How to get cloud credits

June 13, 2026

I got thousands in cloud credits without a VC. Here’s exactly how — and where most founders miss out.

Microsoft for Startups

Microsoft for Startups (Founders Hub) is one of the most generous programs available, and it’s underused. You get up to $150,000 in Azure credits, GitHub Enterprise, and access to OpenAI models. The application is straightforward — describe what you’re building and apply directly at foundershub.startups.microsoft.com.

I applied for MagicSell and got approved. The Azure credits are more than enough for a bootstrapped founder to run infra for months.

Google for Startups

Google for Startups gives access to Google Cloud credits, technical support, and mentorship. Apply directly through their program. They’re selective but if you have any traction or a clear use case, it’s worth the effort.

The application asks about your use case — be specific. Don’t say “we build software.” Say “we run serverless functions on X at Y requests per day.”

Cloudflare for Startups

Apply directly through Cloudflare’s startup program at cloudflare.com/forstartups. You get Workers credits, pro plan access, and a few months of their business features.

I got this for MagicSell by applying directly — no third-party needed.

PostHog for Startups

PostHog gives $50,000 in credits through their startup program. If you’re using PostHog for analytics and feature flags (which you should be), apply for this before paying anything.

Third-party credit aggregators — worth knowing about

Services like Spendbase and F6S aggregate startup deals and can get you credits across multiple platforms from one application. Worth signing up — they list deals you might not find otherwise.

The application that works

Most of these forms ask some version of: “What are you building and why does it need infrastructure?”

What doesn’t work: “We’re building an AI startup that will disrupt X.”

What works: “We’re processing [N] Shopify webhooks per month. We use Workers for edge processing and R2 for asset storage. We expect to grow to [Y] by Q3. The credits will let us scale without burning cash on infra before we hit revenue.”

Be specific. Give numbers. Show you understand your own stack.

What I got for MagicSell

Microsoft for Startups: Azure credits
Google for Startups: Google Cloud credits
PostHog: $50,000 in credits
Cloudflare for Startups: Workers credits (applied directly)

For a bootstrapped solo founder, that covers months of infra without any investment.

The takeaway

Apply for Microsoft for Startups first — it’s the most accessible and most valuable. Add Google for Startups and PostHog. Apply to Cloudflare directly. Most founders leave thousands on the table by not applying.

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