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DigitalOcean vs Vultr: Which Cloud VPS Should You Choose?
DigitalOcean and Vultr are the two most popular developer clouds for small servers. Here’s how they compare on price, locations, ease of use, features and support, and which one fits your project.
Prices checked October 2026Side-by-side tableClear verdict
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Choose DigitalOcean if…
You want the easiest experience
- You’re new to servers and want the best tutorials
- You value a clean, simple dashboard
- You may grow into managed databases, Kubernetes or App Platform
Choose Vultr if…
You need a specific location
- You need a server in a city DigitalOcean doesn’t cover
- You want the widest choice of operating systems and instance types
- You spin servers up and down often and like hourly billing
Compare
DigitalOcean vs Vultr side by side
| DigitalOcean | Vultr | Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | About $4/month (512 MB) | A few dollars a month; the very cheapest can be IPv6-only | Tie |
| Billing | Per second | Hourly | Tie |
| Locations | Major regions in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia | More than 30 locations on six continents | Vultr |
| Ease of use | Very clean dashboard, beginner-friendly | Clean, with more options to choose from | DigitalOcean |
| Docs and tutorials | Huge, well-known tutorial library | Good documentation | DigitalOcean |
| One-click apps | Marketplace (Docker, WordPress and more) | Marketplace (Docker, WordPress and more) | Tie |
| Managed services | Databases, Kubernetes, App Platform, storage | Databases, Kubernetes, storage | DigitalOcean |
| Hardware options | Shared and dedicated CPU, GPU Droplets | Shared, dedicated, high-frequency, bare metal, GPU | Vultr |
Prices are approximate and change often. Both providers bill for what you use, so you can try each one for a few cents and delete the server.
Ease of use
Getting started
Both let you create a server, add your SSH key and log in within a couple of minutes. DigitalOcean’s edge is its tutorials: search almost any Linux task and one of its guides comes up, which matters a lot when you’re learning.
Vultr shows more choices up front: more server types, more locations and more operating systems. Experienced users like that; beginners may find DigitalOcean calmer.
Performance
Speed and hardware
For typical websites, bots and Docker stacks, both are fast and reliable at the same price. The bigger difference is location: a server close to your users beats a slightly faster CPU far away.
Vultr’s wider range of high-frequency and bare-metal plans gives power users more room to grow on raw hardware, while DigitalOcean leans into managed services.
Also weighing up Hostinger? See how it stacks up in Vultr vs Hostinger.
Alternatives
Want more RAM for less?
Neither DigitalOcean nor Vultr is the cheapest per gigabyte of RAM. If you prefer to prepay, Hostinger gives you 4 GB for about $5.19 a month with our extra 20% off, and RackNerd’s yearly deals start around $11 a year.
See every option
Compare all our top picks, with prices, pros and cons, in our guide to the best VPS hosting.
FAQ
DigitalOcean vs Vultr questions, answered
Is DigitalOcean or Vultr cheaper?
Their entry prices are similar, a few dollars a month. Vultr sometimes offers cheaper IPv6-only plans, while DigitalOcean’s cheapest plan includes IPv4. For most projects the price difference is small.
Which is better for beginners?
DigitalOcean, mainly because of its clean dashboard and enormous library of step-by-step tutorials.
Which has more data center locations?
Vultr, with more than 30 locations on six continents. DigitalOcean covers the major regions but in fewer cities.
Can I move from one to the other later?
Yes. Both run standard Linux, so moving is a matter of setting up the new server and copying your files and databases across with tools like rsync.
Do both support SSH keys and Docker?
Yes. Both let you add your SSH key when creating a server, and both offer one-click Docker images in their marketplaces.
Which is better for Kubernetes?
Both offer managed Kubernetes. DigitalOcean’s is often praised for simplicity, which suits smaller teams getting started.
Still deciding?
DigitalOcean is the safe pick for most people, and you can delete the server any time if it’s not for you.