Akamai Cloud Rise (formerly Linode) vs AWS Activate (2026): Which Is Better for Startups?

Both are cloud credits for startups. Here is how Akamai Cloud Rise (formerly Linode) and AWS Activate compare on what a startup gets, who qualifies and how to apply, and which one we would pick.

Akamai Cloud Rise (formerly Linode)

A three-year startup program on Akamai Cloud (Linode): $500 to $120,000 in year-one credits, then discounts.

7.0 /10

Pricing: Up to $120k in credits & perks

Pros

No partner code needed
Three-year runway: credits then discounts
Simple Linode-style pricing and products

Cons

Needs some traction to qualify
Year two and three discounts are not published

Visit Akamai Cloud Rise (formerly Linode) ↗

AWS Activate

Up to $5,000 in AWS credits if you are self-funded, or up to $200,000 with an Activate Provider Org ID.

9.0 /10

Pricing: Up to $200k in credits & perks

Pros

Open to self-funded founders as well as funded startups
Up to $200,000 with an Activate Provider Org ID
Covers the broadest cloud catalogue

Cons

The big tier needs a code from a provider investor or accelerator
Founders tier starts at $1,000; more is at AWS discretion

Visit AWS Activate ↗

Akamai Cloud Rise (formerly Linode) vs AWS Activate at a glance

	Akamai Cloud Rise (formerly Linode)	AWS Activate
Editor score	7.0 / 10	9.0 / 10
Pricing model	Free	Free
What you get	Up to $120k in credits & perks	Up to $200k in credits & perks
Who qualifies	For-profit, under seven years old, new to Akamai Cloud, with paid staff, real users, revenue or VC funding, planning to scale on Akamai Cloud. Resellers and MSPs excluded.	Pre-Series B, founded within the last 10 years, AWS account on a paid tier plan, new to Activate Credits (or asking for more than before). Portfolio tier needs an Activate Provider Org ID.
Partner code needed	No	Yes
Steps it helps with	claim startup credits, host and deploy, build your mvp	claim startup credits, host and deploy, build your mvp, choose your ai coding stack
Who it is for	Seed stage, Series A+, Bootstrapped, VC-backed only, SaaS	Any stage, Pre-seed, Seed stage, Series A+, Bootstrapped, VC-backed only, AI startups, SaaS
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	akamai, linode, cloud credits	aws, cloud credits, activate

Our pick

AWS Activate edges it with a score of 9.0 versus 7.0. AWS Activate is the better fit if you value: open to self-funded founders as well as funded startups, up to $200,000 with an activate provider org id. Choose Akamai Cloud Rise (formerly Linode) instead if you need: no partner code needed, three-year runway: credits then discounts. Many startups can claim both: see credits by value.