Softwr

File Storage & Backup · head to head

Arq Backup vs DigitalOcean

Arq Backup logo

Arq Backup

File Storage & Backup

Mac and Windows backup to your own cloud storage

From
$50/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DigitalOcean logo

DigitalOcean

Cloud & Infrastructure

The developer cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only DigitalOcean has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Arq Backup runs on Mac and Windows only; DigitalOcean data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances
  • They diverge on capability: Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption, DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS).

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arq Backup and DigitalOcean actually diverge.

Attributes where Arq Backup and DigitalOcean differ
AttributeArq BackupDigitalOcean
Starting price$50/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, MacLinux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend)
CategoryFile Storage & BackupCloud & Infrastructure
Founded20092011

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Arq Backup

  • Client-side encryption
  • Hourly backups
  • Network backup
  • Deduplication
  • Immutable backups
  • Budget controls
  • AWS S3
  • Google Cloud

Only in DigitalOcean

  • Droplets (VPS)
  • Managed Kubernetes
  • App Platform
  • Managed Databases
  • Spaces (Object Storage)
  • Floating IPs
  • Load Balancers
  • Firewalls

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arq Backup

  • Data protectionnot DigitalOcean
  • Disaster recoverynot DigitalOcean
  • Business continuitynot DigitalOcean
  • Ransomware protectionnot DigitalOcean
  • Compliancenot DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean

  • Developers seeking affordable VPS starting at $4/month for small applicationsnot Arq Backup
  • Teams deploying containerised workloads with Kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster costnot Arq Backup
  • Data scientists and ML engineers requiring NVIDIA GPU access at $1.91/GPU/hour (committed)not Arq Backup

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Arq Backup

  • Runs on Mac and Windows only
  • Arq 7 is licensed per computer, and continuing to receive updates after the first year costs $25 per year per computer
  • Arq Premium covers up to 5 computers, so larger households or teams need more than one subscription
  • Arq Premium includes 1TB of storage and charges $0.0059 per GB per month beyond it

DigitalOcean

  • Data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances
  • Free tier includes only 3 static sites; additional static sites require paid upgrade
  • Container registry free tier capped at 500 MiB storage; exceeding requires paid tier
  • Functions free tier allows 90,000 GiB-seconds monthly; overages billed on usage basis
  • GPU Droplets require minimum monthly commitment for lower hourly rates; on-demand significantly more expensive

Pricing, plan by plan

Arq Backup

$50/year
  • Arq Premium$50/year
    • 5 computers
    • Arq Cloud storage option
    • Email support

DigitalOcean

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DigitalOcean review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Arq Backup if

  • You need client-side encryption.
  • You work on Windows, Mac.
  • You also want hourly backups.
Arq Backup review

Choose DigitalOcean if

  • You need droplets (vps).
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend).
  • You also want managed kubernetes.
DigitalOcean review

Questions people ask

Is Arq Backup or DigitalOcean better?
Neither clearly leads. Arq Backup starts at $50/year and DigitalOcean at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arq Backup or DigitalOcean?
DigitalOcean has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $50/year for Arq Backup and Free for DigitalOcean.
Does Arq Backup or DigitalOcean run on more platforms?
Arq Backup runs on Windows, Mac. DigitalOcean runs on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend).
Can I use DigitalOcean for free?
Yes. DigitalOcean has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arq Backup starts at $50/year.
What is Arq Backup best used for?
Arq Backup is most often used for data protection, disaster recovery, business continuity, ransomware protection. Of those, data protection and disaster recovery are not what DigitalOcean is typically brought in for.
What can Arq Backup do that DigitalOcean cannot?
Arq Backup covers Client-side encryption, Hourly backups, Network backup, Deduplication. DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Managed Kubernetes, App Platform, Managed Databases.
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Arq Backup

More on DigitalOcean

Keep looking

Other head to heads