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Free Cloud GPU Credits in 2025: 10 Programs Worth $250k+
Stack these offers to prototype, fine‑tune, and scale on GPUs for free
Published:
Aug 1, 2025
Last updated:
Aug 1, 2025
Why credits still matter
GPU prices have fallen, but A100 80 GB time is still money. The fastest way to extend runway is to chain free‑credit programs, starting with quick wins (no funding needed) and graduating to hyperscaler bundles when you raise. Below are the ten richest offers live today. All amounts are “up to” and subject to each provider’s terms.
# | Program & one‑click link | Headline credit | Key eligibility | GPU angle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Thunder Compute Credit Match – Sign up | 100 % match on first $50 spend + $20 for students + 3 % lifetime referral | Anyone with a Thunder account | A100 80 GB at $0.78/hr billed per‑second, snapshots, live spec changes |
2 | Google for Startups Cloud (AI Tier) – Google AI credits (Google Cloud) | $350 k | VC‑backed AI startups up to Series A | Use credits on H100, A3 Ultra, TPU v5e |
3 | AWS Activate Portfolio – AWS Activate (Amazon Web Services, Inc.) | $100 k (GenAI path up to $300 k) | Accelerator/VC intro & ≤Series B | Covers P5/H100 and G6e/RTX 4090 |
4 | Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub – Founders Hub (Microsoft for Startups) | $150 k | Product live + verified traction (no funding required) | ND A100 at $3.40/hr plus Azure ML |
5 | IBM Startup with IBM – IBM Cloud credits (IBM Cloud) | $120 k | <5 yrs old, <$1 M rev | Access to NVIDIA L40S, V100, A100 on IBM Cloud |
6 | DigitalOcean Hatch (AI Upgrade) – Hatch details (DigitalOcean) | $100 k + 3 mo free 8×H100 droplet | Pre‑seed–Series A; incubator or direct | Simpler UI than hyperscalers, K8s GPU add‑on |
7 | Alibaba Cloud Startup Catalyst – Catalyst (alibabacloud.com) | $120 k lifetime (regional caps) | APAC‑focused startups | Cheapest H100s in Singapore region |
8 | OVHcloud Startup Program – OVHcloud Scale level (OVHcloud) | €100 k (~$109 k) | EU tech scaleups | EU‑sovereign A100 & L40S at low latency |
9 | €36 k (~$39 k) | EU early‑stage | H100 & Mac Mini GPU‑ready regions | |
10 | Oracle for Startups – Oracle credits (OneClick IT Consultancy) | $10 k–$50 k | Global B2B, no equity asked | OCI bare‑metal A100 with RDMA NVLink fabric |
Quick stacking game‑plan
Start day‑zero – activate Thunder match and student credit to validate on cheap A100s.
Layer indie perks – grab DigitalOcean Hatch for extra H100 test time.
Scale with hyperscalers – once funded, pull in Google ($350 k) + AWS ($100 k) to cover peak training bursts.
Stay portable – snapshot to S3‑compatible storage, then restore on Thunder when credits expire.
Pro tip: mixing credits typically lets a 5‑person ML team run continuous A100/H100 training for 9‑12 months with <5 % out‑of‑pocket spend.
Carl Peterson
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