Free Amazon Web Services are available through AWS’s Free Tier, but the offer is a mix of account plans, monthly allowances, temporary trials and credits—not a promise that every AWS service is free. For eligible new customers, AWS’s current Free plan includes $100 in signup credits and the chance to earn up to another $100, and it ends after six months or when credits run out, whichever comes first. Credits have a separate expiry: 12 months after account creation.
What “free Amazon Web Services” means
AWS’s Free Tier includes several kinds of offers with different limits and timelines. Knowing which one applies to a service is essential before you leave anything running.
- Free account plan: A plan for experimenting and proof-of-concept work. It provides access to selected services, not the full catalog, and ends after six months or when credits are depleted, whichever happens first.
- Always Free: Recurring monthly allowances for eligible services, up to each service’s stated usage limits. AWS says customers can access over 30 Always Free services, subject to current service terms and account-plan eligibility.
- Short-term trials: Offers for particular services that last for a stated period or usage limit. A trial is not a permanent monthly allowance.
- Credits: A balance that can cover eligible charges. Credits do not make every service or every amount of usage free.
AWS’s current offer page also describes access to over 90 services for up to six months on the Free plan. That access is time-limited and service eligibility varies; it does not mean all 90-plus services are permanently free.
What new customers can get—and who may qualify
AWS announced the expanded offer on July 16, 2025: eligible new customers receive $100 in credits at signup and may earn up to another $100 by completing activities, for up to $200 total. The full amount is not automatic for every customer. See the AWS announcement and the current AWS Free Tier offer for the live terms.
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The offer is for new customers. AWS says someone with an existing or previous AWS account may be ineligible for the Free plan and credits. AWS also states that credits are unavailable in the China (ZHY and BJS) Regions and that the Free Tier is generally unavailable in GovCloud, subject to listed exceptions. Check the current offer and your account’s eligibility before relying on credits.
Free plan or Paid plan: which should you choose?
The right plan depends on whether you are learning with a small project or need full access and room to scale. AWS’s billing documentation and FAQ describe the distinction as follows:
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| What to compare | Free plan | Paid plan |
|---|---|---|
| Intended use | Experimenting and proof-of-concept work | Full service access and workloads that may scale |
| Service access | Selected services; some services and features are unavailable | Full service catalog |
| Billing | No charges unless you upgrade | Standard pay-as-you-go charges may apply beyond credits or for usage and services credits do not cover |
| Offers | Always Free offers | Always Free offers and selected short-term trials |
| When credits run out | The plan ends when credits are depleted, or at six months, whichever comes first | The account does not close just because the credit balance runs out |
Confirm that the services and features your project needs are available on your chosen plan. Availability and limits can depend on the account and Region; do not assume a service-specific allowance applies everywhere.
How to make the most of the Free Tier
- Choose a small, defined project. Start with a learning exercise or proof of concept, then check whether its required services and features are available on the Free plan.
- Identify the type of offer for each service. Check whether usage is covered by an Always Free monthly allowance, a time-limited trial or credits. Read the service’s current limits rather than assuming an offer covers unlimited use.
- Monitor usage across Regions. AWS says Free Tier usage is calculated monthly across Regions. In the console, use Billing and Cost Management to review activity by service, usage type and Region. AWS also documents usage APIs in its Free Tier usage and alert documentation.
- Review resources before the plan ends. Check Bills by service and Region or Cost Explorer, then stop or delete resources you no longer need. AWS warns that resources can remain active even if you are not regularly signing in. Follow AWS’s guidance for avoiding unexpected charges.
- Decide what to do with your data. Export important material before expiry. The Free plan closes at expiry, and AWS describes a 90-day data-retention window. Accessing data during that window requires upgrading; if you do not upgrade within it, AWS says it permanently erases account content.
- Check before changing account relationships. Joining AWS Organizations or creating a Control Tower landing zone can upgrade a Free plan and affect credits. Credits are not transferable between accounts, so review the account-specific conditions before making either change.
What happens when the plan or credits expire?
The Free plan ends at six months or when credits run out
AWS defines the Free plan expiry as whichever comes first: six months from account opening or exhaustion of Free Tier credits. The six-month plan limit and credit expiry are separate timelines. If you do not upgrade when the Free plan expires, AWS closes the account and removes access.
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Credits expire 12 months after account creation
Unused credits expire 12 months after you create the account, even though the Free plan itself lasts no longer than six months. Do not treat the credits’ expiry date as an extension of the plan.
Plan for data recovery before closure
AWS says account data is retained for 90 days after Free-plan expiry. To access it during that period, you must upgrade. If you do not upgrade within the 90-day window, AWS says it permanently erases account content. Save or export anything you need before the plan deadline.
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Important limits and safety checks
- Free usage is bounded. Exceeding an allowance, using a non-covered service or running usage beyond a trial can lead to charges on a Paid plan or require an account-plan change. Check each service’s terms and your billing activity.
- Resources may keep running. A project can continue consuming resources even when you are not actively using the console. Inspect usage and clean up what you no longer need.
- The Free plan is for evaluation, not sensitive data. AWS’s Free Tier terms say Free Plan accounts are provided for evaluation and should not be used to process sensitive data.
- Older accounts may have different terms. AWS’s terms page includes separate legacy terms for customers with 12-month offers. The current six-month terms should not be assumed to apply retroactively to every existing account.
AWS says Always Free offers may continue after Free Tier eligibility expires, but continued eligibility remains subject to the specific service’s current terms and usage limits. Check the live AWS offer and your console before acting.
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