European cloud startup credits compared: OVHcloud, Scaleway, Cleura, Cyso and more
The cloud credit programs run by European providers: amounts, who qualifies, how long credits last, and what to check if you want your data to stay in Europe.
AWS, Google and Microsoft are not the only clouds that pay for early startups. European providers run their own programs, and some are built around keeping data and operations in Europe. They are worth a look if your customers ask where their data lives, or if you simply want a second set of credits. This guide compares what each provider says on its own pages.
The programs at a glance
- OVHcloud Startup ProgramUp to €100,000 in credits (Start level €10,000)Credits · OVHcloud · European Union, France
- Scaleway Startup ProgramUp to €36,000 in cloud creditsCredits · Scaleway · European Union, France
- Cleura Startup ProgramUp to €20,000 in credits for up to 18 monthsCredits · Cleura · European Union
- Up to €10,000 in Cyso Cloud credits for 18 monthsUp to €10,000 in credits for 18 monthsCredits · Cyso Cloud · European Union
- Up to EUR 25,000 in AI Cloud creditsUp to €25,000 in creditsCredits · Polarise · European Union
- $100 to $5,000+ in Distribute startup credits$100+ in creditsCredits · Distribute · European Union
- Clever Cloud Early Stage90% off first 3 monthsDiscount · Clever Cloud · European Union, France
OVHcloud Startup Program
OVHcloud's page lists two levels for startups and scaleups, each described as a 12-month program:
- Start: EUR 10,000 of free cloud credits and 6 hours of free one-to-one time with an engineer.
- Scale: up to EUR 100,000 of free cloud credits and up to 20 hours of one-to-one engineer time.
There is also an Enablers level for accelerators and similar organisations, who can pass up to EUR 100,000 in credits to their members. The main page does not state eligibility criteria, which sit on the separate startup and scaleup pages. The dataset lists an age limit of under 7 years, so confirm it when you apply.
Scaleway Startup Program
Scaleway's page sets out three tiers, with its own caution about a difference in its figures:
- Founders Program: up to EUR 1,000, usable over one year, for startups migrating or doing an initial build.
- Early Stage (pre-seed to seed): EUR 1,500 a month for 6 months, EUR 9,000 in total.
- Growth Stage (seed to Series A): EUR 3,000 a month for 12 months, EUR 36,000 in total.
Scaleway's FAQ gives different monthly figures for the two paid tiers, so confirm the amounts with Scaleway. You must be under 5 years old, have fewer than 50 employees and not already be a Scaleway customer. Applications are reviewed weekly. Any usage above the credit is billed to you, and the FAQ says a startup cannot move straight from Early Stage to Growth Stage.
Smaller European clouds
- Cleura: up to EUR 20,000 in Public Cloud credits for up to 18 months, for early-stage, legally registered startups in Europe. Subsidiaries and corporate-owned startups are not eligible.
- Cyso Cloud: EUR 2,500, EUR 5,000 or EUR 10,000 in credits for 18 months depending on growth stage, plus 20 hours of engineering onboarding. It asks for a company incorporated less than five years ago, a working website, a clear growth plan and a commitment to European data sovereignty.
- Polarise: up to EUR 25,000 in AI cloud credits and GPU hours for B2B or AI-native startups registered in Europe. The dataset lists a funding bar of more than EUR 2 million at seed or later.
- Distribute: USD 100 to USD 5,000 or more for pre-seed and seed teams under 24 months old, building in or for the EU.
- Clever Cloud: 90% off the first three months for early-stage startups.
What to check before you commit
- Where your data actually sits. "European" describes the provider's home and regions. Check the data centre locations for the services you will use.
- What the credit covers. Look for exclusions such as support plans or marketplace purchases.
- When it expires. Most are time-limited. Scaleway and Cleura state their windows; plan the move off credits early.
- Whether you can pass a customer's audit. Sovereignty is a selling point, but customers will still ask for your own data-processing terms and security documents.
- Portability. Prefer standard tools (containers, S3-compatible storage, managed Postgres) so a later move to another cloud is possible.
Using them with the big clouds
You can claim European and US programs together. Many startups run compute on a hyperscaler and keep regulated or customer-restricted data on a European provider. See the guides to AWS Activate, the Google for Startups Cloud Program and Microsoft Founders Hub, and the full list in startup credits in Europe.
- AWS ActivateUp to $5,000 self-serve (Founders); up to $200,000 with an Activate Provider (Portfolio)Credits · Amazon Web Services · Global
- Google for Startups Cloud ProgramUp to $200,000 (up to $350,000 for AI-first startups)Credits · Google Cloud · Global
- Microsoft for Startups Founders HubUp to $150,000 in Azure creditsCredits · Microsoft · Global
Sources
Common questions
Which European cloud gives startups the most credits?
OVHcloud lists up to EUR 100,000 for its Scale level and EUR 10,000 for Start. Scaleway lists up to EUR 36,000 for its Growth Stage. Smaller providers such as Cleura and Cyso list EUR 20,000 and EUR 10,000.
Do European cloud credits cover GDPR?
Credits do not make you compliant. Providers market data residency and sovereignty, but GDPR duties depend on what you build and what data you process.
Can I use European credits alongside AWS or Google credits?
The programs are independent, so many startups use more than one, for example a hyperscaler for compute and a European cloud for data that must stay in the EU.
Values are “up to” amounts and terms change: confirm on the provider’s page before you rely on them. CreditBase is independent and not affiliated with the providers named here. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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