New AWS Accounts = Free $100? Yup. But read on.
If you make a brand-new AWS account AFTER July 15, 2025, you get:
- $100 credit right away (no code, no begging)
- Another $100 if you do a few tasks they call “quests” (yes, it’s a side quest now)
- Enough cloud power to feel like a hacker… until the bill shows up
Lazy fcks…
New AWS account → Boom: $100 credit → Do silly tasks → More credit → Use carefully → Don’t cry later
What Changed (aka: Why This Suddenly Matters)
| Before | Now (Post-15 July 2025) |
|---|---|
| 12-month Free Tier with limits | $100 credit as default, no guessing |
| All accounts same | Now: Free Plan or Paid Plan |
| You begged for credits | Now they just hand you some, like candy with a warning label |
AWS got tired of explaining the Free Tier. Now they just throw money at you and hope you trip over their services.
Sign-Up in 5 Minutes (Even if You’re Half-Asleep)
- Use:
- A fresh email (never used with AWS)
- A phone that gets texts
- A card (they do a $1 “we’re just checking” charge)
- Go to: https://aws.amazon.com/free → Click Create Free Account
- Fill in your info, confirm email
- Choose account type (Personal or Business)
- Add your card → Enter SMS code
- Choose:
- Free Plan (limited, auto-shuts down in 6 months)
- Paid Plan (unlocks more services, but danger lurks)
- Done! Go to Billing → Credits
See your $100 waiting for you like a nervous gift card
The “Quest” System (No, You’re Not in a Video Game)
Want another $100? Just do these basic tasks:
| Task | Credit | How to Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Start + stop an EC2 instance | $15 | Use “Explore AWS” in dashboard |
| Try Bedrock Playground | $15 | Same place |
| Set up a Budget Alert | $10 | Also there |
| Make a “Hello World” Lambda | $10 | You guessed it |
| Launch a baby-size RDS database | $20 | Yep, again there |
| Do any AWS Skill Builder lab | $30 | Separate learning portal |
Credits take about a day to appear. All credits vanish after 12 months.
How to Make That $200 Last Longer
- Use “Always Free” stuff: S3, Lambda, DynamoDB, etc. → won’t touch your credits
- Use SageMaker Studio Free Tier: 250 hours of free ML lab time (without spending your credits)
- PartyRock = Free Bedrock-like playground: No card, no charge, and no stress
- Set a $0.01 Budget Alert: So AWS emails you before it ruins your day
- STOP your EC2s when not using them: Otherwise it’s like leaving the oven on
- Spot/Burstable Instances: Use them to stretch your credits like leftover pizza
- Delete leftovers: Volumes, Elastic IPs—anything not attached keeps billing like a haunted fridge
Hidden Tricks (That Actually Work)
- Free Plan still gives you $100 → but has limits (blocks certain services)
- Paid Plan gives you everything → and you still get the $100 (but now you have real risk)
- Use SageMaker JumpStart: One-click AI demos (Llama, Mixtral, Falcon) that run inside free tier
- Stack even more credits later:
- Apply for AWS Activate (startups)
- Or AWS Educate (students)
- Billing → Credits page = your scoreboard
It shows how much you’ve used and when your credits will go poof
Things That Can Go Horribly Wrong
| Mistake | What Happens | What You Should’ve Done |
|---|---|---|
| Forgetting to delete RDS | Surprise bill from nowhere | Set auto-delete or don’t use RDS at all |
| Free Plan hits 6 months | Account vanishes like a bad date | Upgrade before 6 months is up |
| Using blocked services | Some won’t let you use credits | Read the fine print like a lawyer on espresso |
Just Want Free AI Without the Stress?
Here’s the shortcut:
- Go to https://partyrock.aws
- Sign up (no card)
- Use daily free tokens to build chatbots, image gen, text tools
No billing, no alerts, no anxiety attacks. Just play.
Final Thoughts (AKA: Welcome to Cloud Capitalism)
AWS is like a rich friend who lends you $100 and says, “Don’t worry, it’s on me.”
Then adds: “But if you use it wrong, I’ll repossess your dreams.”
Use it. Don’t abuse it. And for the love of uptime, set that budget alert.
Useful Links Dump (100% Working, No Fake Buttons)
- https://aws.amazon.com/free
- https://dev.to/cloud_man/new-aws-free-tier-updates-after-july-15-2025-what-you-need-to-know-3m36
- https://freetier.co/articles/aws-free-tier-changes-july-15-2025
- https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/introducing-new-partyrock-capabilities-and-free-daily-usage/
- https://aws.amazon.com/sagemaker/pricing
- https://aws.amazon.com/bedrock/pricing
- https://docs.aws.amazon.com/awsaccountbilling/latest/aboutv2/free-tier.html
- https://aws.amazon.com/startups/credits
- https://aws.amazon.com/education/awseducate/
!