Stage 2 · Lesson 5 of 8

The AWS free plan and credits

As of September 2026, new AWS accounts start with 100 USD in and can earn up to 100 USD more, for up to 200 USD over 6 months, on a that covers select services. On the free plan you are not charged unless you upgrade to a paid plan, and the account closes after 6 months or when the credits run out, whichever comes first.

More than 30 services also have always-free monthly limits. Read the official free tier page before you start, because these terms change.

Common trapupgrading to the paid plan and still treating everything as free, when past the credits and limits every hour is billed.

A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 2 cheat sheet entries come with the full roadmap. Unlock

Resources for this stage

Start with

CourseFree
AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials
Amazon Web Services · Beginner
Free official course: cloud concepts, core services, security and pricing, in the order this stage uses

Keep handy

AWS Documentation
Keep the Billing and Cost Management guide open while you set up your account and budget
AWS Well-Architected Framework
Skim the six pillars now; you will use them to review your capstone

Also worth your time

Shared Responsibility Model (opens in a new tab)Read
Security of the cloud versus security in the cloud, with examples by service type
Learn to CloudGo deeper
A free, open curriculum for the whole path to a cloud role, to see where this stage fits