DigitalOcean is a prominent and modern provider in the cloud computing business. They provide a wide range of cloud computing services, from modest virtual servers to advanced cloud GPUs. DO offers droplets (virtual machines) with an SLA, built-in security tools, and predictable monthly pricing. Droplets are like mini servers you can use independently or within a larger cloud infrastructure. Also, I like the DO control panel because it is stylish and easy to connect to other control panels or services.
However, if you are searching for ideal DigitalOcean alternatives, this is the right resource for you. I’m a big fan of real VPSs and dedicated servers, and I enjoy testing them out with various providers. You should buy virtual machines from a provider that does not cater to shared hosting.
It’s because shared hosts often overfill their servers, leading to frequent outages and poor performance. Still, there are decent shared hosts who offer quality service, but most are mediocre and don’t prioritize performance or availability.
Yes, I like DigitalOcean’s pricing and modern interface. Not only that, it’s fast and reliable among the affordable cloud hosting providers in the industry. Despite rare downtimes and slow hardware upgrades, they’re still quality. Also, they’ve got a bad reputation for customer service and shutting down clients in the wrong way. So, you can try some of the following alternatives to DigitalOcean if they appeal to you.
UpCloud
UpCloud is a European (Finnish) cloud computing company with global operations offering quality performance at reasonable prices, along with an industry-leading service level agreement.
They’re friendly and their support is impressive. Although they have an appealing UI, compared to DigitalOcean, you won’t like it. Also, UpCloud’s web console is awful.
Their servers range from simple to private cloud. For most websites, developer and general-purpose plans are sufficient. You can use an entry-level cloud VPS for low-traffic websites because caching plugins and CDNs can improve performance.
Developer plans are ideal for hosting personal projects, and they’re cheap. Not only that, you can get 1 GB RAM, 1 Core, and 10 GB storage for under 4 USD/month. General-purpose plans offer balanced resources for most uses. Basically the same as DigitalOcean’s AMD droplets and Vultr high-frequency servers. And the same prices. For less than 8 bucks a month, you get 1 GB RAM, 1 core, and 25 GB storage.
The difference between developer and general-purpose plans is that developer plans are equipped with SSDs and older-generation CPUs, whereas general purpose plans include AMD processors and MaxIOPS storage.
There is also a difference in the UpCloud prices between global and Finland; usually, international prices are lower, so it could be a tax-related issue.
UpCloud has the same performance and pricing as DigitalOcean. The difference is that UpCloud has fewer data centers, while DO has many. Also, UpCloud’s support is better than DO’s, but its control panel isn’t user-friendly.
Advantages:
- Reasonably priced: The developer plans are affordable, but the rates for UpCloud’s other plans are roughly the same as DigitalOcean’s.
- 30-day money-back guarantee: In addition to free credit, they also provide a refund policy that allows you to get the first amount you paid.
- Friendly support: In case you want to ask certain inquiries or submit a request for troubleshooting, they offer chat support and tickets.
Downsides:
- Insufficient data centers: Most of their data centers are in Europe and the US. Only one in Asia, none in Latin America or Africa.
- Poorly designed UI: When compared to other platforms, the UpCloud client interface isn’t user-friendly, and the built-in SSH interface can not be used.
Vultr
Vultr is a leading cloud provider and one of my favorites. I’ve already written an article about Vultr. It is the largest competitor to DigitalOcean, and its prices and performance are pretty comparable.
DigitalOcean only has 13 data centers, while Vultr has 32 across every continent. Both platforms have a similar control panel, but Vultr’s web console is unusable.
Their high-frequency servers are generally affordable and are capable of handling a significant amount of traffic with a minimal impact on CPU usage. Also, I noticed that DigitalOcean’s AMD droplets offer similar performance for a slightly lower price.
You can get everything from VPSs to bare metal GPUs with Vultr. Normally, they have three types of VPS: Regular, High Performance, and High Frequency. AND they have servers with CPU and RAM optimized for particular applications.
Regular performance servers are run on old Intel CPUs and SSDs. Usually cheap, and you can get 1vCPU, 1GB Ram, 1.00TB bandwidth, and 25GB SSD for $5.00/month.
High-performance or high-frequency servers are the most appropriate choice when hosting a website. These kinds of servers are ideal if your site needs more CPU power. Especially High Frequency servers that are powered by Xeon processors clocking over 3GHz. Get 1 CPU, 1GB RAM, 1TB, and 32GB SSD for $6.00/month.
Advantages:
- Over 30 data centers: It covers all continents with modern hardware through 32 data centers located around the world.
- Feature-packed control panel: Using a third-party panel is unnecessary if you know the server setup. Provides essential features for managing web servers. Alternatively, there are ready-to-install third-party panels.
- Payment flexibility: You can pay with cards, PayPal, banks, or even crypto.
- Modern server stacks: If you wish to try different settings, you can install Debian, Ubuntu, Rocky Linux, Windows, and Fedora, among others. Moreover, you can install WordPress+OpenLiteSpeed with Ubuntu, as well as Drupal, Joomla, etc. In addition, you can upload your ISO file.
Downsides:
- Unusable web console: If you’ve used the Lightsail, Linode or DigitalOcean built-in SSH terminal, you can’t do it here. That’s my biggest issue with Vultr.
- Paid DDoS Protection: Normally, DDoS protection is standard, but Vultr charges extra for it. (It costs an additional $10 per month).
Kamatera
Kamatera is another established cloud hosting company that offers budget-friendly servers at a cost that is half that of DigitalOcean.
Performance-wise, Kamatera is solid, and there has been no major downtime. As a long-term customer, I have no complaints about the value for money of their VPS.
When selecting their Type A CPU VPS, you will notice some high CPU utilization, particularly if you choose one or two cores. In fact, you can get 2 cores, 2 GB RAM, 20GB NVMe storage, and 5TB of traffic for $10/month. So, they are ideal for general use applications or for uses that don’t require guaranteed CPU resources.
You can get general-purpose and burstable CPUs for an hourly rate. Each general-purpose and burstable server CPU thread has guaranteed reserved resources.
All Kamatera data centers have the same prices. You can launch a new server either on an hourly or a monthly basis. And Kamatera lets you customize your VPS profile, which means you can choose the amount of resources you want.
And if you are looking for a dedicated CPU for your serious websites, Type D VPSs are ideal; however, they are quite pricey. Kamatera’s control panel is fine, but not as modern as its competitors, and the web console is awful. Despite having over 20 DCs there aren’t any in South America or Africa. Yes, Kamatera is a solid alternative to top providers like DigitalOcean, Akamai and Vultr since it is still relatively affordable.
Advantages:
- Cost-effective: This is Kamatera’s biggest advantage. You can save half on server costs compared to UpCloud, Vultr, DigitalOcean, etc.
- Decent performance: Despite its affordable price, I wasn’t disappointed with the server’s performance. It is comparable to that of major brands.
- Resource customization: Resources can be selected according to your needs. It’s up to you how much RAM, CPU, storage, and bandwidth you need. You can easily add RAM, storage, and cores later on.
Downsides:
- Outdated control panel: Compared to the modern interface, Kamatera’s UI is not appealing and feels obsolete. It still has enough features to handle servers. But navigating the interface is difficult, and the built-in terminal is unusable. The setup isn’t easy either. It doesn’t have clear docs about setup processes.
- No data centers in some regions: Yes, Kamatera has over 20 data centers, but none in South America or Africa. Only three are located in Asia.
Katapult
The name may sound strange and may not be very well known, but it’s a reputable UK cloud hosting company. You may be familiar with the name “Krystal Hosting”; Katapult is the unmanaged version of the same company. Looks expensive, and yes, it’s a lot pricier than Kamatera and Spaceship VPS.
In fact, they have modern hardware featuring AMD’s EPYC processors and are perfect for high-performance workloads.
I have no complaints about Katapult’s performance and especially their dedicated vCPU hosting, which is super fast and strong enough to deal with heavy traffic.
Moreover, the Katapult control panel is super-cool and has a neat, well-designed client area that makes it easy to navigate. With an attractive graph and metric display, you will be able to monitor your VPS hardware usage. But that control panel has one problem, which is that the web console is almost useless.
If you sign up first, you’ll get £100 free. Although the signup process isn’t user-friendly, there might be a verification process. Sometimes, you will need to mail to activate your account.
There are currently four Katapult data centers (London, Amsterdam, and two in the US), so it’s not ideal for all global users. Usually, regular or dedicated CPU servers are suitable for all types of websites. Their servers are equipped with the latest tech.
Regular cloud servers are less expensive, and average prices start at around $10/M for 1 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 10GB NVMe, and 1TB of bandwidth. Whereas Dedicated CPU servers are pricey, but they come with guaranteed server resources. Average prices start at about $20 per month for 1GB RAM, 1 CPU, 10GB NVMe, and 1TB bandwidth.
Advantages:
- Rich control panel: There is a cool UI and control panel for handling cloud servers. You’ll find more modern features, stunning graphs, and metrics.
- Solid performance: Prices are high, but I have no concerns about their hosting performance. Not only is Katapult’s dedicated CPU hosting powerful, but it can also handle significant amounts of traffic.
- Modernized Cloud Technology: They integrate EPYC CPUs, NVMe, and adaptive DDoS protection. Also, you can get the latest Nvidia GPUs.
Downsides:
- Expensive: Decent performance, but it’s really pricey compared to Kamatera, UpCloud, and Hetzner. The low-tier plans cost even more than Vultr.
- Verification: Some users could notice a verification process before accessing services. You may need to ask to activate the account via email.
- A few data centers: Currently, they operate 4 in the US and Europe.
Hetzner
Hettner is another popular German cloud host due to its low prices, but it only has data centers in Germany, Finland, the USA, and Singapore.
Although there are mixed reviews about their services, some people think they’re an amazing deal for the price, providing low-cost dedicated servers. Some say they have bad client service, billing, and annoying technical problems. Their UI is really outdated, too. Despite being affordable, I’m not impressed with their performance.
But I agree with one thing, they’re cheap. I have only seen such pricing in Contabo. For less than $5, you can get a shared CPU VPS with 2 CPU cores, 4GB RAM, 40 GB NVMe, and 20 TB bandwidth. You can get some notable bandwidth with them.
It costs around $15 USD to obtain a dedicated vCPU hosting with 2 cores and 8 GB of memory. Yeah, that sounds good. It can handle a lot of traffic.
But the price varies by location; servers in Singapore are usually more expensive.. And shared cost-optimized servers aren’t available in Singapore or the US.
Simply put, if you seek some heavy cloud hosting, especially in Europe, Hetzer is a decent option. Not only that, there’s at least 20TB of traffic included for EU cloud servers. They’re real competitors, but not quite as cool as DigitalOcean.
Advantages:
- Very affordable: It is the primary reason why Hetzner is popular. You can rent dedicated CPU hosting (2 cores and 4GB of RAM) for approximately $15 USD.
- Pre-built software: Create your server with preinstalled apps like Docker, WordPress, Nextcloud, and more.
- A sufficient level of security: Hetzner has safeguarding features that are typically not available on unmanaged cloud hosts.
Downsides:
- Fewer locations: Hetzner only operates 4 data centers located in Germany, Finland, the USA, and Singapore.
- Prices vary in locations: Cost varies according to location; Singapore servers are usually expensive. Intel CPUs aren’t available in Singapore or the US.
- Poor support and UI: Since they are cheap, you cannot expect a high level of support. As well as that, the Hetzner UI is outdated.
Amazon Lightsail
Amazon Lightsail is a popular virtual server service for average users. Even though AWS is one of the world’s largest cloud service providers, Lightsail is not as effective as some of the others. But Lightsail lets you launch and manage VPSs easily.
It’s simple; you can set up a server in just a few minutes, with no complicated settings. A suitable option for beginners who want to explore AWS.
Obviously, it is ideal for developers, freelancers, and enthusiasts running simple apps or testing with different server configurations.
Despite its low price, the design and technologies are outdated. Lightsail’s interface doesn’t stand out compared to Vultr and DigitalOcean. Obviously, it can, however, prove useful if you need to integrate your AWS account with other services.
Yes, the control panel isn’t too fancy, but it has all the features you need. Also, it gives you the option to launch WordPress with Apache in one click as well as connect a domain to it. And you can see server metrics, including CPU, RAM, and network usage, to see how stable your web server is.
AWS Lightsail offers a fixed monthly price. The cost of each plan is clearly indicated when you select a plan. For instance, 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPUs, and 60 GB storage may be under $12 per month. I think the price is competitive with DO, UpCloud and Vultr.
Lightsail is ideal if you’re new to cloud computing or just want to get started fast. When you need more power and are comfortable managing AWS infrastructure, you can use EC2. But I personally prefer cloud computing provided by small and medium-sized companies. The reason is that they are fast, neat, and affordable.
Advantages:
- Free Tier: AWS offers a free trial, which is very popular, allowing you to try Lightsail for free. There’s a three-month free trial available for certain plans.
- Simple SSH terminal: My favorite feature is the one-click SSH terminal. Therefore, you do not need to use a third-party SSH terminal such as PuTTY.
- Simple pricing: AWS is generally known for being very expensive compared to other cloud service providers. However, Lightsail’s prices are competitive.
- Global data centers: It’s a big company, and you can pick locations all over the world. (3 – North America, 6 – Europe, 6 – Asia Pacific.)
Downsides:
- Unattractive UI: If you prefer modern designs, the interface is not impressive, but if you’re not concerned about the UI, it is not a major issue.
- Validation: For some users, continuing to use the platform may require that they complete a verification process.
- Outdated: You will not find any modern features in Lightsail’s UI or hardware. I couldn’t find any hardware details, and the performance seems average.
Contabo
Contabo is a cloud host with unbeatable prices. Hetzer is the closest provider to this price, but Contabo is more affordable. You can obtain these features for less than $5, including 3 Cores, 8 GB RAM, 75 GB NVMe, and 32 TB of bandwidth. Crazy, right?
Long-term deals are even cheaper. It must be noted that there are some restrictions and prices based on the location of the server.
In this case, choosing German DC is normal, but choosing Asian and the USA will hike prices up to fifty percent. For example, if you pick a server in the EU for $10, the same server in India may cost $15.
Personally, I have used their VPS in the German DC with no problems; however, there are notable negative reviews about downtime and customer service.
I’m sure people are using them without any problems. Yes, they’re super cheap and have 9 data centers. The service is definitely suitable for development conditions as well as other weighty temporary workloads.
For serious production websites, it is up to you to choose Contabo, and they have VPS and Bare Metal servers.
It is unclear whether Contabo is a reliable alternative to DigitalOcean or Kamatera. The price of Contabo is unparalleled by any other company, but some people aren’t happy with the service.
Advantages:
- Lowest price ever: Contabo is the cloud host that offers prices you can’t get anywhere else. For less than 5 dollars, you get 3 CPU cores, 8 GB RAM, 75 GB NVMe, and 32 TB bandwidth. Also, dedicated servers are super cheap.
- Blockchain integration: They provide blockchain hosting, which is not a common feature among hosting companies.
- Developer-oriented features: Get real root access to customize your deployment process with custom images, cloud-init, and SSH keys.
Downsides:
- Lots of complaints: There are a lot of complaints about their support and downtime. That’s why it’s not suitable for serious cloud hosting.
- Server location affects prices: Their prices are only good for European data centers. Prices can be significantly higher if you pick an outside German DC.
ScalaHosting
Unlike DigitalOcean, Vultr and similar services, ScalaHosting offers a unique set of features. They offer both regular managed hosting and unmanaged virtual servers.
And obviously, they’re famous for their high-performance VPS, both managed and unmanaged. IMO, the biggest advantage of ScalaHosting is that you can access Spanel at no additional charge. So, yes, it is a feature-rich control panel that offers the same stuff as CPanel, but maintains a polished UI without being bloated.
There’s also a problem with Scala since you can’t get small VPSs. That means that Scala’s smallest VPS starts with 2 cores, 4 GB RAM, and 50 GB NVMe space, and you cannot purchase small servers such as 1 GB RAM, 1 core. You can’t do that.
To be clear, their target market is not smaller users like us, haha! Even though Scala lets you build your own VPS profile, you still can’t set up small VPSs.
Basically, ScalaHosting is geared towards serious and long-term customers. Still, it’s reasonable since you can get 2 CPUs, 4 GB RAM, and 50 GB NVMe for less than 25 dollars a month. Still, Scala remains less costly than most fully managed hosts such as WP Engine, RocketNet, and Kinsta. Long-term deals are even more affordable.
Plus, you get a refined control panel for free. Trustpilot reviews show that support is better than others. And Scala has multiple combined global data centers and is a competitive alternative to DigitalOcean, UpCloud, Katapult, etc.
Advantages:
- Free SPanel: It’s a big advantage, because all Scala VPSs come with free SPanel. It is a decent alternative to cPanel and other enterprise panels.
- Build your own VPS: Self-managed VPS setups offer the flexibility to add additional server resources as required.
- Latest technology: The servers at ScalaHosting are packed with top specs like fast processors that run at up to 4GHz and NVMe SSDs. Spanel allows you to use Litespeed, Nginx, or Apache with other modern applications.
- Fast Activation: When you subscribe to a VPS, you can start right away.
Downsides:
- No small VPS: ScalaHosting doesn’t allow small VPS, like 1GB RAM and 1 core. The VPS starts with two CPU cores and four GB of RAM on a small scale.
- Few data centers: Scala only has 4 data centers in the US and Bulgaria.
Webdock
Webdock is a small Danish cloud provider with cheap VPS solutions. I have already written a review about Webdock, so I won’t go into detail here.
Webdock is an ideal choice for casual users as well as for developers, since it operates its own data center in Denmark. For this reason, most global users don’t tend to host serious projects on their servers.
With Webdock, you can build custom virtual private servers. It is a helpful option because you can specify which server resources you require. It’s up to you whether you want Epyc or Xeon. Epyc VPSs are more effective, but expensive than Xeon.
For instance, if you select two CPU threads, 2GB RAM, 15GB storage, and 1GB network speed, the monthly cost will be less than $3. Despite the same features, AMD Epyc costs almost $6 a month.
Webdock gives you a free server control panel if you spend more than $6/M. You can use it as an alternative to RunCloud and Ploi. You can manage your web server, including file management and SSH. It’s easy to set up WordPress. In fact, they’ve got a pretty cool dashboard and web console that’s better than the big ones.
In my opinion, Webdock is not the best alternative to Hetzner, DO, and Kamatera; however, it’s worth considering for anyone looking for hosting for development.
Advantages:
- Low-cost: As a small business, you can purchase VPSs at a predictable low price. It’s less than $5 a month for 4 CPU threads, 2GB RAM, 20GB disk space, and 1GB network speed. A bit expensive for AMD Epyc VPSs
- Easy-to-use web console: They have an impressive internal SSH terminal, so you don’t need to rely on any third-party software.
- Free control panel: Despite being a small company, they have built a solid control panel with a contemporary design and a lot of features.
- Custom Configuration: It’s up to you what kind of resources you want. If you need more RAM, threads, storage, or network speed, you can add them. You can put more RAM with less storage or less RAM with more threads.
Downsides:
- A single data center: The company only maintains data centers in Denmark. I think this is Webdock’s biggest negative. It’s fine if you want European hosting.
- Service interruption: Although I personally do not encounter it, you might see interruptions on their network status page (some negative reviews).
Final Thoughts
Since there are numerous choices for each hosting provider, I will not recommend one over another. There are a lot of DO competitors, including Vultr, UpCloud, Kamatera, Katapult, AWS, and Akamai (Linode). I’m sure there are plenty of other cloud hosting competitors to DigitalOcean.
It’s up to you whether you want to try some of these alternatives to DigitalOcean. Yes, I didn’t mention big names like Oracle, Google Cloud, or IBM as alternatives since DO is a growing service meant for all types of users, not just enterprise-level.
In my experience, true cloud hosting providers are highly dedicated to providing reliable servers. There’s usually no server caching or other pre-built software with unmanaged cloud hosting. Cloud hosting control panels like Ploi, xCloud, RunCloud, ServerPilot, etc., are usually more effective with these virtual machines.
Read More: Copy text from protected website | WordPress themes with demo
