What is DigitalOcean?
DigitalOcean is a specialized provider that is a great fit for developers who want to deploy an affordable cloud infrastructure.
If you are not a developer but still want to take advantage of DigitalOcean's superior infrastructure, I recommend that you check out Cloudways, which offers Fully managed cloud hosting plans That works with DigitalOcean.
DigitalOcean offers what it calls a “developer cloud”: a network of virtual machines designed to allow you to evolve as your website grows. CEO Mark Templeton was behind the explosive growth of Citrix Systems, and the company now serves more than 1 million developers in 195 countries across twelve different data centers.
Unlike other hosting companies, DigitalOcean specializes in cloud computing and does not offer shared hosting or VPS.
When you land on the website, it can be hard to know what it's actually doing. It is clearly aimed at attracting web developers and its stripped-down homepage is meant to deter non-technical visitors.
Features
Digital Ocean offers a wide range of features tailored to developers, with a focus on flexibility, security, and innovation.
1. Product and Safety Ecosystem
Digital Ocean is distinguished by its ecosystem of diversified products and its strengthened security. Users benefit from a wide range of services while only paying for what they use. Security, while not infallible, is strengthened by default encryption and the ability to add additional layers of security.
- Varied product choices: Scalable droplets, file storage, database hosting.
- Customizable security: Basic encryption and options for additional security.
Digital Ocean offers a secure platform adapted to advanced technical needs, while remaining accessible for users with basic security knowledge.
2. Server Localization and Integrations
The ability to choose the server location and the wealth of tools and APIs available accentuate the flexibility and efficiency of Digital Ocean, despite some integration challenges reported by users.
- Diversity of sites: Extensive choice for server location.
- A wealth of tools: APIs, one-click installers, integrations for development and collaboration.
Digital Ocean is distinguished by its geographic adaptability and diversified integrations, increasing efficiency and adaptability for developers.
3. S3 compatibility and file management
S3 compatibility simplifies the transition for existing S3 users, and the drag-and-drop file management interface makes use intuitive and accessible.
- AWS S3 API compatibility: Ease of transition for S3 users.
- Simple user interface: Intuitive file management.
Digital Ocean's compatibility with S3 and its user-friendly interface make it a convenient solution for storing and managing files.
4. Data Centers and CDNs
Strategically located data centers and the integration of a CDN at no additional cost are major assets, although the choice is less extensive than some competitors.
- Strategic data centers: Key locations worldwide.
- Integrated CDN: Reduced latency, improved availability.
Digital Ocean offers efficient content distribution through its integrated CDN network and well-located data centers.
5. Advanced Server Management and Control Panel
Advanced management tools require technical expertise, while the intuitive control panel makes it easy to create and manage VPS.
- Advanced management tools: SSH access, Linux console.
- Intuitive control panel: Easy interface with choice of Linux distributions.
Digital Ocean offers advanced server management for technical users, while providing a simplified user interface for more general use.
6. Facilitated Development
With developer-friendly products and Kubernetes support, Digital Ocean continues development, supported by an active community.
- Developer products: Droplets, Spaces, Kubernetes support.
- Active community: Support and information sharing.
Digital Ocean is a smart choice for developers looking for a flexible, feature-rich platform with strong community support.
7. Performances
One of the advantages of DigitalOcean is that it offers a speed test tool on its site, which allows you to instantly check the performance of one of its twelve servers.
Overall, it's pretty fast when up and running, but tons of online customer reviews highlight downtime experiences with DigitalOcean.
Customer Support
Most hosts promote customer service as if it were a major feature. DigitalOcean doesn't even seem to care. DigitalOcean has its strengths, but support is not one of them. The company has a Trustpilot rating of 3.5/10, and 45% of users gave it a star.
Most of these negative reviews focus on the support team, with a typical reviewer saying, “DigitalOcean customer service is non-existent. It locks accounts for no good reason and simply does not respond to tickets raised. It's just plain old.”
I wish I could counter negative feelings online, but I've used DigitalOcean a number of times over the years, and I've had my share of bad experiences with them. In the past, a lot of my customer sites have gone down and they didn't respond to my support request for over two weeks.
I was really hoping that the support would have improved over the years, but when I tried to contact the team to test the service, I couldn't even send them a message. When I tried to submit a support ticket, the page displayed an error.
There was a bug when I tried to contact the team.
A banner said they were working on resolving it, but despite waiting for five business days, it was still unresolved.
Annoying? You can say it again.
Pricing
DigitalOcean offers two plans, the basic plan is ideal for small businesses that don't face a high volume of traffic, and don't require significant storage space.
Their basic plan ranges from $5 to $80 per month.
All of their plans include a private network, global image transfer, 99.9% uptime, DNS management, and solid state hard drives.
Their $5 plan comes with 512MB of memory, a 1 core processor, a 20GB SSD, and a 1TB transfer. The $80 per month plan comes with 8GB of memory, a 4 core processor, an 80GB SSD, and a 5TB transfer. You can get additional bandwidth transfer for as little as 2 cents per GB.
Their High Volume Plan ranges from $160 to $640 per month; their $160 plan includes 16GB of memory, an 8-core processor, a 160GB SSD, and 6TB of transfer. Their $640 plan includes 64GB of memory, a 20-core processor, a 640GB SSD, and a 9TB transfer.
You can choose monthly or hourly billing, you can make a payment via PayPal, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
Alternatives to DigitalOcean
1. Hostinger
Hostinger is recognized for its excellent value for money and effective customer support, positioning itself as an attractive alternative to DigitalOcean.
Features
- Ease of use: Intuitive user interface, ideal for beginners.
- Customer support: 24/7 support in over 20 languages.
- Fast performance: Page load times under 200 ms.
- Free SSL certificates: Benefit for security and SEO.
- WordPress installation in 1 click: Exempt the creation of sites with their Zyro builder.
- Wide Range of Servers: Shared hosting, VPS, and cloud solutions.
Pricing
- Basic Shared Plan: Starting at $0.99/month for 48 months.
- Refund Policy: Flexible.
SEE MORE: Try Hostinger Now
In comparison, DigitalOcean focuses more on cloud solutions and advanced features for developers, with an emphasis on flexibility and security.
2. GoDaddy
GoDaddy, with its vast array of hosting options for Windows and Linux, offers a solid alternative to DigitalOcean.
Features
- Odin Plesk Control Panel: Simplified server management
- Multisite hosting: Easy management of multiple sites.
- Safety: Protection against malware and DDOS attacks.
- Technical support: Support via email, chat, or phone.
- Reliability: 99.9% uptime guaranteed.
Pricing
- Economic Plan: Starting at $5.99/month for 36 months.
- Free domain name: With the annual plan.
SEE MORE: Try GoDaddy Now
DigitalOcean, on the other hand, is more developoper-oriented with its customizable cloud solutions and performance-oriented infrastructure.
3. Kinsta
Kinsta specializes in premium WordPress hosting, positioning itself as a high-end option compared to DigitalOcean.
Features
- Intuitive user interface: Simplified WordPress management.
- Diversified plans: Starting at $30/month for the starter plan.
- Free migrations: Unlimited migrations from other hosts.
- 24/7 support: Dedicated support for users.
Pricing
- Yearly Starter Plan: $25/month, savings of $60 over the year
SEE MORE: Try Kinsta Now
Kinsta is ideal for those looking for a high-end WordPress hosting solution, while DigitalOcean offers flexibility and technical features that are more suited to developers and cloud computing projects.
Conclusion
Each alternative has specific advantages. Hostinger shines with its ease of use and affordability, GoDaddy offers flexibility with its numerous plans, and Kinsta focuses on top-quality WordPress hosting. DigitalOcean, on the other hand, stands out for its focus on cloud solutions and advanced features for developers, offering great flexibility and robust security options.
FAQs
Does DigitalOcean offer free trials?
DigitalOcean offers a free $100 account credit, valid for up to 60 days for any of its services. If you use the $100 before 60 days, you will be charged an overage fee.
Does DigitalOcean offer managed cloud hosting?
DigitalOcean's cloud hosting platform is for developers, and while the company doesn't offer fully managed hosting plans, it does offer a Premier Support option.
If you want to take advantage of DigitalOcean's performance with the convenience of a managed service, Cloudways offers managed hosting plans My DigitalOcean servers. Most of the providers on our list of Best Web Hosts Also offers managed hosting options.
Final opinion
Because DigitalOcean is a specialized provider, it is better suited for developers who want to deploy an affordable cloud infrastructure. It has all the features you would expect from a cloud computing provider at a fairly reasonable price.
Problems start to arise if you're a first-time user who needs a lot of support, or if you need to cancel your trial or ask for a refund. If you decide to go with DigitalOcean, read the terms of service and agreements carefully before signing.
But don't let that discourage you. Like any other web host, it has pros and cons, and as long as you know what you're getting into, you'll be fine. Good Luck
Still not sure if this is the right web host for you? Check out our list Of the Most Recommended Hosts to find out more.
