Beginner
20 min read
Module 1 of 8
Getting Started with AWS
The best part: You can start right now, for absolutely $0, and you don't even need a credit card to get started.
Step 0: The Golden Rule (Read this first!)
AWS will give you 750 hours of a tiny server FOR FREE every month for 12 months. That is enough to run one server continuously for the whole month for free.
To avoid accidental charges:
As soon as you finish testing, TERMINATE (delete) the server.
Do not just "stop" it. "Stop" keeps the hard drive active, which costs a tiny bit of money.
"Terminate" deletes it completely.
Step 1: Create your Free Account
- Go to aws.amazon.com and click "Create an AWS Account".
- Enter your email, name, and a strong password.
- Address & Phone: Enter your real details.
- Payment Method: Yes, they will ask for your credit/debit card. Don't panic! They charge $1 temporarily just to verify your card is real (they refund it within a few days).
- Phone Verification: They will send an automated voice call with a PIN to verify it's really you.
- Support Plan: When asked, choose "Basic" (Free). Ignore the expensive ones.
Pro Tip: Take a screenshot of your Account ID and keep it somewhere safe.
Step 2: Set Up a Billing Alarm (Your Safety Net!)
- Go to the top right corner, click your name, and click "Billing Dashboard".
- Scroll down and click "Create a Billing Alarm".
- Set it to notify you via email if your bill ever goes above $1.
- Why this is important: If you ever get that email, you know you forgot to delete something, and you can log in and fix it instantly!
Step 3: Understand the Free Tier
| Service | Free Tier | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| EC2 (Virtual Servers) | 750 hours/month of t2.micro or t3.micro | 12 months |
| S3 (Storage) | 5 GB of standard storage | 12 months |
| Lambda (Serverless) | 1 million requests/month | Always free |
| RDS (Databases) | 750 hours/month of db.t2.micro | 12 months |