European Cloud Startup Programs: Where to Find Free Credits in 2026
If you’re building a startup and care about data sovereignty, GDPR compliance, or simply want to avoid US hyperscaler lock-in, Europe has more to offer than you might think. Previously, we looked into the functionalities of different EU cloud providers. We researched this for our own product (DataBaas), and might as well share our findings. We checked out seven EU cloud providers to find out where you can get free cloud credits, what the conditions are, and how easy it is to apply.
Here’s what we found.
The best options at a glance
Not all European cloud providers offer startup programs, and the ones that do vary wildly in generosity, accessibility, and extras. We ranked them based on credit amount, ease of application, and overall value for early-stage startups.
| Provider | Credits | Duration | Ease of application |
|---|---|---|---|
| OVHcloud | €10k – €100k | 12 months | ★★★★☆ |
| IONOS Cloud | €5k – €100k | 12–24 months | ★★★★☆ |
| Scaleway | €1k – €36k | 6–12 months | ★★★★☆ |
| UpCloud | €1k – €25k | 12–24 months | ★★★★☆ |
| STACKIT | Unknown | Unknown | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Hetzner | €20 (referral only) | ~1 month | No program |
| Leafcloud | €100 (trial) | 2 weeks | No program |
Now let’s break them down.
OVHcloud: The best all-round European option
OVHcloud runs one of the most mature startup programs among European providers. It operates at two levels:
- Start level (pre-seed/seed): €10,000 in credits, 6 hours of 1-on-1 engineering consultation, and a dedicated program manager.
- Scale level (Series A+): Up to €100,000 in credits, 20 hours of engineering time, mentoring, and go-to-market support through their Fast Forward Accelerator.
The program lasts 12 months, requires no equity, imposes no exclusivity (you can use other cloud providers alongside it), and you’ll hear back within a week of applying. To qualify, you need an innovative tech project with at least an MVP or proof of concept, a working website, and your company should ideally be less than five years old.
OVHcloud checks all the boxes for European data sovereignty: GDPR-compliant, no vendor lock-in through open standards, and transparent pricing. They’ve supported nearly 4,000 startups through the program since 2015.
Apply here: startup.ovhcloud.com
IONOS Cloud: A strong German alternative
IONOS, backed by United Internet (1&1), runs a solid startup program with two tracks:
- Spark: €5,000 in credits plus dedicated support for 24 months, designed for startups building their initial infrastructure.
- Accelerate: Consultation credits and product discounts for startups in their scaling phase, with credits up to €100,000 depending on your stage and requirements.
What makes IONOS stand out is the long tail: after your program period ends, you transition to alumni status with up to 30% discount on your entire IONOS infrastructure. There’s also a clear pathway into their ISV Partner Programme for software startups with market-ready products.
Requirements are similar to OVHcloud: tech-focused startup with an MVP, scalable business model, less than five years old, and not already an IONOS customer. You’ll get feedback within about two weeks.
The infrastructure is “Made in Germany” with full GDPR compliance and open-source-based cloud solutions.
Apply here: https://cloud.ionos.de/startup-programm/
Scaleway: Flexible tiers, Amsterdam datacenter
Scaleway, the French cloud provider owned by Iliad Group, offers a well-structured three-tier startup program:
- Founders (earliest stage): €1,000 in credits over 12 months.
- Early Stage (pre-seed to seed): €9,000 in credits (€1,500/month for 6 months), with a dedicated CSM and technical guidance.
- Growth (seed to Series A): €36,000 in credits (€3,000/month for 12 months), with advanced technical support.
Their admission committee reviews applications monthly on a rolling basis, so you can apply any time. No exclusivity, no equity claims, and credits work across their full product range, including GPUs, managed Kubernetes, and S3-compatible storage.
With datacenters in Paris, Amsterdam, and Warsaw, Scaleway is particularly interesting for startups that want European infrastructure with a Dutch or French presence. Their pricing is transparent and competitive, and they have strong GDPR and HDS compliance credentials.
Apply here: scaleway.com/en/startup-program
UpCloud: Finnish sovereignty with zero egress fees
UpCloud, a Finnish cloud provider, recently launched a dedicated startup program with a clear three-tier credit system:
- Tier 1: Up to €25,000 in credits for startups affiliated with a VC, incubator, or accelerator in the UpCloud ecosystem.
- Tier 2: €5,000 in credits for Nordic startups (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland) founded within the last 24 months.
- Tier 3: €1,000 in credits for startups from non-Nordic EU/EEA/UK/CH countries founded within the last 24 months.
Credit validity ranges from 12 to 24 months depending on your tier. Applications are reviewed within 5–10 business days. Credits cover compute, storage, networking, and managed databases, though GPU servers are excluded by default.
What makes UpCloud interesting is their sovereignty angle: your data remains in Europe, subject to Finnish law and explicitly outside US jurisdiction. They also offer zero-cost egress across all plans, which is a significant differentiator, unexpected transfer bills are one of the most common cost surprises on other platforms. Their infrastructure runs on open-source, portable managed services, so you’re not locked in.
With 15 datacenters globally and their proprietary MaxIOPS storage technology, UpCloud positions itself as a high-performance European alternative. The 24-month company age requirement is stricter than some competitors, but the no-VC-needed path (Tiers 2 and 3) keeps it accessible for bootstrapped founders.
Apply here: upcloud.com/upcloud-startup-program
STACKIT: Only through their VC partner
STACKIT, the cloud platform of the Schwarz Group (Lidl/Kaufland), does not offer an open startup program. Credits are exclusively available to startups in the D11Z Ventures portfolio, a German early-stage VC focused on digital and AI-based B2B startups.
If you’re not part of that portfolio, your only option is to contact STACKIT’s sales team directly, but don’t expect free credits. Unless you have a specific reason to be on Schwarz Group infrastructure, the other options on this list are more accessible.
More info: stackit.com/en/why-stackit/benefits/start-ups
Hetzner: No startup program, but unbeatable prices
Hetzner is beloved by developers for its rock-bottom pricing, but they deliberately don’t offer a startup program, free tier, or trial credits. Their strategy is simple: prices are already so low that promotional credits aren’t necessary.
New customers can get €20 through a referral link, but that’s it. If you’re looking for the cheapest possible European compute and don’t need hand-holding, Hetzner is hard to beat on price. But if you’re specifically looking for startup credits to extend your runway, look elsewhere.
Website: hetzner.com
Leafcloud: No startup program, but a unique sustainability story
Leafcloud is a Dutch cloud provider with a distinctive approach: their servers are housed in apartment buildings and care homes, and the residual heat is reused to provide hot water, making them carbon-negative. They’re built on OpenStack, fully GDPR-compliant with ISO 27001 and SOC2 Type II certifications, and all infrastructure is in the Netherlands.
They don’t have a startup program. New users get two weeks of free usage after a small deposit (€2 for compute, €25 for GPUs). They do offer volume discounts on request and have a referral program.
For startups that care deeply about sustainability and European data sovereignty, Leafcloud is worth exploring, especially if your story aligns with theirs and a partnership or commercial arrangement might be possible.
Website: leaf.cloud
Our recommendations
If European data sovereignty is a priority, and for many regulated industries, government projects, and privacy-conscious startups it should be, start with OVHcloud (easiest application, generous credits, proven track record) and IONOS (long support period, strong alumni program). You can stack these since OVHcloud explicitly allows it.
If you want to avoid egress cost surprises, look at UpCloud, they’re the only provider (that I found) with zero-cost egress, and their Finnish jurisdiction puts you firmly outside US reach.
If you need a quick start with minimal friction, grab Azure’s $1k–$5k for prototyping and AI experiments, while running your production workloads on European infrastructure.
If budget is everything and you don’t need credits, just go with Hetzner, nobody beats their price-performance ratio in Europe.
Last updated: April 2026. Program terms and credit amounts may change, always verify on the provider’s website before applying.
