How to Get Microsoft Azure Credits
You can get Azure credits through the free trial ($200 for 30 days), Microsoft for Startups (up to $150,000 for qualifying startups), Visual Studio/MSDN subscriptions ($50–$150/month), or by purchasing pre-loaded Azure credit accounts from Cloud Accounts — available from $30, delivered within 12 hours.
Microsoft Azure offers multiple credit programmes with different requirements and timelines:
Azure Free Trial
$200 in credits for the first 30 days, plus 12 months of free tier services. Available to all new accounts with a credit card for verification. Trial credits expire after 30 days regardless of usage.
Microsoft for Startups (Founders Hub)
Up to $150,000 in Azure credits for qualifying startups. Also includes Microsoft 365, LinkedIn Premium, and GitHub Enterprise access. Requirements: under 10 years old, not publicly listed, revenue under certain thresholds. Application review: 1–4 weeks. Not guaranteed.
Visual Studio / MSDN Subscription
Visual Studio Professional: $50 Azure credit/month. Visual Studio Enterprise: $150 Azure credit/month. Requires an active MSDN subscription. Good for individual developers but limited for team infrastructure.
Microsoft Partner Network
Partners receive Azure credits as part of membership benefits. Requires Microsoft Partner certification — significant time investment.
Purchase Pre-loaded Accounts (Fastest)
Cloud Accounts sells Azure accounts with $1,000 to $25,000 in credits, delivered in 30 minutes to 12 hours. No application process, no eligibility verification, no waiting. Best for teams that need Azure credits immediately.
For maximum speed, buy a pre-loaded account. For maximum long-term value, pursue Microsoft for Startups in parallel.
Buying cloud credits from Cloud Accounts is typically 60–80% cheaper than retail rates from AWS, GCP, or Azure. For immediate access without application processes or waiting periods, it's the fastest path to cloud infrastructure.
Also Asked
$199 — compared to paying Microsoft $1,000 retail. That's an 80% saving on Azure infrastructure spend.