Last updated: April 2026
Free Azure credits in 2026 split into four legitimate routes — Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub (the largest, $1K-$150K), the Azure Free Account ($200 trial + 12 months free + always-free), Visual Studio Subscription ($50-$150/month for dev work), and Azure for Students ($100, no credit card). Most developers only know the Free Account and miss the rest. This is the complete map: every route, exact dollar amounts, eligibility, and how to combine them on different Azure subscriptions to maximize free credit lifetime.
For the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub deep dive (tiers, application walkthrough, GitHub Enterprise + M365 perks), see Microsoft for Startups. This article maps all the Azure-credit-specific routes including the consumer / individual / student tracks.
Routes at a glance
| Route | Credits | Validity | Card required | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub | $1K - $150K | 12 months (no extensions) | No | Startups (most generous) |
| Azure Free Account | $200 + 12mo free + always-free | $200 in 30 days; rest 12 months | Yes (verification only) | First-time evaluation |
| Visual Studio Subscription | $50 - $150 / month | Monthly while subscribed | Yes (paid VS sub) | Active developer work |
| Azure for Students | $100 | 12 months | No | Student-verified accounts |
Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub ($1K - $150K)
The startup-focused track. Tiered ladder from $1K Basic to $150K Scale.
- Basic: $1,000 immediate
- Enhanced: Up to $5,000 after business verification
- Growth: Up to $25,000 with traction signals
- Scale: Up to $150,000 for investor-affiliated startups
- Plus: GitHub Enterprise (free), Microsoft 365, LinkedIn Premium, OpenAI API access via Azure
- Validity: 12 months for all tiers, no extensions
- Card: Not required
For the full eligibility breakdown, application walkthrough, and tier promotion mechanics, see the dedicated Microsoft for Startups deep dive.
Azure Free Account
The anyone-can-claim track. No company affiliation needed.
- $200 in credits valid for 30 days, usable across any Azure service
- 12 months of free services on popular products:
- Linux / Windows VMs (B1S, 750 hours/month) - Blob Storage (5 GB) and File Storage (5 GB) - SQL Database (250 GB) - Cosmos DB (1,000 RU/s, 25 GB) - Service Bus (750 hours) - Bandwidth (15 GB outbound)
- Over 65 always-free services, including:
- Azure Functions (1 million requests/month) - Azure DevOps (5 users) - Static Web Apps - Cognitive Services (limited free quotas — Computer Vision, Speech-to-Text, Translator, etc.) - Visual Studio App Center (basic tier)
- How to start: azure.microsoft.com/free → sign in with Microsoft account → add payment method (verification only) → activate
- Card required: Yes, for verification. Not charged unless you explicitly upgrade
This is the route to start with if you have never touched Azure. The 30-day $200 plus 12-month free services is more than enough for evaluating a real workload.
Visual Studio Subscription Azure Credits
Often-forgotten benefit for paid Visual Studio subscribers.
- Visual Studio Professional Subscription: $50/month in Azure credits
- Visual Studio Enterprise Subscription: $150/month in Azure credits
- Plus: access to Dev/Test Azure pricing (typically 60-80% off pay-as-you-go)
- Validity: Monthly, resets each subscription month, does not roll over
- How to activate: From your Visual Studio subscription portal → Benefits → Azure → activate the dev subscription
If you or your company are already paying for Visual Studio, this is essentially free Azure work. Use it for sandboxes, test environments, and feature spike work.
Azure for Students ($100, no credit card)
The student track. Genuinely no credit card required.
- Credits: $100 in Azure credits
- Validity: 12 months
- Eligibility: Active student status verified through an accredited educational institution (university or accredited college)
- How to apply: azure.microsoft.com/free/students → verify student status with academic email or institutional verification
- Plus: access to free dev tools (Azure DevOps, GitHub Student Pack equivalent), free training resources
A separate Azure for Students Starter tier exists for high-school students with even simpler eligibility (no credit card, smaller credit pool).
How to stack Azure routes
You cannot combine all four credits on the same subscription, but you can hold multiple Azure subscriptions:
- Personal exploration: Azure Free Account ($200 + 12 months free + always-free) — start here
- Active dev work: Visual Studio Subscription credits ($50-$150/month) — separate Dev/Test subscription
- Production / scale: Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub ($1K-$150K) — separate startup subscription
- Education path: Azure for Students ($100) — if applicable
Each subscription is a billing boundary. Spinning up a new Azure subscription tied to a different program is the standard play to layer credits over time.
Always-Free Azure services (no credit card, indefinite)
Even without any credits, these Azure services are genuinely free forever:
- Azure Functions: 1M requests/month + 400K GB-s execution
- Azure DevOps: 5 free users + 1,800 free CI/CD pipeline minutes/month
- App Configuration: 1,000 requests/day
- Static Web Apps: Unlimited static apps with a free tier
- DNS: Lightweight free tier
- Notification Hubs: 1M push notifications/month
- Cognitive Services free tiers: small quotas across vision, language, decision
For most side-project workloads, the always-free tier alone is enough. Pair with a free Cloudflare account for CDN and you can run a real product on $0/month indefinitely.
Azure free credits vs AWS Free vs GCP Free
| Azure | AWS | GCP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial trial credit | $200 (30 days) | $300 (12 months for some services) | $300 (90 days) |
| Always-free services | 65+ | 100+ AWS Free Tier services | 25+ Always Free |
| Student program | $100 / no card | $100 (AWS Educate) / no card | $300 (university) |
| Startup program ceiling | $150K (Founders Hub) | $100K+ (Activate Portfolio) | $350K (AI-first) |
Azure has the strongest "always-free + 12 months" combination for individual / pre-startup developers. AWS has more always-free services. GCP wins on top-tier startup ceiling.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get free Azure credits without a startup program? Three routes that need no application: (1) Azure Free Account — anyone can sign up, gives $200 in credits for 30 days plus 12 months of free services on a long list of products plus 'always free' tier on 65+ services. (2) Azure for Students — $100 in credits with no credit card required, just student verification. (3) Visual Studio Subscription — paid Visual Studio subscribers get $50-$150/month in Azure credits as part of their dev subscription.
How much can I get from Azure Founders Hub? Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub gives $1,000 in initial Azure credits at the Basic tier, expandable to $5,000 after business verification. The Growth tier reaches $25,000, and the Scale tier reaches $150,000 for investor-affiliated startups. All Founders Hub credits expire 12 months after issuance with no extensions.
What's included in the Azure Free Account? Azure Free Account includes: $200 in credits valid 30 days for any Azure service, 12 months of free access to popular services (Linux/Windows VMs B1S 750h/month, Blob Storage 5GB, SQL Database 250GB, Cosmos DB 1000 RU/s, etc.), and over 65 'always free' services including Azure Functions (1M requests/month), DevOps (5 users), Service Bus (750h), Cognitive Services (limited free quotas), and Static Web Apps.
Are Azure free credits stackable? Some yes, some no. The $200 Azure Free Account credit is one-time per identity. Visual Studio Subscription credits are monthly and reset. Azure for Students is one-time per student verification. Founders Hub credits are one-time per company. You cannot combine the Azure Free Account credit with Founders Hub on the same subscription, but you can hold multiple Azure subscriptions tied to different programs.
Do I need a credit card for the Azure Free Account? Yes. Azure Free Account requires a credit card or debit card during signup as a verification step (not for billing — you will not be charged unless you explicitly upgrade to pay-as-you-go). The Azure for Students program is the exception: no credit card required, only student verification through your educational institution.
Related guides
- Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub — full deep dive
- Free AWS Credits — comparable ecosystem on AWS side
- Free Google Cloud Credits — comparable ecosystem on GCP side
- Free Cloud Credits for Developers — all 15 cloud programs
- Free Startup Credits 2026: Complete Guide
Which Azure route worked for you? Reply with your stack — I update this guide with current credit amounts and eligibility shifts.
