How to Create AWS Account Free: Step-by-Step Guide

If you are an IT professional looking for a job, you must have come across the requirement for skills in AWS in various job descriptions. At this point, having cloud skills is no longer a bonus but a requirement to land a job in a good company at better pay. They look for candidates with skills, projects, and hands-on experience in AWS. AWS allows you to practice and learn through its free account. Many IT professionals create an AWS account for free to practice cloud skills, test applications, and gain practical experience without cost. In this article, you will learn how to create an AWS account free and get hands-on experience with cloud services to boost your career.

What is AWS Free Tier?

The AWS Free Tier is a program designed to help new users explore and experiment with Amazon Web Services at no cost. It provides access to a limited set of AWS services with predefined usage limits, allowing individuals and organizations to gain hands-on experience without incurring charges. The Free Tier is ideal for beginners, students, and professionals seeking to build cloud skills, develop test environments, or run small-scale applications. Once you create AWS account free, you can explore the 6-month credit-based plan, Always Free services, and Free Trials. Each has specific usage allowances to facilitate safe learning and evaluation of AWS services.

1. 6-Month Free Plan (credit-based)

• This is a promotional, credit-based offer for new accounts that provides a set of usage credits (commonly up to 200 USD) to spend on AWS services for up to six months or until credits are exhausted.
• New customers who sign up after the policy change in July 2025 are eligible for this.
• Examples: Promotional credits applied to your account (amount and expiry vary by promotion); usage is deducted from the credit balance rather than being billed to your card until credits run out.

2. Always Free

• Some of the services offered are under the “free usage allowances”. This means that they do not expire and are available to all accounts (within the stated monthly limits).
• Examples: 1 million AWS Lambda requests per month, 25 GB of DynamoDB standard storage (or similar monthly limits), 1 million SQS requests per month.

 3. Free Trial

• These are short-term trials for specific services that begin when you first activate that service; intended for the evaluation of paid/advanced features. This is only available once per user for each service.
• You must pay attention to when your free trial ends, or you might get charged unknowingly.
• Examples: 30 or 60-day trials for specialty services or managed offerings (terms vary by service).

Steps to Create AWS Account Free

Creating an AWS account is quite simple and intuitive. Below, we have broken down the whole process into very simple steps that even beginners with no knowledge can follow. You can follow these steps side by side and create your own AWS free account. 

Note: Before starting, be sure to have your PAN card and Debit/Credit card with you. They will be required while registering.

Step 1: Open the AWS Site

• To open the AWS site so that you can register, go to Google and search “AWS free tier account”. Select the “Create an AWS account” option.

• The page given below will open up. From this page, select the “Create Account “ option. You will be redirected to the registration page.

Step 2: Start Registering for an AWS Free Account

• First, they will ask you for your Email ID, which will be used for all communications with Amazon regarding the AWS cloud services.
• Give your email address and your account name, and click on “Verify email address.”

You will receive a verification code in your email inbox. Enter “Verify”.

Step 3: Create a Root User Password

Now that your email has been verified, you must create a new root user password.

Remember that it is your Root user password. Whenever you log in to the console, you will get two options to log in: Root User and IAM user. To log in to the main console, where you can access all the main services, you must log in as the Root User. 

Step 3: Choose the Free-tier Option

Then, you would be prompted to choose the type of account you will be signing up for. Choose the Free plan.

You will be prompted to step 2 of registration, which is adding your personal information. Once you have done that, you will be forwarded to the billing step.

Step 4: Billing Information

The third step in the registration process of creating a free AWS account is giving your billing information. It might sound hypocritical, but it is just a verification step. They won’t actually be billing you more than the verification amount. In fact, the verification amount will also be refunded. DO NOT PANIC WHEN ASKED TO ADD YOUR DEBIT/CREDIT CARD AND PAN CARD. 

All of this is just a part of the verification step. 

Step 5: Confirm Your Identity

The final step of the registration process is confirming your identity. The phone number that you earlier entered, they will send a verification code to it. You have the option to get the code via text or through a voice call. 

Once you get the code, enter it in the text box given and hit enter. 

Your registration will be complete, and you will be redirected to the AWS Homepage.

All you have to do now is “Sign in to the Console” using the account you just created.

Log in After You Create an AWS Account Free

Now that you have created your free AWS account, you can simply log in and avail the services available in the free tier AWS account. Remember, you must sign in using the root user email and not the IAM user.

Enter your root email and password. After authentication, you will be redirected to the AWS console page.

By clicking on “Console Home,” you can see the list of AWS services available. 

The billing and Cost management console looks like the picture given below. You should check this time to time to make sure that you are not accidentally using a service that is incurring a cost. 

AWS Free Tier Services List

To make it easier for the beginners who might be confused by the numerous services available on the console, we have listed the free services below. 

Note: Some resources like EC2 instances, EBS volumes, or Elastic IPs can incur charges if left running, even under Free Tier limits. Always check your Billing and Cost Management console. 

Managing AWS Free Tier Usage and Billing

Working with AWS Free Tier is cost-effective, but it’s important to understand how billing works and how to avoid unexpected charges. Even though Free Tier allows free usage up to certain limits, exceeding them or leaving resources running can result in billing.

1. How AWS Billing Works

AWS charges only for resources you actually use beyond your free allowances or credits. Some resources, like detached EBS volumes or unused Elastic IPs, may still incur costs. Always monitor usage to avoid surprises.

2. Enable Billing Alerts

Set up Free Tier alerts in the Billing console. Navigate to Billing → Preferences → Free Tier Alerts, and enable notifications. AWS will email you if you approach or exceed free-tier limits.

3. Tips to Stay Within Free Tier

• Regularly check the Free Tier Usage dashboard.
• Stop or terminate unused EC2 instances, RDS databases, and other running services.
• Delete unattached EBS volumes and unused Elastic IPs.
• Track your promotional credits (for 6-month credit-based accounts) to maximize free usage.

By actively monitoring usage and setting alerts, you can safely explore AWS without incurring unexpected charges.

Conclusion

Creating an AWS Free Tier account is the first step toward gaining hands-on cloud experience without incurring costs. With the 6-month credit-based plan, Always Free services, and Free Trials, beginners and professionals can safely explore AWS services, build projects, and develop essential cloud skills. By following these steps to create AWS account free, beginners can safely explore AWS services without incurring unexpected charges. Practicing in a real cloud environment will strengthen your resume and improve job prospects, making AWS Free Tier an invaluable resource for learning and experimentation.

How to Create an AWS Free Tier Account – FAQs