Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) vs Microsoft for Startups (Azure AI and Foundry) (2026): Which Is Better for Startups?

Both are AI credits for startups. Here is how Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) and Microsoft for Startups (Azure AI and Foundry) compare on what a startup gets, who qualifies and how to apply, and which one we would pick.

Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier)

Up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits over two years for VC-funded startups building on Gemini.

8.5 /10

Pricing: Up to $350k in credits & perks

Pros

Very large credit amount
Covers Gemini and Gemma plus the wider Google Cloud
No partner code needed

Cons

Requires institutional equity funding
Third-party models not covered by credits

Visit Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) ↗

Microsoft for Startups (Azure AI and Foundry)

Up to $150K in Azure credits (up to $200K via investor partners) usable on Microsoft Foundry models.

8.0 /10

Pricing: Up to $150k in credits & perks

Pros

Open to unfunded startups
Credits work on Foundry models and the wider Azure platform
Marketplace and co-sell support

Cons

Credits unlock in stages based on usage
Top tier needs an Investor Network backer

Visit Microsoft for Startups (Azure AI and Foundry) ↗

Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) vs Microsoft for Startups (Azure AI and Foundry) at a glance

	Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier)	Microsoft for Startups (Azure AI and Foundry)
Editor score	8.5 / 10	8.0 / 10
Pricing model	Free	Free
What you get	Up to $350k in credits & perks	Up to $150k in credits & perks
Who qualifies	VC-funded startups using Gemini/Google AI at the core of their product; qualifying venture funding from seed to Series A; founded within the last 10 years; no more than $5,000 in prior Google Cloud credits. Eligibility decided at Google Cloud's discretion.	Early-stage startups building software products; the page now advertises a single headline of up to $150,000 in Azure credits rather than separate base/Investor-Network tiers. Third-party sources suggest the top amount still needs an Investor Network referral code, but Microsoft's own page no longer states that split -- treat the tier breakdown as unconfirmed.
Partner code needed	No	Yes
Steps it helps with	claim startup credits, choose your ai coding stack, build your mvp, host and deploy	claim startup credits, choose your ai coding stack, build your mvp, host and deploy
Who it is for	AI startups, VC-backed only, Pre-seed, Seed stage, Series A+	AI startups, Any stage, Bootstrapped, Pre-seed, Seed stage, SaaS
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	google-cloud, gemini, vertex-ai	azure, microsoft-foundry, azure-openai

Our pick

Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) edges it with a score of 8.5 versus 8.0. Google for Startups Cloud Program (AI tier) is the better fit if you value: very large credit amount, covers gemini and gemma plus the wider google cloud. Choose Microsoft for Startups (Azure AI and Foundry) instead if you need: open to unfunded startups, credits work on foundry models and the wider azure platform. Many startups can claim both: see credits by value.