When you're building a startup, every dollar counts. Most startups aren’t swimming in cash, and even if you’ve secured funding, being financially conscious is non-negotiable if you want to stay in the game.
Luckily, several companies recognize the hustle and want to help. They offer incredible deals explicitly tailored for startups, especially during that critical first year. We’re talking about discounted software, free tools, cloud credits, and other perks that can take the edge off your budget and let you focus on what matters—building your product, winning customers, and scaling your business.
In this post, we’re diving into some of the best deals out there for startups. Whether you’re bootstrapping your idea or just landed your first round of funding, these resources can help you get going faster and smarter without burning through your runway.
*These discounts do have eligibility requirements! These requirements can change; confirm you meet the requirements before applying!
Productivity
Leverage these tools to streamline workflows, stay organized, and maximize efficiency as a founder or startup operator.
Notion
Notion is a productivity and collaboration platform that combines note-taking, document creation, project management, and database functionalities into a single workspace. Individuals and teams widely use it to organize tasks, manage knowledge, and streamline workflows with customizable templates and integrations.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
6 months free with unlimited AI or 3 months free with unlimited AI (if not affiliated with a Notion Partner)
Customer SupportÂ
Enhance customer satisfaction with these tools for efficient and responsive support.
Zendesk
Zendesk is a customer service and engagement platform that provides businesses with tools for support ticketing, live chat, knowledge base management, and customer relationship management (CRM). It enables organizations to deliver seamless customer support experiences across multiple channels, including email, social media, and chat.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
Get unlimited access to all Zendesk products, build connections in our community, and learn best practices from their experts.
Free for six months!
Marketing & Sales
Use these tools to amplify your marketing efforts and close more deals.
Hubspot for Startups
HubSpot is an all-in-one inbound marketing, sales, and customer service platform that helps businesses attract, engage, and delight customers. It offers a suite of tools for content marketing, social media management, email automation, customer relationship management (CRM), and analytics to drive business growth.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
Startups are eligible for 30-75% off the first year (depending on requirements met)!
Cloud Infrastructure
Leverage these tools to manage, deploy, and optimize your cloud infrastructure.
Azure Credits
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform offering various services, including computing, storage, networking, AI, and machine learning. It provides enterprises with scalable cloud infrastructure, security, and hybrid cloud capabilities, making it a leading choice for cloud-based applications and digital transformation.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
Free Azure Credits up to $150,000
Cutting-edge AI Tools
Access to REAL people (unlimited 1:1 meetings with experts)
Free software and development tools
AWS & AWS Activate
AWS is the world's largest cloud computing provider, offering a comprehensive suite of cloud services, including computing power, storage, databases, AI, machine learning, and IoT. With a pay-as-you-go pricing model, AWS enables businesses to scale infrastructure efficiently and securely.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
Up to $100,000 in AWS Credits through AWS ActivateÂ
Generative AI Startups building modules may be eligible for up to $300,000!
Google for Startups
Google is a global technology company known for its search engine, cloud computing, AI, advertising, and software products. It operates services such as Google Search, Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Cloud and leads advancements in AI, quantum computing, and autonomous technology.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
Access to startup experts
Google Cloud and Firebase costs covered up to $200,000 USD (up to $350,000 USD for AI startups) over two years.
Technical training, business support, and Google-wide offers.
DigitalOcean Hatch
DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure provider offering simple, scalable, and cost-effective cloud computing solutions tailored for developers and small- to medium-sized businesses. It provides cloud servers (Droplets), managed databases, Kubernetes, and storage solutions focusing on ease of use, automation, and developer-friendly interfaces.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
12 Months of cloud infrastructure creditsÂ
DigitalOcean Hatch – One Year of DigitalOcean Credits
Customer Management
Use these tools to track, engage, and grow your customer base.
Intercom
Intercom is a customer messaging and engagement platform that enables businesses to communicate with customers through live chat, bots, email, and in-app messaging. It helps companies enhance customer support, marketing automation, and personalized engagement to drive customer satisfaction and retention.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
90% Discount
Freshworks for Startups
Freshworks is a customer engagement and business software company that provides cloud-based solutions for customer support, sales, and IT service management. Its product suite includes Freshdesk (helpdesk software), Freshsales (CRM), Freshservice (ITSM), and more, catering to businesses of all sizes looking to improve customer experience and workflow automation.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
75%-90% off on 1st Year!
Twilio Segment
Twilio Segment is a customer data platform (CDP) that helps businesses collect, unify, and activate customer data from various sources. Segment enables companies to create personalized user experiences, improve marketing attribution, and drive better decision-making across analytics, advertising, and customer engagement platforms by providing a centralized data infrastructure.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
Free for up to two years when you join their Startup Program and other perks.
Product Analytics
Use these tools to track user behavior and optimize your product strategy.
Mixpanel
Mixpanel is a product analytics platform that helps businesses track and analyze user interactions within their digital products. It provides powerful event-based analytics, real-time insights, and predictive modeling to help companies optimize user engagement, improve retention, and drive data-driven decision-making.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
Mixpanel – First Year Free
Software Development
Leverage these tools to streamline development, collaboration, and deployment.
GitHub for Startups
GitHub is the world’s leading platform for version control and software development collaboration. It provides Git-based repository hosting, issue tracking, CI/CD tools, and extensive integrations, enabling developers to efficiently manage, share, and collaborate on code. GitHub also offers GitHub Actions for automation, GitHub Copilot for AI-assisted coding, and enterprise solutions for secure, scalable development.
What can you get if you meet the eligibility requirements:
Full access to GitHub Enterprise for up to 20 seats free for 12 months.
Conclusion
The startup world can sometimes feel like trying to herd cats—exciting, chaotic, and just a bit unpredictable! Luckily, discounts are like hidden treasure chests waiting to be discovered along your entrepreneurial journey. By snagging deals on software, infrastructure, and services, you can ease the burden on certain parts of your budget and expenses, letting you invest where it truly matters.
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About the author: Joe D'Agostino is a startup founder, developer, advisor, and active security practitioner. Today, he manages the product and application security team at an AI startup in Boston, MA. When he is not securing or building products, he enjoys spending time with his wife, their newborn daughter, and their dog, Josie.