Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most popular cloud platform, powering startups, enterprises, and everything in between. But did you know you can explore AWS’s powerful ecosystem without spending a dime?
The AWS Free Tier is Amazon’s answer for developers, students, and businesses who want to test drive their cloud services risk-free. Whether you’re building your first app or testing enterprise workloads, this comprehensive guide will help you understand how the AWS Free Tier works, what’s included, and how to make the most of it.
What Is the AWS Free Tier?
The AWS Free Tier is a promotional offer from Amazon that allows new users to explore and use certain AWS services free of charge for a limited period or with specific usage limits.
It’s designed to:
✅ Let you experiment with AWS tools without committing to a paid plan.
✅ Help startups and developers build prototypes or MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) without upfront costs.
✅ Support students and educators in learning cloud computing.
Amazon offers three types of free tiers:
1. 12-Month Free Tier
This is available to new AWS customers for the first 12 months after you sign up. It includes:
- 750 hours per month of Amazon EC2 (t2.micro or t3.micro) instances running Linux or Windows.
- 5 GB of Amazon S3 storage with 20,000 GET and 2,000 PUT requests.
- 750 hours of Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) usage per month.
2. Always Free
These services are free forever, with usage limits, for all AWS customers. Examples include:
- AWS Lambda: 1 million free requests per month.
- Amazon DynamoDB: 25 GB of storage and 25 write/read units.
- Amazon CloudWatch: 10 custom metrics and 5 GB log data ingestion.
3. Trials
Short-term trial offers for specific AWS services. These vary in duration and scope, such as Amazon SageMaker with 250 hours of t2.micro notebook instances for 2 months.
Key Features of AWS Free Tier
Here’s why AWS Free Tier is so popular among developers and businesses:
🚀 Access to Core AWS Services
The free tier covers many essential services across compute, storage, databases, and machine learning. This means you can build real-world applications without needing a paid subscription.
💰 No Upfront Payment
Signing up for AWS requires a credit card, but you won’t be charged as long as you stay within free tier limits.
🕒 Flexibility and Scalability
You can scale your experiments from a single EC2 instance to multiple services running together – all within the free usage limits.
📚 Learning and Experimentation
Perfect for students and developers learning about the cloud. Pair it with AWS Educate or free online courses for a robust learning path.
Popular AWS Free Tier Services and Their Limits
Let’s break down some of the most used AWS Free Tier services.
Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)
- What it is: Scalable virtual servers in the cloud.
- Free tier: 750 hours per month of t2.micro or t3.micro instances (Linux/Windows).
- Tip: You can run one instance 24/7 for a month or split hours across multiple instances.
Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service)
- What it is: Object storage for files, backups, and static websites.
- Free tier: 5 GB of standard storage, 20,000 GET, and 2,000 PUT requests per month.
- Tip: Great for hosting static websites or storing application data.
AWS Lambda
- What it is: Run code without managing servers.
- Free tier: 1 million requests and 400,000 GB-seconds of compute time monthly.
- Tip: Combine with API Gateway (also free) to build serverless APIs.
Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service)
- What it is: Managed relational databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, or MariaDB.
- Free tier: 750 hours per month of db.t2.micro instance usage and 20 GB storage.
Amazon DynamoDB
- What it is: Fully managed NoSQL database.
- Free tier: 25 GB of storage, 25 write capacity units (WCUs), and 25 read capacity units (RCUs).
How to Sign Up for AWS Free Tier
Getting started with AWS Free Tier is straightforward:
- Go to AWS Free Tier and click “Create a Free Account.”
- Provide your email, password, and account name.
- Enter billing details. (AWS requires a valid credit or debit card for verification but won’t charge unless you exceed free limits.)
- Select the support plan. Choose the Basic (free) plan unless you need premium support.
- Start exploring services from the AWS Management Console.
Tips to Avoid Unexpected Charges
While the AWS Free Tier is generous, exceeding limits can lead to charges. Here’s how to stay safe:
✅ Set up billing alerts in AWS Billing & Cost Management to get notified when you approach limits.
✅ Use the AWS Free Tier usage alerts feature to track usage.
✅ Understand service limits clearly before deploying apps.
✅ Regularly monitor your usage through the AWS console.
What Can You Build on AWS Free Tier?
The possibilities are endless. Here are some beginner-friendly project ideas:
- 🌐 Host a static website using Amazon S3 and CloudFront.
- 📱 Build a serverless API using AWS Lambda and API Gateway.
- 📊 Create a data analytics pipeline with Amazon Kinesis and S3.
- 🤖 Experiment with AI/ML using SageMaker notebooks (trial).
- 🗄️ Set up a WordPress blog on EC2 with RDS for database hosting.
Pros and Cons of AWS Free Tier
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Access to over 85 services | Requires credit card for sign-up |
| Perfect for learning and testing | Usage limits can be confusing |
| No upfront costs | Charges apply if limits are exceeded |
| Good for MVP and prototyping | Some services not included |
Alternatives to AWS Free Tier
If you’re exploring the cloud landscape, you may also consider:
- Google Cloud Free Tier – 90-day, $300 credit plus always-free services.
- Microsoft Azure Free Account – 30-day, $200 credit plus always-free services.
- IBM Cloud Free Tier – Free Lite plans for many services.
But AWS remains the market leader with the broadest range of services and strong community support.
Final Thoughts: Is AWS Free Tier Worth It?
Absolutely. The AWS Free Tier is a fantastic opportunity for anyone to learn, build, and innovate on one of the most powerful cloud platforms without financial risk. Whether you’re a hobbyist, student, or startup founder, it’s your ticket to exploring the world of cloud computing.
By staying within usage limits and monitoring your account, you can get immense value from AWS Free Tier before committing to paid plans.
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