Linode (Akamai Cloud) free credits: None

Linode, now Akamai Cloud, has no standard free credit on its official docs. As of 2026-08-21, the getting-started documentation describes signup with a credit or debit card or PayPal for identity verification, and a separate page describes adding a promo code; no automatic signup grant appears anywhere official. This page records that negative finding with a date.

Correcting the $100 for 60 days claim

The most circulated Linode figure is $100 of credit valid for 60 days. As of 2026-08-21 that offer is not on Akamai’s official techdocs. It appears to survive through referral links and promo landing pages, which means any credit you receive is a property of the specific code or link you used, with its own terms, not a standing offer Akamai documents. Treat roundups citing an automatic $100 as unverified until an official Akamai page states it. The Hetzner entry documents the same pattern: a widely repeated number that official pages do not back.

What the official docs do say

Two things are documented. First, signup requires a payment method: a credit or debit card, or PayPal, used for identity verification. Second, a promo code mechanism exists, with amounts and validity defined per code. If you have a code from an event or referral, the docs describe where to enter it during signup.

Where that leaves Linode for free experimentation

Without a documented credit, Linode competes on its paid pricing and its Akamai backbone, not on evaluation money. If your goal is a funded trial of a VPS-style cloud, DigitalOcean’s documented $5 signup credit is small but official, and Civo’s $250 is the largest verified grant in this set. For structural guidance, read how to choose between a VPS, GPU cloud, serverless, or a sandbox.

What I have done with it

Not tested yet. This page reports only what the official pages state.

Choose Linode if you already have a promo code in hand or want Akamai’s network on paid terms; skip it if you are hunting for an automatic signup credit, because officially there is none. Every grant I track, including negative findings, is on the credits index.