Hetzner
European cloud and dedicated server provider with low prices.
Alternatives · 2026
Alternatives to DigitalOcean
Developer-friendly cloud with predictable pricing on droplets.
5 hand-curated alternatives from MintedSaaS's directory. See the DigitalOcean listing →
DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure platform built around virtual machines called droplets, aimed at developers and small teams who want straightforward pricing and easy configuration. It's known for predictable per-droplet costs rather than complex resource-based billing, a one-click app marketplace, and documentation geared toward people learning to deploy their first server. The company competes in the broader Infrastructure-as-a-Service market alongside much larger players like AWS and Google Cloud, and also against providers like Linode and Hetzner that emphasize simplicity and cost.
Most teams reach for DigitalOcean when they need to spin up a handful of instances without learning AWS's service catalog, when they want predictable monthly bills instead of hourly spot-pricing surprises, or when they're building early-stage projects that don't yet justify enterprise tooling. It's popular for running single-purpose droplets (a web server here, a database there), managed databases and load balancers, and quick deployments of pre-built applications. The alternative platforms in this comparison serve similar use cases but differ in pricing models, geographic reach, managed services depth, and whether they target individual developers or large enterprises.
What we offer that competes
Linode
Cloud hosting provider focused on simple virtual machines.
Microsoft Azure
Microsoft's enterprise cloud computing platform.
AWS
Amazon's broad cloud platform spanning compute, storage, and more.
Google Cloud
Google's cloud platform with compute, data, and AI services.
What to look for
- Whether pricing is per-instance with a flat monthly rate, or metered hourly based on individual resources like CPU and RAM.
- Whether the provider's API and web console support spinning up new instances programmatically without manual setup steps.
- Whether managed database backups can be exported to your own S3 bucket or similar object storage for long-term retention.
- How many geographic regions are offered and whether latency from user locations to the nearest region is documented.
- Whether you can customize your own Linux image and upload it, or are limited to the provider's pre-built operating system templates.
- Whether load balancing, firewalls, and DNS services are included at no extra cost, or billed as separate add-ons.
FAQ
What are the best alternatives to DigitalOcean?
Hetzner and Linode offer per-server pricing and ease-of-use comparable to DigitalOcean; AWS and Google Cloud provide broader service catalogs and automation options for larger teams; Microsoft Azure integrates well with Windows and enterprise tools. Your choice depends on whether you prioritize simplicity and predictable billing or need advanced orchestration and global redundancy.
Are there free alternatives to DigitalOcean?
AWS and Google Cloud both include free tiers good for 12 months (AWS) or ongoing (Google Cloud), but they're not free alternatives if you exceed usage thresholds. Hetzner and Linode have no free tier; DigitalOcean's free tier is minimal and aimed at signups only.
How do I choose a cloud provider for deploying web applications?
Compare the total cost of ownership across your expected infrastructure (servers, storage, bandwidth), the management overhead (how much configuration you want to do yourself), regional availability where your users live, and whether the provider's pre-built tools match your deployment workflow.
Which cloud provider is cheapest for running virtual machines?
Hetzner typically wins on per-server cost for small instances in Europe; Linode offers competitive pricing globally; AWS and Google Cloud are cheaper only at scale and with heavy discounting. DigitalOcean sits between Linode and the hyperscalers depending on instance size.
Do I need a managed database, or should I run my own?
Managed databases (offered by all five platforms) handle backups, failover, and patching automatically, which saves time as your application matures. Running your own on a single droplet or instance works fine early on but becomes a maintenance burden as traffic grows.
What platforms do DigitalOcean competitors support?
AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure all support Linux and Windows; Hetzner and Linode focus on Linux but allow custom images. If you run Windows workloads, Azure is the strongest choice.
Can I easily migrate from DigitalOcean to another cloud provider?
Migrations are possible but manual: you'll export snapshots or filesystem backups, set up new infrastructure on the target platform, and restore your data. Using configuration-as-code tools like Terraform from the start makes switching less painful.
What's the difference between DigitalOcean Spaces and S3-compatible object storage?
DigitalOcean Spaces is its proprietary object storage; AWS S3 and equivalents on Google Cloud and Azure are the industry standard, with deeper integration into those ecosystems and more third-party tool support.