up to Series B funding.
Why It's Worth It: A straightforward, generous free trial of a powerful, mature customer support platform.
Link: https://www.zendesk.com/business/startups/

Deep Dive: Specialized & Emerging Platforms

Your startup needs more than just cloud and SaaS. Here are deals for AI, payments, legal, and HR.

ElevenLabs Startup Grants (AI Voice)

The Deal: 3 months free, including 11 million characters/month (200+ hours of audio).
The Catch: Must have <25 employees and a clear product monetization plan.
Why It's Worth It: The leading platform for generative voice AI. Perfect for building voice-enabled products.
Link: https://elevenlabs.io/startup-grants

OpenAI API Credits (AI LLMs) via Microsoft for AI Startup

The Deal: No direct program, but you can get credits through partners. Microsoft for Startups lets you use Azure credits on OpenAI models. Fintech platforms like Ramp offer up to $2,500 in direct API credits.
Why It's Worth It: Access to GPT-4 and other state-of-the-art models.
Link: Apply via https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups/ai or check your corporate card perks.

Stripe for Startups (Payments & Incorporation)

The Deal: Two parts. Stripe Atlas incorporates your company for a $500 flat fee. The Startup Program (for VC-backed companies) offers waived payment processing fees (e.g., $25k fee-free).
Why It's Worth It: Atlas demystifies and cheapens the legal setup process. Waived fees mean more revenue in your pocket.
Link: https://stripe.com/atlas and https://stripe.com/startups

Your Game Plan: How to Maximize These Credits

Getting the credits is easy. Using them strategically is what matters.

1. Build the "Zero-Cost" First-Year Stack

By layering these deals, you can eliminate most of your overhead for the first 12-18 months. Here's a sample stack:

Formation: Stripe Atlas ($500).
Cloud & Dev: Microsoft for Startups ($150k Azure credits + free GitHub Enterprise + free M365).
Docs & PM: Notion for Startups (6 months free via Microsoft partner code).
Analytics: Mixpanel for Startups (1 year free).
Design: Figma and Canva (free tiers).

2. Timing is Everything

Activate programs only when you need them. Most are time-bound.

Day 1: Use Stripe Atlas to incorporate.
First Hire: Activate Gusto or Rippling deals for HR/payroll.
MVP Dev: Activate AWS/GCP/Azure and GitHub credits.
Pre-Launch: Activate Mixpanel/PostHog to instrument your app.
Post-Launch: Activate Intercom/HubSpot to manage users.

3. How to Get the "Invite-Only" Deals

Many of the best deals (Linear, Datadog, Digital Ocean, Microsoft) are partner-gated. If you're not in a top accelerator:

Join Startup Communities: Many paid communities are official partners and unlock deals worth more than the membership fee.
Use Fintech "Super-Partners": Corporate cards like Ramp and Brex have huge deal books with exclusive offers for their customers.
Ask Accelerators: When considering an accelerator, ask for their list of software perks. It's part of their value proposition.

4. Watch Out For These Traps (A Checklist)

🔍 Read the Fine Print: Check for usage caps on specific services (like Cloudflare's R2 limit).
🗓️ Track Expiration Dates: Most deals expire in 12 months. Use 'em or lose 'em.
💸 Model the "Pricing Shock": For tapering deals (HubSpot, Intercom), calculate your year 2 and 3 costs. Don't get caught by surprise.
✅ Confirm Eligibility First: Don't build your workflow around a tool until you're sure you qualify for their startup program.

Now go build something amazing.

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