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Cloud & Infrastructure · head to head

DigitalOcean vs Microsoft Azure

DigitalOcean logo

DigitalOcean

Cloud & Infrastructure

The developer cloud

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Azure logo

Microsoft Azure

Cloud & Infrastructure

Open and flexible cloud services

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DigitalOcean data transfer overage charged at $0.01 per GiB beyond included allowances; Microsoft Azure the 12 months of free services is available only to new customers who have not previously had an Azure account or received 12 months of free services
  • They diverge on capability: DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Microsoft Azure covers Virtual Machines.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DigitalOcean and Microsoft Azure actually diverge.

Attributes where DigitalOcean and Microsoft Azure differ
AttributeDigitalOceanMicrosoft Azure
PlatformsLinux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend)Web, Api, Desktop, Mobile
Founded20112010

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud & Infrastructure).

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 DigitalOcean

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

Only in Microsoft Azure

  • Virtual Machines
  • App Service
  • SQL Database
  • Blob Storage
  • Azure Cosmos DB
  • Functions
  • Service Fabric
  • API Management

Both cover

  • Terraform
  • Kubernetes
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • Cloud deployment

What people use each for

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

DigitalOcean

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

Microsoft Azure

  • Running Windows and Linux workloads, databases and AI services on Microsoft's cloudnot DigitalOcean
  • Extending on-premises Active Directory and Microsoft 365 estates into cloud infrastructurenot DigitalOcean

Where each one falls short

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

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

Microsoft Azure

  • The 12 months of free services is available only to new customers who have not previously had an Azure account or received 12 months of free services
  • The 12 months free offer is not available to customers who sign up directly for pay as you go in China and India
  • Customers who try Azure free must move to pay as you go within 30 days to keep receiving the 12 months of free services
  • Free services are capped at specified monthly amounts, and only some of them are always free

Pricing, plan by plan

DigitalOcean

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the DigitalOcean review.

Microsoft Azure

Free
  • Free AccountFree
    • $200 credit for 30 days
    • Popular services 12 months free
    • 40+ services always free

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Microsoft Azure if

  • You need virtual machines.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want app service.
Microsoft Azure review

Questions people ask

Is DigitalOcean or Microsoft Azure better?
Neither clearly leads. DigitalOcean starts at Free and Microsoft Azure at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DigitalOcean or Microsoft Azure?
DigitalOcean starts at Free and Microsoft Azure at Free.
Does DigitalOcean or Microsoft Azure run on more platforms?
DigitalOcean runs on Linux, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure backend). Microsoft Azure runs on Web, Api, Desktop, Mobile.
Can I use DigitalOcean for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is DigitalOcean best used for?
DigitalOcean is most often used for developers seeking affordable vps starting at $4/month for small applications, teams deploying containerised workloads with kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster cost, data scientists and ml engineers requiring nvidia gpu access at $1.91/gpu/hour (committed). Of those, developers seeking affordable vps starting at $4/month for small applications and teams deploying containerised workloads with kubernetes starting at $12/month cluster cost are not what Microsoft Azure is typically brought in for.
What can DigitalOcean do that Microsoft Azure cannot?
DigitalOcean covers Droplets (VPS), Managed Kubernetes, App Platform, Managed Databases. Microsoft Azure covers Virtual Machines, App Service, SQL Database, Blob Storage. Both handle Terraform, Kubernetes, SOC2, ISO27001.
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