TL;DR: A new AWS account today gets $100 in signup credit, plus up to $100 more for completing setup activities. Credits expire 12 months after account creation. The Free plan closes after 6 months or when credits run out, whichever comes first, and AWS keeps your data for 90 days after that before deleting it. The Paid plan never closes on its own; it just switches to pay-as-you-go once credits are gone. Both plans include the same 30+ always-free services. There is no separate 12-month free tier for new signups anymore; that system ended for accounts opened after July 15, 2025.
What changed on July 15, 2025
On July 15, 2025, AWS replaced its old “12 months free” structure with a credit-based system for new accounts. Existing accounts kept running on the old system until their own 12-month windows closed.
That transition is finished now. The last account eligible for the old 12-month free tier was created on 2025-07-14, and its window closed on 2026-07-14. Every AWS account created today runs on the credit model described below.
Old vs. new
| Feature | Old system (pre-2025-07-15) | Current system |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 12 months free + always-free services + short-term trials | Signup credits + always-free services + account plans |
| Initial benefit | Service-specific limits for 12 months | $100 credit + up to $100 more for activities |
| Account types | One type | Free plan or Paid plan |
| Duration | 12 months for most services | 6 months, or until credits run out |
| Account closure | None | Free plan closes automatically when time or credits run out |
The credit system
New accounts get $100 in signup credit right away. They can earn up to $100 more by completing setup activities such as:
- Launching an Amazon EC2 instance
- Using the Amazon Bedrock playground
- Setting up AWS Budgets
- Creating a Lambda web app
- Creating an Amazon RDS database
Credits expire 12 months after the account is created, and they apply across all AWS regions.
Free plan vs. Paid plan
Every new account picks one of two plans during signup.
Free plan
Good for experiments and proof-of-concepts.
- $100 signup credit, plus up to $100 in earned credits
- Access to 30+ always-free services
- 6-month maximum duration
- Limited service access, no AWS Marketplace, no Reserved Instances
- Not eligible for promotional credits or discounts
When the Free plan expires, the account closes automatically. AWS keeps the data for 90 days, then deletes it for good. Upgrading to the Paid plan within that window restores access.
Paid plan
Built for production workloads.
- Same $100 signup credit, plus up to $100 in earned credits
- Immediate access to all AWS services
- Always-free services plus short-term trials
- Pay-as-you-go pricing once credits run out
- Eligible for promotional credits and discounts
- The account does not close when credits run out
What this means in 2026
The legacy 12-month free tier is gone in practice. Existing accounts opened before July 15, 2025 keep their always-free services, but they are not eligible for signup credits or the Free plan; those only apply to new signups. Anyone opening an AWS account today is on the credit model, with no alternative path.
Always-free services
Both plans include the same set of always-free services. Figures below are the current vendor-published limits.
- AWS Lambda: 1 million requests per month
- Amazon DynamoDB: 25 GB of storage
- Amazon CloudFront: 100 GB of data transfer out and 1 million requests per month
Amazon S3 is not on this list. New accounts get no always-free S3 storage; S3 usage draws down your signup credit like any other paid service.
Full list available in the AWS directory
Managing your usage
- Check your credit balance and expiration date in the AWS Management Console
- Watch the Cost and Usage widget for real-time credit tracking
- Set up billing alerts as soon as you open the account
- Lean on always-free services to stretch your credits further
What to do
If you already have an AWS account from before July 15, 2025, nothing changes for you. You keep your current benefits and your always-free services.
If you’re opening a new account, choose the Paid plan for anything you plan to run in production; it won’t close on you when credits run out. Choose the Free plan only for short-term experiments, and track your credit usage from day one so you’re not surprised when the account closes. Either way, export anything you care about before your credits or your 6-month window run out.
FAQ
Can I switch from the Free plan to the Paid plan? Yes, at any time. Remaining credits carry over.
What happens to my data if my Free plan account closes? AWS keeps it for 90 days, then deletes it permanently. Upgrade to the Paid plan within that window to keep access and download anything you need.
Do existing accounts get the new credits? No. Accounts opened before July 15, 2025 stay on the benefits they already had; the credit system applies only to new signups.
Are the always-free services the same on both plans? Yes, both plans get the same always-free services.
For more cloud provider changes, see the articles index and the AWS directory.
Official AWS Documentation: AWS Free Tier - AWS Billing and Cost Management