Guides / AWS Activate credits for Django: pay for hosting with Django Cloud Self-hosted

Peter van Doorn Django Cloud · Checked against Django 4.2 and newer, October 2026

AWS Activate credits for Django: pay for hosting with Django Cloud Self-hosted

AWS gives away credits to new accounts and to startups, and those credits can pay for a Django app. They only work if the app runs in your own AWS account. Here is how to use them without wasting them.

Two kinds of credits

• New account credits. AWS offers new accounts a small amount of credits to try services. The amount and the rules change, so read the AWS Free Tier page.
• AWS Activate. A program for startups. Depending on your stage and connections, you can apply for credits. AWS decides who qualifies. See AWS Activate.

Why credits need your own account

Credits belong to an AWS account. If your app runs on a platform's account, as on most hosting services, your credits cannot pay for it. When the app runs in your own account, AWS applies the credits to your bill, and the infrastructure is covered until they run out.

How to make them last

1. Start small. A small server and the smallest database are enough for an early product.
2. Choose one region. Spreading across regions multiplies cost without much benefit early on.
3. Delete what you do not use. Old test databases keep billing. Check Billing once a month.
4. Set a budget alert. AWS Budgets can email you before you go past an amount.
5. Know the expiry date. Credits expire. Put the date in your calendar and plan the first real invoice.

What credits usually do not cover

• Fees you pay to third-party software on top of AWS.
• Some marketplace products and support plans.

Check the terms of your credits before you rely on them for anything besides infrastructure.

Free platform fee for startups

Django Cloud sponsors Self-hosted for AWS Activate startups, students, open-source projects and non-profit or scientific projects, so credits plus sponsorship can cover most of an early app's cost. See the sponsorship page for the rules.

Or skip it

Django Cloud Self-hosted runs in your own AWS account, so your credits can pay for the servers and database. Students, open-source, non-profit and AWS Activate projects can also apply for sponsorship of our fee.

pip install djangocloud-cli
djangocloud deploy

Get startedSee pricing

Free plans are available for students, AWS Activate startups, open-source, non-profit and research projects. See how Django Cloud compares with other ways to host Django.

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