Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program vs AWS Activate (2026): Which Is Better for Startups?

Both are cloud credits for startups. Here is how Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program and AWS Activate compare on what a startup gets, who qualifies and how to apply, and which one we would pick.

Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program

Up to $120,000 in Alibaba Cloud credits and up to 2B free Model Studio tokens for AI-first startups.

6.0 /10

Pricing: Up to $120k in credits & perks

Pros

Up to $120,000 in credits plus model tokens
Strong presence in Asian regions
No partner code needed

Cons

AI-first startups only, at Alibaba's discretion
Credit validity and exclusions vary

Visit Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program ↗

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 ↗

Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program vs AWS Activate at a glance

	Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program	AWS Activate
Editor score	6.0 / 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	AI-first, unlisted company founded within the last 10 years with a website and a proposal for using Alibaba Cloud; reseller accounts excluded; at Alibaba Cloud's discretion.	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, choose your ai coding stack, build your mvp	claim startup credits, host and deploy, build your mvp, choose your ai coding stack
Who it is for	AI startups, Pre-seed, Seed stage, Series A+	Any stage, Pre-seed, Seed stage, Series A+, Bootstrapped, VC-backed only, AI startups, SaaS
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	alibaba cloud, ai credits, qwen	aws, cloud credits, activate

Our pick

AWS Activate edges it with a score of 9.0 versus 6.0. 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 Alibaba Cloud AI Catalyst Program instead if you need: up to $120,000 in credits plus model tokens, strong presence in asian regions. Many startups can claim both: see credits by value.