Program
AWS Cloud Credits for Open Source
Credits for open source projects, not companies. They're typically used for testing, CI/CD and storing build artifacts.
AWS Cloud Credits for Open Source is for open source projects under an OSI-approved license. Varies by project.
- Who
- The project, not individual maintainers
- License
- OSI-approved
- Typical use
- CI/CD, testing, artifact storage
- Validity
- 1 year
- Since
- 2019
- Amount
- Varies
At a glance
- Decision time
- Monthly review cycle (AWS blog, Mar 31, 2025); no specific SLA.
- Credits last
- 1 year from the date issued; renewal requires a new application as the credits near expiry.
- Access
- Open application
01 · Overview
A good fit if you are
- Community open source projects
- Projects with heavy CI or test infrastructure
Not for
- Commercial products with an open source label
- Projects without an OSI-approved license
Timeline and terms
- Application window
- Rolling. Applications are reviewed and credits issued monthly. No credits are issued in December (reviews continue, issuing resumes in January).
- Decision time
- Monthly review cycle (AWS blog, Mar 31, 2025); no specific SLA.
- Credit validity
- 1 year from the date issued; renewal requires a new application as the credits near expiry.
- Where
- No geographic limit is published; the form asks for country/region.
No published tiers or cap. Applicants request an amount in USD for 12 months, backed by an AWS Pricing Calculator estimate. AWS decides at its sole discretion. Example: Kubernetes gets an extended USD 3M a year commitment, a special case and not a program tier.
What changed recently
2026-09-14
OpenSSF post confirms the program still runs (examples: Compiler Explorer, Gradle, Read the Docs). Source
2025-03-31
Eligibility tightened and restated: OSI licence required, no single-vendor-dominated or VC-funded projects, active maintenance and community engagement expected, preference for projects that complement AWS or matter to its customers. Contact changed to awsopensourcecredits@amazon.com (previously awsopen@amazon.com). The 'no credits issued in December' rule announced. Kubernetes USD 3M a year commitment extended. Source
02 · Eligibility
Hard eligibility rules
You must
- Project under an OSI-approved licence (licence page link required)
- Not dominated by a single vendor and not VC-funded
- Project actively maintained, with an engaged developer community
- Existing AWS account (account ID and account email on the form); the 2019 rules also required a valid payment method and no outstanding invoices
- Credits used only for the project named in the application
- Applicant attests the grant doesn't break procurement laws (the form also asks whether the project is state-owned)
Excluded
- VC-funded projects
- Projects dominated by a single vendor
- Projects without an OSI-approved licence (the 2025 rules; the 2019 post allowed non-OSI open-data licences 'apply anyway')
- Retroactive use: credits don't cover past bills
Have this ready before you apply
- Completed AWS Open Source Credits Application Form (.xlsx), emailed to awsopensourcecredits@amazon.com
- Name, job title, AWS account email and AWS account ID
- Project name, country/region, repository URL
- Licence page URL (for verification)
- Goal for the credits and a 3-4 sentence project description
- URL to an AWS Pricing Calculator estimate and the requested USD amount (12 months)
- Whether the project is state-owned
- Agreement to the form's terms (accuracy, AWS discretion, Promotional Credit Terms, 1-year validity, project-only use)
03 · How to apply
How to apply
- 1
Confirm the project uses an OSI-approved license.
- 2
Read AWS's current eligibility rules on the open source blog.
- 3
Fill in the application form and email it to AWS as instructed.
What catches founders out
- AWS updated the eligibility rules in 2025. Read the latest post before applying.
What founders report Show
Summarised from public founder posts. Anecdotal, not official AWS policy.
Gotchas
- A maintainer said the one-year request model was hard: they had to forecast needs a year ahead, so they eventually moved to self-hosted hardware
- Small projects report acceptance for public demos and CI environments (Mockzilla, July 2026), so small projects can qualify
04 · Credits & stacking
What the credits cover
Covered
- Compute
- Storage
- Database services
- Development tools
- Testing infrastructure (for example CI/CD, upstream and performance testing, artifact storage)
Not covered
- Amazon Mechanical Turk
- AWS Managed Services
- Ineligible AWS Support (Enterprise, Unified Operations, Enterprise On-Ramp, resold support, Partner-Led Support)
- AWS Marketplace
- AWS Professional Services
- AWS Training
- AWS Certification
- Amazon Route 53 domain name registration or transfer
- Services used for cryptocurrency mining
- Upfront fees for Savings Plans and Reserved Instances
- Taxes
- Use outside the named project
Stacking with other credits
Can combine with
- Separate AWS open source sponsorships and foundation memberships (for example the PSF, CNCF/Kubernetes)
Can't combine with
- Other AWS promotional offers on the same usage, unless AWS authorises it (Promotional Credit Terms s.6)
- AWS Activate: VC-funded companies are excluded from OSS credits, so a VC-backed startup's own OSS project doesn't qualify
Lifetime cap: No cap published. Each award is for 12 months and renewal needs a new application.
05 · Alternatives
If this isn't the right program
- AWS Activate Founders
If you're building a company around the project.
Sources
Checked October 2026. AWS can change amounts and rules at any time.
Facts on this page checked against official sources on 2026-10-04.
Questions
Can a maintainer apply personally?
Credits go to the project, not to individual maintainers.
Prices and credit amounts are estimates and may change. Check AWS for current terms.