Google for Startups Cloud Program vs Scaleway Startup Program (2026): Which Is Better for Startups?

Both are cloud credits for startups. Here is how Google for Startups Cloud Program and Scaleway Startup Program compare on what a startup gets, who qualifies and how to apply, and which one we would pick.

Google for Startups Cloud Program

Up to $2,000 in Google Cloud credits pre-funding, or up to $200,000 ($350,000 for AI-first startups) once VC-funded.

9.0 /10

Pricing: Up to $350k in credits & perks

Pros

No partner code needed for the Scale tier
Up to $350,000 for AI-first startups
Extras such as Workspace, Maps and support credits

Cons

Start tier is only $2,000
Year 2 covers just 20% of usage

Visit Google for Startups Cloud Program ↗

Scaleway Startup Program

European cloud credits from a €1,000 Founders voucher up to about €36,000 for growth-stage startups.

6.5 /10

Pricing: Up to $41.5k in credits & perks

Pros

No partner code needed
EU-hosted infrastructure and GPUs
Founders voucher for very early teams

Cons

Headline and FAQ amounts do not match
Monthly credit allowance, not a single pool

Visit Scaleway Startup Program ↗

Google for Startups Cloud Program vs Scaleway Startup Program at a glance

	Google for Startups Cloud Program	Scaleway Startup Program
Editor score	9.0 / 10	6.5 / 10
Pricing model	Free	Free
What you get	Up to $350k in credits & perks	Up to $41.5k in credits & perks
Who qualifies	Start: founded within 24 months, MVP, plans to raise VC. Scale: pre-seed/seed within 5 years or Series A within 12 months, founded within 5 years, under $5,000 of prior Google Cloud credits.	Less than 5 years old, fewer than 50 employees, not yet a Scaleway client. Stage decides the tier (pre-seed to seed for Early Stage, seed to Series A for Growth).
Partner code needed	No	No
Steps it helps with	claim startup credits, host and deploy, build your mvp, choose your ai coding stack	claim startup credits, host and deploy, build your mvp
Who it is for	Pre-seed, Seed stage, Series A+, VC-backed only, AI startups, SaaS	Pre-seed, Seed stage, Series A+, Bootstrapped, AI startups, SaaS
Reader upvotes	0	0
Best for	google cloud, gcp, cloud credits	scaleway, europe, cloud credits

Our pick

Google for Startups Cloud Program edges it with a score of 9.0 versus 6.5. Google for Startups Cloud Program is the better fit if you value: no partner code needed for the scale tier, up to $350,000 for ai-first startups. Choose Scaleway Startup Program instead if you need: no partner code needed, eu-hosted infrastructure and gpus. Many startups can claim both: see credits by value.