Softwr

File Storage & Backup · head to head

Carbonite vs DigitalOcean

Carbonite logo

Carbonite

File Storage & Backup

Simple and reliable cloud backup for businesses

From
$6/month
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: Carbonite upload speeds are significantly slower than competitors due to lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading; DigitalOcean data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances
  • They diverge on capability: Carbonite covers Automatic backup, DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS).

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Carbonite and DigitalOcean actually diverge.

Attributes where Carbonite and DigitalOcean differ
AttributeCarboniteDigitalOcean
Starting price$6/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Mac, WebLinux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend)
CategoryFile Storage & BackupCloud & Infrastructure
Founded20052011

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 Carbonite

  • Automatic backup
  • Continuous protection
  • Remote file access
  • Bare metal restore
  • Compliance support
  • Microsoft 365
  • Windows Server
  • VMware

Only in DigitalOcean

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

Both cover

  • Encryption
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Carbonite

  • 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 Carbonite
  • Teams deploying containerised workloads with Kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster costnot Carbonite
  • Data scientists and ML engineers requiring NVIDIA GPU access at $1.91/GPU/hour (committed)not Carbonite

Where each one falls short

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

Carbonite

  • Upload speeds are significantly slower than competitors due to lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading
  • Bandwidth throttling control is limited, preventing users from managing full bandwidth allocation
  • Mobile apps and web access are more limited than sync-first services like Dropbox or Google Drive
  • Uses AES-128 encryption instead of industry-standard AES-256
  • Hybrid backup support is restricted to professional plans, unavailable for personal users

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

Carbonite

$6/month
  • Basic$6/month
    • Automatic backup
    • Unlimited cloud storage
    • Easy restore

DigitalOcean

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DigitalOcean review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Carbonite if

  • You need automatic backup.
  • You work on Windows, Mac, Web.
  • You also want continuous protection.
Carbonite 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 Carbonite or DigitalOcean better?
Neither clearly leads. Carbonite starts at $6/month and DigitalOcean at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Carbonite or DigitalOcean?
DigitalOcean has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $6/month for Carbonite and Free for DigitalOcean.
Does Carbonite or DigitalOcean run on more platforms?
Carbonite runs on Windows, Mac, Web. 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. Carbonite starts at $6/month.
What is Carbonite best used for?
Carbonite 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 Carbonite do that DigitalOcean cannot?
Carbonite covers Automatic backup, Continuous protection, Remote file access, Bare metal restore. DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Managed Kubernetes, App Platform, Managed Databases. Both handle Encryption, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Carbonite: Does Carbonite offer unlimited storage?

Yes, Carbonite's personal plans (Safe Basic through Safe Server Ultimate) offer unlimited cloud storage, though business plans have tiered storage starting at 250 GB.

Source
Carbonite: What is Carbonite's pricing?

Personal plans range from $4.91 to $83.33 per month with annual billing. Business plans start around $50-$75 per endpoint annually, with volume discounts available for multi-year contracts.

Source
Carbonite: How fast are Carbonite's upload speeds?

Carbonite's upload speeds are notably slow and are consistently identified as the platform's main weakness. The lack of block-level algorithms and multithreading contributes to these speed limitations.

Source
Carbonite: What encryption does Carbonite use?

Carbonite uses AES-128 encryption at rest, which is an unusual choice in 2026 when AES-256 is the industry standard.

Source
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